DAY 4: Tal to Chame
The fourth day of the trek from Tal to Chame was the longest, at approximately 22-23 km, but was well worth it. After having breakfast, I gave another set of crayons and a notepad to the children at the Dragon Guesthouse. The mother beamed and seemed genuinely happy, as did the kids. Again, if it helps push a sense of creativity? I consider it as a win. I won't ever say that people in that situation have "nothing" and need a sense of "hope". I think I could give the same small gift to the child of wealthy parents here, and if the parents allow the child to express creativity, then the background becomes a very minor point, if even one at all.
Setting out at about 8:20 AM, I instantly began to understand the wonder of the environment around me. A number of small birds that looked like the one below were all around just after Tal. If anyone can help me ID what species? Please leave a comment below!
One of many birds seen of this subspecies around Tal
Continuing on, I was rewarded after a couple of hours of some more avian wildlife seen in Dharapani. Originally, I assumed that perhaps it was the famed golden eagle, but after arriving home, and cropping the picture you see below, I'm almost certain that I saw a large number of Himalayan griffon vultures that live in the area. The photos have been cropped to give a closer look, and I feel lucky to have been able to get these shots while they were airborne!
Himalayan griffon vulture just outside of Dharapani
Another vulture (maybe the same?), in the same area as the above
Although I was amazed to see this wildlife, the locals seemed annoyed by them, as they would try to shoo them away if they got too close. They seemed puzzled as to why I took such an interest in them, but I completely understand. Once you become used to seeing something, you sometimes lose sight of how that 'something' may seem to be wonderful to others.
After spending close to 20 minutes trying to snap pictures of these amazing birds, I continued on. About an hour or so later, I arrived in Bagarchap, where I had a light lunch. Here I ran into a younger Belgian couple and made some small talk with a young Israeli man. Earlier on, as I entered the village, one of my first summit sights since the second day came into view. Below you will see Annapurna II and the kani (or chorten) as I entered Bagarchap. These are stupa shaped arches that typically are at the entrances of villages. Many have elaborate paintings, as well as sets of Buddhist prayer wheels built on the inside walls. As with everything else in the region, it is an amazing thing to see to understand and envelop yourself in the culture.
The kani entering Bagarchap. In the back: Annapurna II
Understanding that I still had a few hours to go, I continued on. After Danaque, I ran into what was almost a bad problem, last year. When I did this same trek a year ago, I took what would now be considered a wrong turn. I arrived at a small river, and on a huge rock, spotted a handpainted "Manang", with an arrow pointing across the river. It wasn't uncommon to see this along the trails. The problem? No bridge in sight. It took me a half an hour to figure out a way to get across, but not before almost falling into the water. Had I fallen in - and one of my legs did nearly to my right knee! - I would have been in serious trouble. This year?
I took the road, and eventually crossed a bridge. As I was crossing, last year, I even spotted said bridge, but was already 15 minutes into this, and turning back would have been just as hard as what laid ahead. Once across, I stopped to prep for a serious climb that went up approximately 500 meters (approx. 1600+ feet). When I reached the top, I ran into the same Belgian couple. What amazed me is that they had left Bagarchap about 15 to 20 minutes before I had. It turns out that they unfortunately made the same mistake I had made last year, and crossed the river. Thankfully, without getting wet, like I did!
I pressed on, and spotted the continuing building of roads, in the region. I find this to be a bit unfortunate, as it takes away from the trekking trails, but understand it's needed for some. It comes as a blessing is disguise. While it helps the villages that have remained so remote and allows easier access to supplies, it potentially hurts the tourism appeal of villages farther south, as some may opt to skip this. To understand the sort of environment these roads are being built in, just check out the picture below, which was taken the day before, before reaching Tal.
Yes, they built a road, here! On the lower left, there's a construction vehicle!
The remainder of the day, I tagged along with the Belgian couple. It turns out, they lived a pretty simple life. They worked as fruit pickers in France, and lived out of a caravan during this time. They had no real bills, to speak of, so they spent three months working, with the remainder of the year trying to travel. That sounds like a good life, to me! This couple ended up being my hiking companions, for the day, and this is one of the best parts of trekking - meeting people from around the globe.
After reaching Timang, we ended up going back down a couple hundred meters and had to cross one of the many suspension bridges. These are seen throughout the region, and the Swiss are actually responsible for helping to build these. I guess they're good at making watches, as well as bridges! These bridges can be a bit much for some, and that was the case for the young Belgian woman. After crossing, we went back up that two hundred meters, and for the rest of the day, smooth sailing.
Don't look down!
Just over an hour later, we would arrive in Chame. Beforehand, minutes before the previous village of Koto, we ran into a vendor that was selling samosas. Big ones, at that! For only 25 rupees, I couldn't pass it up. 30 cents US gave me an awesome little snack to help give me that little bit of energy. Entering Chame, I decided to stay at the Manaslu View, where I stayed, last year. After a hearty dinner - and checking e-mail for the first time in four days! - it was time for bed.
Cost: 2125Rs (four day cost - approx. $98 US!)
Approx. distance trekked: 23 km
Next up: Day 5 to Pisang.
