Day 3: the start of the trek

Nepalese public buses are not my friend. After a devastating early start this morning, we were picked up by dapendra our guide, along with a English guy called Harry to head to the bus station to start our trek. We caught a public bus to Bhubhule, in the Annapurna region. The journey took 8 hours and was one of the toughest I’ve had. Stephen and I were crammed in the bad row with 3 other people and bags. Going along a narrow cliff side dirt road. With oloigatory Nepalese music on repeat. Character building. We tried to nap with cramp in every limb, and our heads hitting the roof with every bump.

Luckerly we had a few stops to stretch the legs. Grab some fruit from the road side stalls. And use the local facilities. 

We arrived mid afternoon, and our guide asked if we wanted to trek a little as we still had time that day. We jumped at the chance. Despite only trekking for an hour and alongside the dust road which has been build along part of the circuit. 

It is so much warmer than Everest region in January. Shorts sleeves and factor 50 at this low altitude. 

We arrived at our tea lodge, simple with with our own toilet (I mean hole in the ground) and showers (albeit cold). After setting up, we had a little stroll and read our books ( I’m being a proper cliche and reading Annapurna by Maurice herzog)then I did a quick yoga set before dinner to try to stretch out after the journey. 

Dinner was dal baht for me and some egg fried macaroni for stephen, before an early night ahead of our first full day trekking tomorrow.