Day Five: Chame-Pisang
The rain continued to tail us throughout the morning, as we left Chame (2700m) for Pisang (3200m). Perspiration from the exertion made wearing a poncho unbearable – instead of just being wet, I felt hot and sticky as well. At a rest stop, I took off the poncho and converted it into a cloak. It became much more bearable after that.
Ruins of Bhratang
By about 10am, we arrived in the ruins of Bhratang – an abandoned Tibetan refugee village, once the home of exiled resistance fighters of Kham. Empty stone houses, broken ladders, washed out signboards, and a general desolation now dominated the village. A serious young man in denim – looking very much like a time-traveled Kham fighter – served us chya (tea). We had Coco Cakes (local coconut flavoured cookies) - 40 rupees a packet from a nearby shop. Simple luxury – pure heaven.
It was at Bhratang that we met yet another two trekkers – Joo Ho (guy), 32, and Jung Ah (girl), 22, from Korea. The solo travelers met in Lumbini and discovered a common agenda. Joo Ho, an MBA candidate and a former marketeer, was fresh out from India through the southern Indo-Nepal border, and Jung Ah, a foreign language undergraduate, had been left unsatiated by a 5-day quickie trek to Jomsom-Muktinath-Marpha. Both were first-time trekkers, without guides or porters, on a shoestring budget. Truly admirable adventure spirit.
Way to Pisang, between Bhratang and Dhukur Pokhari
Paungda Danda, the impossible cliff
As we neared Dhukur Pokhari (translated: “bird pond”), the drafts became stronger – I felt my body alternating between hot and cold. A slight feverish feeling had seeped in, along with mild headache. By now, my mind had shut down – only my legs were moving. I was a dead man walking. Paungda Danda, a very smooth granite face that seemed to have been cleaved by a giant’s axe, appeared through the fog, glowing in the sunlight.
By noon, we made it to Dhukur Pokhari (3100m), where we met the same Swiss couple again. They appeared sullen/serious as the day before. At the same restaurant, we would meet another trekker – a very kempt middle-aged Korean woman doing a solo (with a porter/guide, I think). It was good to know we aren’t the only dummies doing a monsoon off-peak trek.
Glad to be out of the cold and wet, we placed our order for a fresh, hot feast: dhaal bhaat masu (Nepali rice with lentil soup and meat). But it was off-peak, so no meat. It was substituted by wild mushroom curry – a delightfully tasty dish. The chiao (mushrooms) were plucked fresh from the forests – it had a fresh wild taste, like nothing we tasted before. Using my hands to scoop the piping hot rice was a pleasure in itself. Dhaal bhaat just doesn’t taste the same from a spoon.
Manang Valley, Pisang
After lunch, the trek towards Pisang was a welcome transition. Dense forest gave way to lush valleys, dotted with pine and juniper trees. Horses grazed on the meadows, and an array of wild flowers splashed across the landscape. We arrived in Lower Pisang at about 230pm.
Pisang marked the transition from Gyasumdo (south of Manang) into another cultural zone – Nyeshang. Both have Tibetan roots, but their dialects are different. I guess to the outsider, they looked the same. Upper Pisang (about 100m ascent) loomed above, like a derelict fortress of stone and mud, still watching its charge below. The gray bastion was populated by an equally gray community, along with a handful of monks. A constant stream of devotees trekked up to pray in the gompa. Upper Pisang was a half-hour gentle ascent past pleasant buckwheat and barley fields.
Flowers in Pisang
Upper Pisang
Old woman carrying a dhoko, Upper Pisang
Off-peak is really the time to trek if you’re not looking for luxury in terms of food and accomodation. Most of the items on the menu that looked remotely exotic (read: Western) should be ordered at your own risk (for instance, “special pizza”) and getting really hot showers is like hitting jackpot. If you expect five-star reception at lodges, think again. During off-peak season, many of the lodge owners are away in Pokhara or Kathmandu, leaving only less-than-enthusiastic workers behind to entertain the rare monsoon trekker.
Special pizza at Hotel Maya deserves special mention. Saag (vegetables, in this case, bitter mustard leaves), tuna, yak cheese and tomato sauce just didn’t agree with each other on a pizza crust. The crowning glory of the dish – a fried egg plastered in the middle of the pizza – simply added to the bizzare taste. And a guidebook actually commended this lodge for its “excellent meals”. Later, I was told that most of the chefs were in Kathmandu during off-peak and these “special dishes” were made by their assistants – so don’t order anything too complicated (dhaal bhaat and anything made of potatoes is safe). A good piece of advice, a little too late.
Pisang
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