Tuesday April 21st, 1987
There were no more climbs for us now, only level walking lay ahead. However, after the steep descent of yesterday, we were all aching!
The walk along the valley was certainly beautiful, and we passed through several villages following an ancient path that wound gently through the flat fields of the Mardi Khola valley. The green mountains on either side were covered in trees, broken occasionally by a solitary house or barn. We followed the course of the river throughout the walk.
We crossed the river several times, and the bridges never became safer! Huge gaps in the planks allowed us glimpses of the white water below, with the sides of the bridges no more than twisted pieces of wire. I clung onto the nearest available male who seemed to take delight in my fear!
Lunch was eaten in the middle of a valley without a single tree for shade. It was extremely hot, and we all flopped about drinking tea and orange squash. Matthew felt ill again, and I was relieved that it wasn't me.
After lunch, we continued along a hot, dusty path through rice fields. The river became wider, and we reached a kind of pebbly beach where we were able to wash our hair and play about in the cool water. Dawa and I had a play-fight, and I chased after him, but the heat sapped all my energy, so we all relaxed by reclining on the side of the river and throwing pebbles into the water.
After this welcome rest, we carried on along the river path and occasionally met older, grey-haired men who carried black umbrellas over their heads to keep off the glare of the sun. They looked slightly eccentric, as I would normally associate black umbrellas with city folk!
At last, we arrived at a village near where we would camp this evening. The village was simply a cluster of small, thatched houses grouped around the end of a particularly nasty rope-bridge. Dawa told us to go into one of the houses, and we sat in the gloom drinking dusty bottles of Coca-Cola. The house consisted of one room containing three beds and a cooking stove. A big, wooden table stood in the middle of the room, and a woman squatted on the floor cooking what appeared to be onion rings. There were no windows, only the front doors, and an open doorway at the back. Flies buzzed around us constantly.
When we'd finished our drinks, we went back out into the bright sunshine and made our way across the bridge to the campsite at the opposite side of the river. Ninja and the cook porters had already arrived and were busy making tea. Corrie, Matthew and I immediately made for the river and cooled off again. It was bliss to feel the water wash over us!
We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and washing our clothes. I made a vain attempt to tidy up my kit bag, which was a complete mess. After dinner, we relaxed around the campfire, drinking rum and coffee. Utter darkness surrounded us, and there wasn't even a light to be seen in the nearby village.
During the night, we experienced a violent thunderstorm that lasted for ages. Through the tent material, I could make out the flashes of lightning, and the thunderclaps that followed were the loudest I'd ever heard. For the first time in my life, I felt genuinely frightened by the force of nature!
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