Timm and Mary Anne are writing together. This morning we woke up in Pothana to the sound of a thrush. As the sun rose, it illuminated Fish Tail for one final view that seemed close to touch.
The walk down to catch the van to Pokhara went quickly for all of us. We descended through forest land full of ferns and trees and streams that reminded me of the mountains of Hawaii, until we walked around a bend and saw the snowy mountains guarding the valley.
For this particular group of women, an underlying concern has been the US presidential election. The subject came up at least once a day. We are all ardent Obama supporters, but lacked the confidence of a sure win. After trekking through awesome beauty and space, and learning of a totally different culture, it was an amazing experience to check in to a first class hotel in Pokhara and be greeted by Obama’s victory.
Leaving our bags at the hotel, we walked through the neighborhood for lunch. It was our last lunch all together. As usual, the food was incredible! Following our lunch was the tipping ceremony. This allowed us to thank our porters, guides, and cook and to say our goodbyes. The ceremony was most touching as we could personally thank those individuals who had been so kind to us. Each person did something special, making the trip more than just memorable. Some walked behind with us slow ones, pointed out flora, moved rocks to make our climbing easier, told stories of the area and genuinely took a personal interest in each of us.
We reached the town of Pothana and watched the arrival of many folks just beginning their Annapurna journey with mixed feelings of envy and anticipation of hot showers and flush toilets. Chef Pasand prepared a feast, capped by a chocolate cake, and all cooked with a headlight since the electricity was not on.
