Day 28 - The Chhomrong Grind

Tadapani to Sinuwa

I woke up early to not miss the morning exhibit of beauty and took also some pictures. But the big peaks are not in best "shape" at sunrise from Tadapani, and so I had to be content with clouds and valley pictures. Nonetheless beautiful!

After breakfast we start towards Chhomrong, the next village/stage on the trek. At first the trail descends through the jungle. Not much fun, as the trail is narrow, slippery and overgrown. You have to go over rocks, roots and sometimes deadfall. All the time Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre are ahead like some baits impossible to reach. Only a few times do they really get covered by the dense vegetation.

This is a real rhododendron jungle. The trees are huge and overgrown with ferns and lichens and there are all sorts of funny sounds made by invisible birds> I can imagine that at night it can get extremely spooky. Just hearing those shrieks and I would freeze. Nope, jungle is not really my kind of environment.
The documented monkey sightings fail to happen. Actually there's supposed to be langurs around but I don't get to see any.

After about an hour the trail exits the jungle and enters the open on top of a hill, above a village. The valley is deep and quite steep, though nicely terraced. The other side of the valley is also cultivated and there are houses there as well. The beautiful light green of the millet terraces contrasts with the dark green of the jungle. I notice a lot of buffalos, very few cows.
Although the top of Annapurna South is still visible it is Machhapuchhre which dominates the whole picture. Big but delicate and certainly unique in shape and attraction.
I can see all the way down to the river where the small bridge is that brings us onto the other side where a huge landslide of about 200 vertical meters captures your attention right away as it disrupts the harmony of the green patches and patterns. The trail goes up on the other side and up and around the slide to the right and then up the Modi Khola valley to the North. That is an extremely narrow valley and looking fairly dark from here.

However, Pipi gets confused one we reach the open. He doesn't know the trail and gets intimidated, I think, by some buffalos on the trail. Fact is he turns left instead of continuing to the right. We start descending some more on switchbacks. I'm a bit behind him and I stop to watch some green parrots and to take a picture of some kids. When I'm ready to continue Pipi has disappeared. I continue to a junction and look for him unsuccessfully.

After getting contradictory advise from 2 people I end up descending the slope and landing in the fields. I can still see river and bridge and trail on the other side. I am not lost for that matter, but the trail is gone and there's jungle on 3 sides: left, right and below. And I'm not going to go up again. It's darn steep. The problem I have is how to find atrail through the jungle. I'm sure there's one since people have to be able to get to their terraced fields somehow.
I'm lucky to find some people and ask. Little by little I advance and eventually reach the valley bottom. On the last stretch I had to negotiate with some brushes and plants with merciless thorns. Clearly that's a cattle trail. While coming down I have also spotted the correct trail coming down in nice switchbacks from a ridge to my right. Oh well. But where is Pipi?

As I'm looking up and around for him he shows up from the left looking grim. "Pipi, why didn't you wait for me?" We start an argument because he says he waited and then looked for me. Whatever, I give up. His English is not good enough to explain properly and he doesn't understand me well enough. I let it be but can't refrain from mentioning to him that in order to become a good guide he should improve his English, learn plant names and wait for his clients.

We continue our way across the river and then up the other side of the valley. It is hot and humid but soon I am chasing lovely butterflies again. I have noticed clouds of dust coming our way and I figure it is from the slide area. Indeed, further up we can see the fine dust rising in the air with the slightest breeze. The trail is very steep; it's actually a stairway again. The 300m or so we have descended we now need to climb up again.
We stop for a short break in a small tea shop on the trail with great views of the valley. Even Tadapani is visible on the col behind surrounded by jungle.
After the break we keep going up steeply until we reach the high point and the landslide is beklow us. The views of the valley are stunning. The sight of the landslide is terrible and scary. it looks just like an avalanche of sand. I'm afraid that the logging of the whole forest to create farmland on these steep and long slopes has contributed to these disasters. Before it happemned the trail used to traverse the slope, now it has to work around it.

From here ahead of us and to the left is the valley where Chhomrong begins. It is a big and beautiful village with endless terraces and nice 2-storey houses. It looks wealthy.

The trail traverses 2 older slide areas then continues to contour the slope towards Chhomrong. From time to time it is blocked by buffalos standing or resting. It then becomes a matter of improvisation: either walk around, if possible, or jump over their huge bodies/backsides.

We reach the first guesthouses at 1 pm and stop at the Panorama View Guest House. I'm determined to go all the way to Sinuwa, another 2 hours, but we're hungry.
The place is spotless and the paved patio is nice and there are lots of flowers as well. The views of the valley are available, only the peaks have vanished behind the first afternoon clouds.

I order some delicious vegetable momos and then take some time to write in my diary. It is extremely hot so I'm not rushing.

We eventually get going around 2:30 pm. Pipi is not happy but has no choice. From here the trail is nicely paved with slabs but it goes steeply down to a little tributary stream and then steeply up on the other side. There are hundreds and thousands of steps. I am happy for the great views of the valley and the beauty of the village. That makes the grind more entertaining. There is also a lot of traffic on this trail. We encounter hordes of people coming our way. Groups of trekkers and, accordingly, groups of porters. And some of these are huge.
I notice in particular some porters carrying tables and pots and kerosene containers and find out that their group has been camping and so everything had to be carried up and down. 10 trekkers, 29 staff people (including porters, cooks and guide). Holy Cow! The loads the porters are carrying are huge. The poor men are poorly dressed, wearing flip-flops and so bent under their burden that you only get to see the straps across their forehead. BNevertheless, every time you salute them they answer and have a smile for you. I have noticed that for a long time now. The locals, regardless how exhausted, smile back at you. Only few trekkers respond and smile.
I have probably seen some 200 people coming down today.

When we finally reach the lower part of Sinuwa on the trail, on the steps facing down a young woman is doing a yoga tree pose. Another woman is taking pictures of her. "Oh, nice tree pose!" I exclaim and she invites me to join her. With boots, pack and all. Of course, I cannot refuse a new challenge and so step up next to her and do my tree pose.
I have to admit that it is a bit "cheated". In boots you have more stability so standing on one foot is not so bad, especially if it's the stronger one. But then the pack on the back and the heave camera pulling sideways and down are not helping, on the contrary. Plus putting your boot up the thigh is not very pleasant either. But I do it. And I stand there until finally Pipi shows up and can see me. And I get a picture. I thank for the picture and we say good-bye for now.
There's another half an hour from here to the lodge that some guide has recommended me earlier today.
The last lodge in Sinuwa on the way up to ABC (Annapurna Base Camp) is lovely. It has dozens of potted flowers all over. It is located right along the trail, meaning that the building and the garden tables are each on one side of the trail. The flowers get me under their spell right away. I can't say much about the views yet as it is cloudy again.
I benefit from a hot shower and then I sit at a garden table and read until dusk.

There is a British couple here that does the ABC trek expedition style. In other words, they're camping and the porters carry tents and pots and food and everything. In the evening they sit in the dining room and listen to BBC on the radio. They seem to be very nice, but I don't understand them or their trekking style.
However, I have an idea. The camping area is flat with nice lawn, so why not sleep outside? It takes me 5 minutes to lay out my bivvy and sleeping bag and have everything ready for the night. Pipi can sleep in my room.

After a delicious daalbhat for dinner - again different from the prvious ones - and a lot of tea I am ready to go to bed. In my bivvy I can read, write and gaze at the stars.
I wake up once during the night because the moon is shining so bright, but I fall asleep right after turning my back to it :-)