This is a continuation of my series on the Annapurna Circuit Trek, which we trekked in late November. Check out our itinerary here. When we headed out of Dharapani in the morning, the air was chilly. It gave me a taste of what to expect as we continued up into higher altitudes. In the morning, I started out wearing long sleeves, a hat, and gloves. I was also really grateful that we had had nothing but clear blue skies for our trekking thus far. Our goal for the day was to reach the town of Chame, which we had heard was a larger town. Hands down, the best part of the day was our first views of the Annapurna massif and other snow-covered peaks. Up to this point, we had been accustomed to lower elevations, rolling mountains with rounded tops, brown and green hues, and terraced rice fields. Now, we were getting views of jagged peaks, barren ridges above the tree line, and snow covered summits. I couldn't stop looking at these mountains and taking pictures of them! Today's uphills didn't feel quite as bad as the previous day's uphill portions to me, so either it was easier or my body was beginning to adjust to this trekking routine. I hoped it was the latter, since we still had a lot of elevation to gain before Thorong-La Pass at 17,770 ft. We stopped for lunch in the village of Koto, one town before Chame. Lunch was, unfortunately, cold as well, since we were eating in the shade. The down jackets had to come out once we sat down for lunch. We entered Chame, once again, at rush hour on the Annapurna Circuit, accompanied by a herd of goats. A young boy, about 12 years old, also walked into town with us, asking questions about the United States, telling us that we would see yak in Manang, and urging us to stay at his family's teahouse. We had an idea of where we wanted to stay, based on one of our trail friend's guidebooks, so we declined as politely as we could. Unfortunately, when we reached that teahouse, it was full - the only time this happened to us on the Circuit. We went next door to another teahouse. It wasn't busy at all, and someone had to hunt down the the owner somewhere else in the town, which didn't inspire confidence. But the room was decent, and there was actual insulation on the walls. After putting our stuff down, we headed out into Chame in search of a few items. This was the first village that had a variety of items to buy, from extra hand sanitizer and toilet paper to candy bars to warm clothing. I had been so cold all day that I was having "cold panic". If I had been cold all day on Day 3, I was terrified that I would be a walking popsicle at higher altitude. In my cold panic, I bought a fleece lined, wool hat and a long sleeved "North Face" knock-off shirt. The logo was clearly not actually The North Face, and it smelled like a plastic bag, but it eased my cold panic a bit. I loved my hat. Combined, these two items cost me less than $10. Before going to Nepal, I had read online that it was possible to buy everything you need for The Annapurna Circuit in Kathmandu or Pokhara. I didn't actually believe it, but it's true. I felt relieved that I was able to buy things I needed, particularly when I was down to an empty bottle of hand sanitizer and had a sudden need for feminine hygiene products. Chame was one of my least favorite stops, but I think that had a lot to do with the teahouse we stayed in. There weren't other trekkers to hang out with in the evening. We were the only people staying there. The food was ok. The room was ok. Chame seemed dreary to me - was that the village itself or a reflection of my mood? It's hard to say in retrospect. Overall, I can't say that this day was my favorite. The Annapurna Circuit is SO WORTH IT, but it is not always an easy journey. I didn't write a lot in my travel journal on Day 3. What I did write was: "Today I was cold. All day. It was pretty miserable and one of those days when I had those 'why did I think this was a good idea' thoughts...It is so cold. I am so cold. I feel like I will not be warm for the next ten days and that is so disheartening." Daily trekking distance: 16 km
Total trekking distance: 47 km Starting elevation (Dharapani): 1900m/6234 ft Ending elevation (Chame): 2710m/8891 ft Costs Lunch Koto: 450 NPR ($4.22) Hat & Shirt in Chame: 1050 NPR ($9.84) Dinner + Shower + Room + Breakfast Chame: 1040 NPR ($9.74)
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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
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