after a 3 day train and bus journey from rishikesh in northern india, we crossed the border in Sonauli and cruised into Pokhara, Nepal. we spent a few days organizing ourselves and picking up a few more necessary items for the trek. we had been looking forward to this 150 mile trek since we started traveling 5 months ago, and could not wait to hit the trail.
we chose to approach the annapurna circuit from the typical counter-clockwise direction (besisahar to eventually meet the jomsom trek and finish in naya pul) as it allows for more gradual acclimatisation. at 6:00am we hopped a 5 hr bus from pokhara to besisahar and kicked off the adventure once we arrived.
the first few days were a nice introduction to the culture of the trail as we passed many villages in the lowlands, terraced fields of corn, and observed the hard-working nature of the people who live there. the deeper we trekked along the trail, the more remote it seemed, although a rough jeep road followed near the trail the first few days, and is in the process of being extended even further.
finally, we lost the jeep road. the climb was mostly gradual, with a few days of steep switchbacks (but only when absolutely necessary. oftentimes, switchbacks were not even a consideration...just straight up, baby!) that reminded me how sedentary i had been over the past 5 months. we were constantly passed by many a donkey parades and trekked alongside porters walking slowly but steadily in their flip flop sandals carrying about 150 lbs - more than most of them probably weigh - up the mountainside. my 20-25lb load neatly confined into a fancy backpack suddenly seemed menial compared to the awkward load of hay, chickens, or corregated tin carried on most of their backs, supported with a forehead strap. and the trekking porters carrying their customers' loads often completely bypassed the provided shoulder straps and added his own forehead strap instead.
about 5 days into the trek, the previously shy, introverted peaks began to expose themselves and their personalities. they have a contagious smile about them, attracting us further into their depths, desiring more of it.
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