There is 2 ways to get to Manang. One that goes up really high and takes about 7 hours or a lower way mostly along the road. Kay and I decided we did not need to put our old bodies through any more climbing than necessary so we took the low road.
This was definitely the right decision as Kay had a hard day of it. I had had my hard time on the first day and was feeling really good today as a lot of the road was flatish.
We met a couple of women who recognized more people and buildings in my photos
However, when I needed to run up a hill looking for an emergency toilet, I really felt the full effects of the altitude. I wasn’t sure whether I would die from embarrassment from shitting my pants or having a heart attack. Luckily, a little old lady let me use her toilet so a disaster was avoided.
It was another basic squat job with a bucket of water for cleansing the bum. So my quads are getting a work out. My aim is getting better.
I walked a bit with a woman from Brusselton, Western Australia, who was here on her 6th visit to Nepal with hubby and 2 small girls, 12 and 14 years old. She walked, but the others took a jeep because the kids both had snotty noses. They are heading to the Thorong La Pass the same as us.
Piles of firewood was stacked up along all the fences and we saw an old fella ploughing his little field. Basu said most people have rotary hoes now.
We also saw a group of very dusty young people breaking rocks by hand. Last time I was here there was hundreds of young, single women with their babies on their backs doing this work. This was all they could get as single mothers: living under tarpaulins with their kids. So things have changed as we have walked through a number of large queries with mechanical machinery doing the work. Never the less I wonder where the single mums are nowadays.
Not everything has changed though. I came across the little old man who I am am quite sure I bought a hat from 17 years ago. He continues to live in a very basic abode selling beads and artifacts to us trekkers.
The hat I bought in 2006 made it back to New Zealand despite being fox fur. She has been my stand-in pet and is named Annapurna, of course. Anyone who has been to my house will have met her and given her a pat.
We arrived at about noon and had, yet again, to bear the indignity of looking horrified at having to climb 2 flights of stairs to our room. Basu keeps getting us the best rooms with the nicest views. We shouldn’t complain!
