Sunday, 31st October …..

We had a very nice dinner last night, a little more expensive than we became used to in Kathmandu but still less than $50 for the two of us. We slept well with the wonderful hot water bottles and arose ready for a satisfying breakfast. The porridge isn’t bad but sweetened and that is not how I do it at home. My Scottish ancestors would spin in their graves if they knew I had given in to this Sassenach habit.

Some of us decide to walk down to the town of Jomsom to check it out and maybe have morning tea. A few hardy souls will push on to Thini, a nearby village but I intend to be back for lunch. The track between the resort and the road into town is steep and covered with big rocks. A decent four-wheel drive vehicle might cope but the resort prefers a wagon pulled by a tractor.

From the walking point of view, it is hard going down because of the loose rocks, and it is hard coming up because of the steep slope. Yesterday, we found the climb up the track at the end of our 10Km walk was the hardest part of the journey.

Marilyn has decided to stay at the resort and catch up on some writing. There is a swimming pool area which catches the sun so it’s a great place to while away the hours.

On the way down, someone asks Dippy about a large house we can see below us. His accent is a bit hard to follow but we thought he said it was the house of a polygamist who came from India for something to do with Buddhism. That would certainly explain why the house had so many rooms. Only later, we found out it was a Pilgrims’ House. I liked the original explanation better.

Jomsom is not a pretty town. Its existence depends on the airport and the tourists attracted by the Annapurna Circuit and the stunning scenery. There are some reasonable guest houses and restaurants, but not much else in the way of amenities. There is a bank and a couple of shops where you can buy basic groceries, batteries, etc but it is still a frontier town. When I went into the bank to change some money, they asked me to leave my walking stick at the door. Maybe they thought I had intentions to rob them. In fact, when I was standing at the tellers’ window, I couldn’t help but see piles of money on the floor around her feet.

We’re getting around 69 rupees to the dollar so coins are a waste of time. Most often, we don’t even get offered any change less than 5 rupees, which is their smallest note. A lot of the money is filthy and there doesn’t seem to be a process of removing dirty or damaged notes from circulation. There is a policy of removing old notes which have a picture of the deposed king but the new notes are already starting to show signs of wear.

I should mention walking sticks which are essential for any walking in this hilly country. They are like a ski pole but can be reduced in length for packing in a suitcase. I bought a pair for about $17 and they have made a tremendous difference over the rough ground. Most people use only one but, with practice, two can be handy, especially going downhill.

Tomorrow we catch an early flight back to Pokhara which in some ways will be disappointing. Being here on the the Annapurna Circuit is certainly special but the resort is cold and we’ve become too used to creature comforts. Even a wood fire to sit around would be great but we know that wood is too scarce in this country to waste it by using it to warm tourists.