I sit writing my journal over a mint tea, then enjoy an apple fritter for breakfast as others awake. Two hard-boiled eggs for second breakfast, pack and we're ready to leave. Out of Kagbeni, we follow the wide, stony riverbed of the muddy, brown Kali Gandaki Nadi. The river is pretty flat and narrow at this point. It's windy, I'm wearing trainers today and miss the support around the ankles walking along the uneven, stony track.
Many light airplanes fly along the valley into and out of Jomsom. We arrive there around 10:30am and walk along the long main drag up to the police checkpost and then the ACAP checkpost. Julien stops at the bank(!) to get a cash advance, the rest of us end up in a "German Bakery"(!!) where we eventually decide to have lunch.
By midday we're on the road again. 20 minutes out of town, Ryan discovers he's left his camera at our lunch stop and runs back. Yam carries Ryan's pack, I carry Yam's load, more weight than I'm used to. Further down the river bed, we finally arrive at Marpha around 13:30. Marpha is touted as the Delightful Apple Capital of Nepal. The town is beautiful, white-washed stone/mud buildings either side of the narrow streets.
We stop in a place to try the local produce: apple juice, cider and brandy. The kiwi chick, Nicole, and husband Billy are there, about to set off for Kalapani. Ryan arrives, puffing from the run. Again we set off out of the village and along the road. Yam and Julien stop at a Rakshi bar, Ryan forges ahead, Mike and I follow at a slower pace. Trees appear along the valley sides, it starts raining lightly but the wind lets up a bit. Bt 15.30 we're in Tukuche, and split up to find our guesthouse, imaginatively named "Tukuche Guesthouse", an old stone/mud villa with a wooden interior surrounding a small courtyard.
As we stretch and check out the apple brandy on the roof, Julien and Yam arrive. After a smoke, Yam takes us to the distillery, an incredible old building, 204 years old, where the 70 year old lady living there explains the process of distilling, despite not touching a drop herself. We sample some of her brandies, very potent brews, and eventually opt for a bottle of carrot brandy between us. Back through town, I peer into what appears to be a run-down, abandoned villa. In fact, we discover a family living inside. A young dirty girl sings in the courtyard as we explore the ruins, an eerie place.
Out and on in the dark to have an apperetive of Rakshi and mutton, cooked in a very hot and spicy soup. Delicious. We arrive late at Tukuche Guesthouse for our tomato, mushroom and Yak-cheese pizza, accompanied with carrot brandy and black tea, and a couple of spliffs. We engage in conversation about compassion, religion and other such matters. One of the guesthouse kids joins us, but can only reply "yes" to any question thrown his way. Eventually it's bed time.
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