Annapurna Circuit Day 1
Bhulebule (860 m) to Ngadi (930 m)
We got up before dawn to start our journey towards the
Annapurna region. We made our way to the local bus stand where we managed to
locate a mini-bus (essentially a 15 passenger van) headed towards Bhulebule -
the start of the Annapurna Circuit trek.
Mini-buses in Nepal do not operate on a schedule but only leave once
they are full so we had to wait over an hour while they crammed the van full with
other passengers and all of their trekking gear.
The bus finally left the bus depot around 7:30 AM, taking
almost an hour just to clear the heavy traffic of the main ring road and leave
the Kathmandu city limits. Immediately outside of Kathmandu the highway turned
into a narrow two-lane road perilously perched over a raging river as it wound up and down the hillside. Traffic was
surprisingly heavy and we had several near misses with our driver trying to
pass on blind corners. After several hours and a lunch break, we left the main
highway in Dumre where we started up an even smaller, even windier, dirt road.
 |
| Fully loaded bus |
Since we were travelling during the Diwali festival, we were
constantly stopped by blockades where the local community groups would form a human-chain across the road and
would sing, dance and beg for donations to support their community projects. In some towns there would be as many as three
roads blocks which made for extremely slow travelling!
 |
| Road block |
We managed to complete the 150 km to Besisahar by 2:30 PM, 7
hours after we left Kathmandu or an average of 20 kilometers per hour! From Besisahar
we hired a jeep to complete the final stretch to Bhulebule. Dave was quite
excited to get the opportunity to ride in a Mahindra Bolero Camper, the Indian
version of the Land Cruiser, but unfortunately had developed too bad of a
migraine from the long bus ride to really enjoy it.
 |
| Mahindra Bolero Camper |
In Bhulebule (840 m), we registered at the ACAP (Annapurna
Conservation Area Project) office and set out on the trail. The first steps in
our twenty-day trek!
 |
| Setting off across the suspension bridge in Bhulebule |
We walked about an hour through the tropical valley bottom.
On each side of us were tall hills covered in lush green rain forest, towering
waterfalls and endless yellow rice paddy terraces.
 |
| Rice paddies |
 |
| Hotel Superview |
The evening entrainment was provided by a group of local
kids performing folk songs and dances in honour of the Diwali festival. Once
they exhausted their repetiore of folk songs they began to show off their
break dancing skills – complete with handsprings! – to pop songs off of one of the
guides cellphones.
 |
| Local children practicing folk dances |
Annapurna Circuit Day 2
Ngadi (930 m) to Chamje (1410 m)
The next morning, despite Dave’s best attempts to sleep in
and have a leisurly morning, we were wide awake by 5:30 AM and on the trail by
8:00 AM.
We had ended up sharing the bus ride from Kathmandu with Alberto, an Italian chef currently living in Vietnam. Alberto's guide happened to be friends with our guide so we inevitably ended up hiking together.
The trail continued along the
valley bottom, criss-crossing the river and alternating between glowing yellow
rice crops and tiny stone villages painted with bright blue and red. Soon the
trail climbed out of the valley bottom up the terraced hillside.
 |
| Colour homes |
 |
| Waterfall |
 |
| Bamboo bridge |
 |
| Terraced hillside |
 |
| Fresh squeezed orange juice |
Unfortunately shortly after Ghermu the trail crossed the
valley to join the road. Walking along the steep gravel road in the 30 C heat
was not enjoyable but thankfully the only “traffic” was trains of mules loaded
with grains, salt, fuel, and trekking supplies. Quickly we learnt one of the important life lessons in Nepal - always pass the mules and horses on the inside of the trail or risk being pushed over the edge of the cliff!
 |
| Mules |
After Syange (
1080 m) the road entered a narrow gorge and climbed passed the
town of Jagat where we were finally able to leave the road and follow the “old
trail” through the heavily jungled hillside on to Chamje.
 |
| Vertical valley walls near Jagat |
 |
| Steps |
 |
| Jungle trail |
In Chamje (1410 m) we stopped for the night at the Natural View Guesthouse
with its stunning view of a towering waterfall and steep rock face on the Marsyangi gorge. This tea
house was quite a luxurious with a boiling hot gas shower.
 |
| Natural View Guesthouse |
 |
| Chatting with Alberto |
For dinner, we again had dal bhat but Dave was quite excited to be
able to get chicken with his dal bhat after watching the tea house owners
butcher a fresh bird. Once again the evening entertainment was provided by
local children performing folk songs and dances.
 |
| Folk singers |
With sun set before 6:00 PM and no electricity, we were learning that "night life" is pretty much non-existent in the remote regions of Nepal and we were sound asleep by 8:00 PM.
 |
| Cosy accommodation |
