As is bound to happen, some mornings will be more difficult than others. It is shocking how restorative eight hours of sleep can be though. Both days I arrived beaten at the village, dragging myself step by step, pack weighing 50lb more than at the start. Surprisingly, I awoke with only minor aches. In Karte, however, my mid-back hurt, not excessively, but enough to be annoying. After a big plate of vegetable fried rice, a cup of coffee, and some stretches, I was good to go.
A sign in Dharapani recommended a stop at the village of Odar, only a slight detour from the original trail. It advertised great views of Mansalu up the valley to the East. It was a hard hot, steep climb up stone steps to the top of the hill. On my way, something flew passed me, jumping from a wall through a field and up a tree. The only animal I could conceive doing such was a monkey, but I doubted they lived so high in the mountains. Either way, it moved too fast for me to get a good look. In Odar, the villagers did not seem so welcoming as the towns along the main trail. The main villages were definitely rural, but Odar made them seem metropolitan. The people went on with their business, bathing in the town's main water tap, feed the livestock, and husking corn. Some said hello, but most seemed confused by my presence. I climbed up to the lookout, another 45 minutes higher, but was greeted with only clouds.
Most of the day was a hard climb up, without the downs of the previous sections. My back was killing me and i was making a very slow pace. The Odar detour was a bad add-on for such a strenuous day. The trail split in two, one a high road, the other low. I decided the low road would be a better choice if I planned to get to Chame that day. It was a choice I was not allowed; the low road was closed. By Thanchowk, I had to stop for tea and rest. I considered spending the night, but since the next village was only one hour downhill, I pressed myself further.
This was a wise choice. It must have been magic tea, for I found the stamina and lack of pain enough that the going was fine. Just downhill from Thanchowk, I heard a crack from the forest and quickly turned to the forest to see four large black and white monkeys, chilling out. They were langurs, a type of monkey that lives in the higher altitudes of Nepal; 'twas my first wild simian experience. I reached Koto ahead of schedule, so I continued on to Chame as originally planned. Even though I walked downhill the whole time, I still managed to gain 200m in altitude. I don't think I understand the physics of that one.
That night, I had some unremarkable dal bhat, with the best Nepali pickles I'd ever had. They were radish in a fantastic, spicy mustard brine. I hoped they'd offer me more, but none came.
The weather was getting chillier. Each successive night, I added a new layer for my evening lounging. Since the start, I'd gained 2500m in altitude. In two more days, I would be in the alpine region. Plus, a cold front had moved in overnight. It would only get colder.
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