Today we flew from Pokhara to Jomsom, to an altitude of 2700 m. It was a clear day and the views from the plane were spectacular. We flew up a valley, with Annapurna on the right, and Daulaghiri on the left. Even the hills below were knife-edge sharp, and some were terraced. It took about 30 min to fly to Jomsom. The landing was a rollercoaster ride because the plane has to make a steep banking 180 degree turn inside the valley in order to approach the runway.
Jomsom is a relatively large town for the area. At first sight, the buildings are in the Himalayan village style, but they contain mostly hotels, cafes, internet, and shops for souvenirs and last minute trekking supplies.
At Jomsom we organized our bags, which were put on mules, and started the trek. We walked up a wide river valley with steep brown hills on either side, and the white diamond peak of Nilghiri looming overhead behind us.
We saw several other trekkers, as this part of the trail is actually part of three different treks: Mustang, which we are doing; Muktinath, which is a sacred place to Hindus and many do a pilgrimage there (I'm told the temple there is breath-taking); and the last leg of the Annapurna circuit.
Along the way we passed a man selling trinkets outside his house.
We walked for 2 hours and stopped for lunch. By the afternoon the wind gets very strong. After lunch it was another hour to Kagbeni. This is a village of stone buildings surrounded by the only green in the area, some buckwheat fields by the river and apple trees on the hillside. It has several lodges and there are many trekkers there from the different trails.
After settling into our rooms in the lodge, we visited the local monastery and walked around the village. Tiny narrow alleys between very old stone and mud buildings, some parts of which seem to hold livestock, others the people's residences. It's everything I would have expected in Himalayan village, in terms of the visual appeal and the honest simplicity of the life.
Kagbeni is the start of Upper Mustang, which is the restricted area. This will likely be the last place with internet for a while, so you may not hear from me for a week or so. I'll post as soon as I can.
Jomsom is a relatively large town for the area. At first sight, the buildings are in the Himalayan village style, but they contain mostly hotels, cafes, internet, and shops for souvenirs and last minute trekking supplies.
At Jomsom we organized our bags, which were put on mules, and started the trek. We walked up a wide river valley with steep brown hills on either side, and the white diamond peak of Nilghiri looming overhead behind us.
We saw several other trekkers, as this part of the trail is actually part of three different treks: Mustang, which we are doing; Muktinath, which is a sacred place to Hindus and many do a pilgrimage there (I'm told the temple there is breath-taking); and the last leg of the Annapurna circuit.
Along the way we passed a man selling trinkets outside his house.
We walked for 2 hours and stopped for lunch. By the afternoon the wind gets very strong. After lunch it was another hour to Kagbeni. This is a village of stone buildings surrounded by the only green in the area, some buckwheat fields by the river and apple trees on the hillside. It has several lodges and there are many trekkers there from the different trails.
After settling into our rooms in the lodge, we visited the local monastery and walked around the village. Tiny narrow alleys between very old stone and mud buildings, some parts of which seem to hold livestock, others the people's residences. It's everything I would have expected in Himalayan village, in terms of the visual appeal and the honest simplicity of the life.
Kagbeni is the start of Upper Mustang, which is the restricted area. This will likely be the last place with internet for a while, so you may not hear from me for a week or so. I'll post as soon as I can.
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