Two Days in Hot Springs Country
Trip Start
Jan 28, 2007
1
19
29
Trip End
Mar 31, 2007
Tatapani,
Nepal
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
I havent said I dont think but they are "TRYING" to make a road around the Annapurna Circuit, but its a disaster. The Government is contracting tons of small sections of it out so there ar just gangs of about 10 men working on a section and blasting rock out with dynamite but then they come to a huge boulder blocking their way so a gap is left of a few miles or so and then you see another section being blasted. .. end result is none of the road meets up so you cant drive along it and when they do blast all the rock falls and it doesnt appear to be in the contract to clear it up so its just mess everywhere and often across the trekking path (which is also the locals path, the mules path and the ponies path)
Motor bikes and tractors (to be used like buses) have been disembled in KTM and put on the planes to Jomsom then reasembled in the villages but they cant drive more than a few kilometres of section...
01 Before Tatapani
. doesnt seem to stop them though.. the number is increasing daily... the young boys love them. They put a cart behind the tractor and use it like a bus for a few kilometres with the locals. Although this sounds like a normal option... its not normal.. Even with Robs bad back the idea of hiring a mules, motor bike or tractor was not an option as the road isnt really a road just blasted tracks so it would have jarred and injured him far more than walking.
We stayed at Hotel Himalaya - had lunch and went down to the hot springs for a few hours... lovely. Hot sun, hot water... this is a natural hot spring next to the river. they have dug out a couple of square pools and roughly concreted them. Next to it is a small bamboo roofed pagola with a table under it where everyone leaves their bags and hang their wet clothes. The final touch is a shed selling coke, beer and chocolate next to the pool.. perfect. Spent a couple of hours there relaxing and tryhing to keep up the bit of tan were getting as we walk.
Played cards with Rame until ninner and then the usual early bed. Because everyone is trekking and tired all these places are deserted by 9pm. 8pm to 9pm is the norm for bedtime with most of us in before 8.30pm (No power sure encourages this). Next day repeat of the day before as wed decided on a 'rest day' here..
02
. lovely and relaxing. We met 3 young Israely's down by the spring and it was interesting to hear about Israel from them. It was funny when 2 UK girls about 19 come and stripped to bikinis to get into the pool. All the Nepalese men who had been ready to leave settled back down for a wonderful eyeful. The Nepalese women wear saris into the pool. The poor UK girls had no idea as there were no women in the pool when they arrived. As soon as some Nepalese girls got in they realized and covered themselves with their towels..hahaha .. the men were spewing..When we walked back to the hotel we found Marcus (the Italian guy from Jharkot)sitting having a veggie burger and chips... great to see him again. We wont probably catch up with him again as he travels fast and is heading down to Pokhara in the next few days before KTM and then India.
Tomorrow the trek continues and now its in the UP direction... to Sikha....
