Where We Be
| The view from Bhulbule at the start of the Annapurna Circuit |
| Happy at the start of our 30-day trek |
| Our first day's lodging was in the small agricultural village of Ngadi |
| Our first lodgings at Suman Hotel were extremely basic -- the most basic of our trek -- and possibly the most basic we've ever stayed in other than a tent! |
| The foot bridges can sway a bit |
| Shower and bathroom were in separate tin shacks |
| We dined outdoors under this palapa |
| And ordered our food at this cafe on premises |
| In the late afternoon we walked down to the river... |
| ...and cooled our toes in the icy water |
| The depressing truth: road building is going on all the way to Manang. Sometimes this was what we were hiking on and looking at. |
| On the plus side, we also hiked past lovely terraced fields, shepherds' huts, and farmsteads |
| We passed quaint farms with stone walls and growing crops |
| We were also treated to many slice-of-life scenes like this man pumping water for a woman at a well |
| And small villages located right beside the trail |
| Rickety bridge across the Marsyangdi River (not part of the trek route!) |
| We passed through the picturesque village of Jagat on the way to Tal on our third day |
| Mule trains are a common sight on the early part of the trek |
| Scenery on the way to Tal |
| Domestic animals are in every village -- an aspect of the trip we really enjoyed |
| The excellent Tibet Guest House in Tal offered a fine room with a waterfall window view and a rare attached bathroom |
| Tal's flat stone pathway is a nice change of pace from all the steep hiking |
| Nepalis spin prayer wheels as they enter or exit a village, always passing on the left side |
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| Annapurna Circuit, Nepal (Days 1-3) |
The classic Annapurna Circuit may not exist for
much longer. A dirt road already stretches up
the west side of the trek, and another road is
fast going up the east side all the way to
Manang. The extent of road building was a bit
depressing at times, but there is still a lot to
like about the Annapurna Circuit, at least for
now, as we hope these pages will show.
From Pokhara we had a bumpy 4-hour bus ride
to Besi Sahar, a dusty little road stop, followed
by an even bumpier 1-hour ride to Bhulbule.
Our last bus ride for a month! Now we rely on
foot power to get us from village to village.
We hiked an hour to Ngadi on day 1. This small
agricultural village offered very basic lodgings
counterbalanced by very friendly people. Next
day we hiked 4 hours to Ghermu past lovely
terraced fields. Our third day was a hard one as
we were still getting our hiking legs back and
sections of the trail were quite steep, both up
and down. We had to detour around several
sections of road construction and felt relieved
to finally reach Tal after 6 hours.
much longer. A dirt road already stretches up
the west side of the trek, and another road is
fast going up the east side all the way to
Manang. The extent of road building was a bit
depressing at times, but there is still a lot to
like about the Annapurna Circuit, at least for
now, as we hope these pages will show.
From Pokhara we had a bumpy 4-hour bus ride
to Besi Sahar, a dusty little road stop, followed
by an even bumpier 1-hour ride to Bhulbule.
Our last bus ride for a month! Now we rely on
foot power to get us from village to village.
We hiked an hour to Ngadi on day 1. This small
agricultural village offered very basic lodgings
counterbalanced by very friendly people. Next
day we hiked 4 hours to Ghermu past lovely
terraced fields. Our third day was a hard one as
we were still getting our hiking legs back and
sections of the trail were quite steep, both up
and down. We had to detour around several
sections of road construction and felt relieved
to finally reach Tal after 6 hours.
| Day 1. Bhulbule to Ngadi |
| Day 2. Ngadi to Ghermu |
| Day 3. Ghermu to Tal |
| Red chili peppers drying in the sun |
