Annapurna Circuit: Culture and Food

the culture of the trail may vary from village to village. that in itself is another exciting draw of this trek. no matter how remote it feels, there is a village. and in this area, many of them are tibetan in origin and thus buddhist. so at the entrance of each village are prayer wheels (a row of drums inscribed with mantras; the mantras are scattered in the wind when turned); prayer flags; and some with a Mani wall (rows of stone slabs carved with mantras); or Gompa (a shrine or temple); or a Chorten (domed structure to ward off evil spirits and is the focus of religious devotion). in the lowlands toward Jomsom, Hinduism is the main religion practiced, reflected in the clothing and devotional symbols and deities. the politically radical maoists (nepal's communist party) are also more present in this area where rocks are graffitied with their symbols.

consistent throughout are the donkey parades, suspension bridges, the curiously friendly and welcoming attitudes of the locals, and the availability of tea or a snickers and a coke, although the prices increase with elevation. it makes sense considering the mode of transportation to get it there (human porters).

the accommodation is no longer the modest intimate guesthouse/teahouse it used to be, but rather more built-up basic lodging. there are a few still in existence if you look outside of the main towns, and they were my favorites.

no matter where you stay, however, the menus throughout are set. but what you order is always a mystery as the people preparing the food have probably never had spaghetti or pizza or a burger. it keeps the ordering process exciting and the spelling from menu to menu quite entertaining. oftentimes the food was surprisingly good (even if it wasn't as i know it), although the pizza with stir-fried veg (mostly cabbage) topped off with ketchup was a little disappointing. but the least pleasing to me was the local tsampa porridge (corn or barley based) - thick, brown, and...gag-inducing. but a local staple packed with energy, i had to try it.