This is a continuation of my series on the Annapurna Circuit Trek, which we trekked in late November. Check out our itinerary here. Day 4 of the Annapurna Circuit was a truly lovely day of trekking! I adored everything about this day, I thought the scenery was fabulous, and I had so much fun exploring Upper Pisang. It was reassuring to have my favorite day of the trek immediately following a difficult day. As we departed from Chame, we were surrounded by evergreen trees, which smelled wonderful. The trek wound through an apple orchard, surrounded by a "No Trespassing" fence. There was a small shop at the apple orchard where many trekkers paused for a snack. We kept hiking without a stop until we reached the top of a hill, where we paused, refueled with snacks, and enjoyed the view of the snow-covered peaks with the river rushing below us. We had not been away from the sound of the water since beginning our trek, and, later that day, I wrote in my journal: "The river feels like a friend at this point." We continued uphill through a forest until we reached the town of Dhukur Pokhari, a perfect lunch stop. The day was warm, and we stopped for lunch at a teahouse with outdoor tables in the sunshine. Our table also offered beautiful mountain views. Because we were only one town from our stopping point in Upper Pisang, we stayed for awhile after lunch, soaking up the sunshine and journaling as we admired the scenery. Eventually, we packed up and headed toward Upper Pisang. On this particular leg of the hike, I was really beginning to notice the effects of altitude, namely that my breathing felt slightly more labored. Our stopping point for the night was Upper Pisang. When we walked into Upper Pisang, past rows and rows of prayer wheels, we spotted the monastery perched at the top of the village. Our group immediately decided that we wanted to stay at the top of the village, so we hiked up to the highest teahouse. The views of Annapurna II from the teahouse were unbelievable. First, we dropped our packs in a room. Next, we took a ton of photos of the mountain, prayer flags and the mountain, us and the mountain. Then, we immediately headed up to check out the monastery, a short staircase up above our teahouse. To enter the monastery, we passed under an ornately decorated gate. The monastery building itself was small, with a gong outside the door. We took our shoes off to enter and made a donation. The interior of the building was painted with bright colors and smelled of incense. Against the back wall sat a statue of Buddha and two other deities with various offerings in front of them. When we looked back out the front door of the building, all we could see were the snow-covered slopes of Annapurna II. It was certainly an inspiring place for a house of worship. As we wandered out of the building and stood admiring the view, a monk crossed the compound and began ringing the gong, in what I assume was a call to worship. The sun had already started to set when we visited the monastery, so the temperature began to drop. Our teahouse room wasn't heated, but, luckily, there was a fireplace in the dining room. We brought our Kindles and journals and maps of the route to the dining room, where we enjoyed views of Annapurna II with our dinner. We stayed in the dining room, cozy and warm, until it was time to run for our puffy sleeping bags. On Day 3, I was frozen and doubting the trip, Day 4 was filled with warmth, new cultural experiences, and stunning landscapes. I felt like this was the day I needed to remind me of all the reasons that I wanted to trek the Annapurna Circuit. Moments like listening to the rushing river, sitting in the sunshine at lunch, walking through a serene monastery, and watching the sun set behind the majestic peak of Annapurna II made me feel grateful to be in the Himalayas and experiencing this part of the world. Daily trekking distance: 14.5 km
Total trekking distance: 61.5 km Starting elevation (Chame): 2710m/8891 ft Ending elevation (Upper Pisang): 3310m/10,859ft Costs Lunch Dhukur Pokhari: 510 NPR ($4.95) Monastery donation in Upper Pisang: 300 NPR ($2.91) Dinner + Room + Breakfast Upper Pisang: 995 NPR ($9.65)
0 Comments
|
AuthorMy name is Alyssa Good and I have a passion for travel, adventure, culture, and new experiences! I focus on budget friendly travel, trip planning resources, and seeking out new experiences. Archives
December 2017
Categories
All
|