We are still in Manang and getting ready to make the trek to Khangsar this afternoon. I am feeling so much better physically and mentally. Just feeling better physically has made me much more confident about the next few days, and I feel somewhat relieved.
Yesterday after lunch, I sucked it up and took a warm shower. It was definitely the warmest so far in this country, but any warmth in the water was counteracted by the very cold bathroom, so it was slightly uncomfortable. Oh, it wasn’t a shower either, just a hose spicket I had to sort of sit under. Nevertheless, I can’t describe how good it feels to have clean hair.
My headache was still lingering around, so I crawled back into my sleeping bag to rest and thoroughly warm up. At 5, Emily, Luke and I ventured up the path to a “projector hall” and watched Seven Years in Tibet. For 200 rupees, we saw the movie, got a small bag of popcorn and a cup of tea. It was pretty funny to sit in a movie theater with coat, gloves and hat on, sipping hot tea to stay warm. Still, it was a good change of pace and the story line was relevant. I felt a bit rejuvenated after this and we headed back to the inn for dinner. I took a thermos of hot water to bed with me and had one of the best night’s sleep since being on the trek.
I woke up this morning feeling much better and had a few hours to spare before we left Manang, so I decided to spend some time alone with nature. That’s why I was doing this anyways. I need to put the elements to the back of my mind and pay more attention to the beautiful scenery around me. I took a short hike up to the stupa on the hill overlooking Manang. On the way, I got a great view of the Gangapurna glacier, the lake below it and the surrounding mountains – Tilicho Peak and Khangsar in the distance. For a while, I was the only one up here and I just sat and enjoyed the view and the silence.
I picked up a few supplies on the way back through town, and now we’re ready to head out to Khangsar.