Out the door at 5:30am… almost sounds like we’re home! We had the option to head to the top of the hills in Nuwakot to see the sunrise – Andrew and I took it, Emma and Alex opted to remain in their cosy little room at the farm.
The 2 hills in Nuwakot, Malika and Kalika, are just behind the farm, and provided he perfect vantage point for a pre-dawn walk. It was great to watch the local people start their day, with kids and adults hauling water up the hills.
As the sun rose, we could see a blanket of fog far below us, with more hills in the distance.
The temple that we visited yesterday was just above the fog and, creating a very pretty scene…
Back to the farmhouse for breakfast. The team do an amazing job of of looking after their guests, particularly considering this place is well off the beaten track. The kitchen is completely open and tiny, but pumped out some fabulous food.
Leaving Nuwakot, we had no choice but to return down the hairy road (precipice) from yesterday. There’s nothing nice about a bus sliding down a hill… thankfully we are all here to tell he tale!
We followed the Trisuli river West to Bandipur. The Trisuli River runs from the Langtang Range, and its name comes from the stories of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva’s weapon is a trident, known as a ‘Trisul’. When he came to the Himalayas the demons had created enough poison to destroy the region, so Shiva drank the poison to destroy the demons. He hit the Langtang Range with his trident to get water, and this formed Gosainkunda Lake, which then overflowed into what is now known as the Trisuli river.
We left the Trisuli River at the intersection of the Marsyangdi River, which flows from the Annapurna Range. The current bridge is an old suspension bridge that would be well past its use-by date in Australia. A new bridge is under construction, and judging by the construction we’ve seen so far could take a while to complete!
Bandipur is a hilltop settlement, about 150km west of Kathmandu. About 15000 people live in the region, and it’s clear that they have worked hard to attract tourists to the area. The main street is lined with guest houses and coffee shops selling pastries and offering free wifi!
We’re staying in a sister property to the Farm from last night, and again, it’s a beautifully renovated old building.
For the next 3 nights the town is celebrating the new year with a food festival. It’s decked out with bunting and music, and you can tell they’re all geared up for a bug few days!
Climbing the hill on the edge of town gives a great vantage point of the town and surrounding villages. This is a pretty part of the country.
From here we also had better views of the peaks of the Himalayas. They are so majestic.
We could see the Manaslu Range pretty clearly, and then Annapurna further West, and Langtang to the East. It’s hard to fathom that this is the 8th highest mountain in the world, at 8163m. The peaks look like they are floating in the distance…
So, it feels like we are getting warmer in terms of proximity to the mountains, but it’s definitely getting cooler!
Another great day in Nepal!
Love theBunch x
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