I woke up at six after some terrible sleep. My breakfast was at seven so I began my stretches. In these first, lower altitude days, I never set an alarm, just waiting instead for my body to awake on its own. Some mornings, I just turned over and read a bit. My breakfast was typically around seven or seven-thirty. By eight, my teeth were brushed and I began my 20 minutes of stretching. By eight-thirty, I was on the road, always the last to leave, yet among the first to arrive at the destination. Rarely did I stop for longer than a couple of minutes, except for my midday tea and granola bar, which rarely exceeded 30 minutes. This is typically enough to make up for my late start times. I just like to relax before I start my day, a habit adopted from working as a nighttime waiter for a year.
This day proved no different. I was the last to depart that morning. The previous two day's weather had finally cleared, exposing the mighty peak of Annapurna II. The first four days were rich in beauty, to top such would be a tall order, but somehow, this day managed to succeed. My camera was active for the whole day, trying to capture the last of the storm clouds, clinging to the rocky cliffs o Langyodanda, wrapping its face in a haphazard scarf.
A 500m climb greeted me immediately and it took me two hours to only go 3km, the longest and steepest climb thus far. I hardly noticed, climbing at a slow, steady pace and entranced by the sights surrounding me. The two hour climb flew by; my body was getting used to being battered everyday. The trail continued along a ridge, high above the river, which was just a string laying across the narrow valley. The rest of the day was downhill, passing through tiny Tibetan villages and being looked down upon by cliff-side monasteries and giant stupas. Across the river was Humde and its short runway at the end of a narrow gorge, surrounded on all sides by 5000m peaks. I wasn't planning on taking any flights involving such an airport.
After going around another ridge, the trail split in two, one the main path heading to Humde and another staying high. The map showed that the high trail went straight to Manang. It was an easy and wise choice. Not only was it shorter, but few trekkers chose this route. I only passed five people the whole section. As a bonus, I beat the crowds to a nice hotel in the overpacked Manang. An hour after checking in, I saw people who were already desperately searching for a bed.
I went for a short walk around the pleasant village, hiking to a nearby lake under the Gangapurna Glacier. The town sold everything a hiker would need. Many were stocking up on the gear they only realized after starting they wanted. This is the great bottleneck of the circuit. Many stay for two nights to acclimatize before the pass, as Lonely Planet suggests. Some people who were already having trouble at its relatively low 3540m, stay more nights or descend. The next three days weeds out the wannabes from the real hikers. The pass is 2000m higher, few people even get the chance to climb peaks so high. The last section rises 1000m in less than 3km, about a 40 degree incline on an exposed hill, well into the alpine region.
This was all days in my future though. I decided to add a two day side trip to Tilicho Tal, highest lake in the world, yes, even higher that Titicaca. To plan a hiking trip that will take nearly a month and not add only two day to see such a special secluded place would be folly. A surprising number people do pass it up though. Their loss.
It was essential that I find a friend a friend to join me for the more dangerous alpine sections, but not many seemed to be heading the lake. Then, walking down the street came Himalaya. Apparently, Javi was a wannabe. Unwisely, he did not drop much weight from his pack, in fact he dropped no weight from his pack and chose to bring everything from his one year, round-the-world trip, even his laptop. In total he was hauling 25kg up the mountains, nearly 60lb. My bag was even heavy by many's standards and I had half as much. Himalaya even offered him a porter for the higher section, dropping his rate so it would cost no additional money to him, but one look at the airport in Humde and he decided to stop. I've experienced this very feeling in Tasmania. A small problem balloons into many perceived problems, then crack, you get defeated mentally.
This was a bit inconvenient for the young guide, who was being ditched right in the middle of the trail and only a third finished with the job for which he was hired. Javier paid him a couple extra days of pay, but it left him in the middle of nowhere, so he offered me a deal.
"I am in the middle my friend. I go back, it is ok, but no problem. If you want to walk with me to Tilicho, Thorung, then I go back Pokhara on other side. No problem. Do you want to walk with me?"
I considered what he was saying. He came to me like a friend, but i knew he wanted to be paid. Even though he loves the mountains, he came here for work; he was hoping I could help him make up the difference. The man was cool, yet crazy. I may have been able to find a walking partner, but none would be as colorful as this long-haired Nepali.
"Himalaya, I think it would be very fun to walk with you, but let's be straight here, how much would you want?"
"When I walk with Whitebodies, it is easier for me, I sleep for free, I eat for free. By myself, not so good. I need to pay, so it is better for me to have Whitebody. I will work for donation."
"Donation?"
"Yes, donation."
"Ok?" I said. I then had to figure how much a donation would have to be.
"You walk with me, you will drop right?
"Well of course. It is more convenient for you to turn around, less time."
"Exactly, my friend. So I can only walk with you if you drop."
"Of course I'll drop."
"Good my friend."
"Ok, so how much minimum would it be to make it worth it for you to walk on."
"Ok, oiu lala, time for business, yeah."
"Yep."
He pulled two cigarettes out of his pocket and handed one to me.
"Sorry, I don't smoke."
"We do business now, we have cigarette." He handed me the cigarette and lighted it with his lighter, then did the same with his own.
"Well, Spanish, he pay me 15 euro per day. I would not expect so much. We are in the mountains. 15 euro, 20 euro, 30 euro. This my city price. Everything, my friend, is different in the mountain."
I needed to hire this man. "So, what is a good price for you, 500 rupees per day?"
"Spanish was giving me 1,500 rupees, so 1000 is lower, but more if you are rich."
"At 1000, I would just meet a friend on the way. I'm not rich, Himalaya and I am already going to be longer in Nepal than I planned. I get by myself with only a little per day."
"How much you make my friend, per hours. $20?"
"Oh no, I make 10 an hour, maybe more on a good night." I quoted of course the terrible wage I made during the day shifts.
"Ok, you make $10 per hour, I make $10 per day and tomorrow is rest day, no charge. So our trip 5 days."
"Well, it would be much safer with a guide and 5 days is only a small portion of this hike. $10, 700 rupees per day." It was an ok price.
"Ah, we have a deal, my friend." We shook hands. "Ok, we finish our business." He said, stubbing out his cigarette into the ashtray, "Now we party!"
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