I had an early awakening and enjoyed a cup of hot, sweet tea. It was a beautiful, hazy morning with soft golden colours and a touch of heat.
Breakfast was fried eggs, and we ate them gazing at the stunning scenery all around us. Last night, Corrie had made friends with two Dutch girls, and they had decided to join us. I wasn't too keen, to be honest; I liked my status as the only woman on the trek! However, by the time we had set off they were only just getting up and they never showed any enthusiasm for walking with us.
We set off up the path to the distant village of Dhampus which should have been where we were to camp last night. It was a two hour walk away and we'd never have made it last night. We passed several other trekkers on the way who were mostly American, as well as a few women on their own. I spotted a Tibetan house standing on its own on the hillside surrounded by prayer flags.
When we arrived in Dhampus, we stopped at a house selling cold drinks. It was here that I suddenly realised we had a female porter with us. We bought her a drink and she gratefully downed it in one. At first sight I thought she was about fifty-five but was shocked when Dawa told me she was only twenty-eight. I admired her strength and her happy disposition as she was always laughing and smiling.
We continued walking ever upwards. To the right, we could see the Kali Gandaki valley below thickly forested slopes. Ahead of us, a long way up, was tonight's campsite. I walked on ahead and found the route wonderfully refreshing as the path meandered underneath overhanging trees. We passed several other porters and a few parties of trekkers who looked tanned and healthy.
At one point we stopped for a rest near an outcrop of strange rock, which glistened in the sun as if it were made of some kind of precious metal. It was beautiful.
After a short climb we reached a tiny village and stopped for lunch. The sun shone down fiercely, and with Matthew's hat covering my eyes, I lay down and almost fell asleep! We stayed for nearly two hours and when the time came to move again, I found it very difficult to make my tired legs work!
We climbed upwards again, through dense forest, stopping several times to admire the view. Matthew decided that he wanted to try Ninja's pack but couldn't walk for more than about fifty yards with it on his back. Ninja was shorter and smaller than Matthew, but he carried the weight as if it were a light rucksack. Everyone found it amusing, and the porters were glad to be superior in carrying such heavy loads.
Our last drink stop was at a tea-house perched on the side of the mountain. We met a German party and these were the last Europeans we were to see for four days. The path next to the tea-house led upwards through the forest and, on either side, the land dropped steeply to the valley floor below. A dust haze covered everything like a thick fog and we weren't able to see the distant snow-capped peaks of Annapurna and Machhapuchhare.
However, the sun up above shone down on us and the green glades of the forest cooled us as we walked forever upwards. Within an hour we had reached a clearing in the forest which was to be our campsite for the night. Our tents were pitched on the springy, grassy slopes and two fires had been lit.
Matthew, Corrie and I lay on our bedrolls listening to music and chatting. Everything was peaceful and the smell of woodsmoke was strong. The fog-like haze surrounded the camp and made it seem as if we were on a green island in the sky.
I changed my heavy walking boots for sandals and explored the forest on the boundary of our camp. Corrie talked to the female porter and Matthew collected wood to make a walking stick.
After dinner in the blue tent, we sat around the campfire and Matthew smoked with the porters. Dawa handed Corrie and me a coffee with a large dose of Rum added and that did the trick for me! The stars overhead were bright in the black sky and the crackling fire and dancing flames made me want to stay forever. It was difficult to imagine that it was rush-hour back at home.
We had a great time with the porters that night. Ninja, Monay and Lakba were lying in the shadows, giggling and throwing sticks at me while Dawa was telling stories and singing. The female porter sang us a song as well. Everyone was relaxed. Fireflies danced all around us and Corrie ran after them! It was a shame when the fire began to die and we returned to our tents, looking forward to a good night's sleep!
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