On to Pisang (3/16)

We woke the next day to clear skies again, and hoped our luck would hold out. I assumed Padam would hike with me, but he wanted to walk slow even though he said he was feeling better. He claimed he didn’t want to get to the next town early, because it would be “boring.” As I feared, when we started, I broke away even though I was still only averaging just over three miles per hour on a trail that was basically the unfinished road. The trail was wide, with a gradual incline, and had no snow, except where there was the remains of a huge avalanche, making it an easy walk.

Eventually, the trail degraded but the views improved dramatically to the more traditional mountain panoramas that I expected to see in the Himalayas. I could definitely see skipping the first couple of days when the road is completed and just starting in Chame. After about an hour we came upon another very quaint village whose first establishment was a bakery. Since it is a good idea to support the locals, and having nothing to do with the sweet, aromatic smell pervading the air, we stopped for cinnamon rolls and tea. Seba even joined us. It was the first time I felt like we were a team since the first night.

After the snacks we trekked on to the town of Pisang, going the entire way without passing a single trekker. It was a quiet and wonderful walk, even though we had a strong headwind blasting in our faces.

The story continues...