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2008/2009 Nepal & India

Day 24: Kalopani (2530m) to Tatopani (1190m)

23 December 2008

After an excellent quiet and restful night we awoke to the magnificent scenery around the hotel and had a lovely breakfast in the warm dining room.  We set off, full of food and enthusiasm for the longest day on the road of the trek.  We walked through mountain valleys; crossed streams, passed through dense pine forests and watched herds of sheep being driven along the road by a shepherd with a very dubious leg.

Morning tea was taken at a local cafe where the tibetan local inhabitants (traders fromj Upper Mustage) just stared at our group in utter fascintion and bemusement.  Our guides eventually shuffled them inside where they continued the observation of our group through the window.

We left the cafe to continue our passage through the forest along the riverside by following the roadway; which was undergoing some well needed maintenance.

Nepali "flat"
Nepali

We noticed a considerable increase in the amount of traffic along the road (despite its condition) and had to accept that we were arriving back into civilization after so long in the mountains.

Lunch was taken at Guithe at the foot of a large waterfall  (Rupse Chhaharu), which despite its large fall was not supporting any hydroelectric power plant.

After lunch TH left with Indra B and Purna ahead of the others to try and get to Tatopani and rest her leg.  The others followed at a more leisurely pace.  The road was fairly flat with lots of roadworks and even worse local buses and the belching exhaust fumes with spewed.

We made it to Tatopani and everyone ordered dinner before heading down to the hot springs, which is really just a concrete pool – but we soon became a sight for the locals.  I left early as it was baking hot and was escorted back to the hotel by Purna – lucky really as I am sure I would have got lost.  I had a hot shower and was joined by SB and made ti down to dinner at the prearranged time.

We called it an early night as we head to Goripani at 7am tomorrow.