Oct 24. Ngawal to Khangsar, Annapurna trek. Nepal

Phase 3 of the trek - on the way to Lake Tilicho. We visit the Braga Gompa, a monastery over 500 years old, which is perched high over Bhraka village and has many fascinating artifacts. We met up with another traveller, Christoff who accompanies us for the rest of the trip.

Here was the plan for our trek from Ngwal to Lake Tilicho, then Jomsom.

23 Ngawal
24 Khangsar
25 Tilicho base camp
26 Lake Tilicho then back to Yak Kharta
27 Thorung Phedi base camp
28 Muktinath - then Jomsom
29 Flight

Fried tibetan bread, omelette for breakfast instead of the usual egg, chapati and muesli. Last night had a delicious dahl blat with a yak curry.

I taught the guys rummy to add to their repertoire of card games. They now know chinese patience, 7s, switch, black maria along with dumbal.

We haven't the time to visit Milarepa cave, so it will be the monastery.

Sitting on its perch Braga Gompa overlooks the village. I am glad to have made the effort to visit this place.

A visit to the monastery includes a bit of a ceremony and we gained a red dot on our forehead and transformed into a demon. Good stuff that special paste !

There was an impressive range of very old art religious works in this monastery.

The town of Manang is verdant due to its proximity to the river and perhaps more fertile soils. The kids have a great looking swing comprised of large saplings bound in a hoop like structure.

A sign entices us to a promise of good food, and it is lunch time.

At lunch, I met a guy named Mathias who was leaving after an abandoned attempt to climb on one of the remote mountain ranges due to alpine sickness. I am glad not to be an alpinist, I found out that it is a costly sport. Even for the lower mountains it cost him $US 6000 in permits.

Soon it is barren as we proceed towards Khangsar , high altitude, soil quality and ever moving foundation makes it all too difficult to grow anything I think.