Excursion to Panchasse

I had my visa extension, rented a sleeping bag and was planning two day excursion to Panchasse to warm up in preparation for the trek between Jumla and Mugu. A few days before we were due to leave, Archana informed me that there had been another change of plan and the Mugu training had been postponed because of concerns of political instability. The Mugu training schedule straddled the deadline date for the new constitution and the political parties were showing no signs of resolution. As it is, they are still battling it out now. They didn't want to risk us getting stranded in Mugu or Nepalganj if a strike were to be called again. No Mugu training also meant no trekking from Jumla to Mugu, which was a disappointment, but I reminded myself, I was still going to Jumla and still had the chance to work on this really special project, so I should be thankful for that.

And after my two day hike up to Panchassee, relief was added to my disappointment, as I struggled so much, taking seven hours to do what I am told is a four hour hike, I couldn't imagine how I would have managed a four day trek carrying all my stuff. All steep uphill, mind you, on uneven paved stones... I could make the excuses that I hadn't slept well, eaten properly or drunk enough water, but either way, I was embarrassingly pathetic and my friend, Hakim who had accompanied me, ended up going up ahead and waiting at various stages as my pace was too painfully slow for him.

Coming down the next day, I left Hakim on the gorgeous ridge we had ascended to at last light the previous night. He had time, and the speed to make it to the next peak before returning back down, but I wanted to get back in the afternoon as I had to be ready to leave at 4am that night/next morning for the 5am bus for Nepalganj. Concerned that I might take ages, get lost or have some delay on getting back to Pokhara on the bus, and with various last minute errands to run (canceling the sleeping bag etc), I had opted to set off early to give myself extra time. So I bade farewell to my companion and made my way down the steep hill at a very comfortable and leisurely pace. The "three hour" walk down took me four hours, but I enjoyed the pace without feeling guilty at being so slow and was able to take in the views and soak up the rural surroundings. Men sowing their fields with wooden ploughs attached to buffalos, women harvesting barley, clothes washed in streams and the slower pace of country life.

Gatichine is the village or clump of buildings at the bottom of the hill which is where the road (and bus), starts back to Pokhara. There are a couple of restaurants and I sat in the shade with a much appreciated cold drink to wait for the next bus. It is about 45 minutes back to town and I spent the whole journey with cutest baby on my lap after the mother had thrust it into my arms and rushed off the bus to collect her other child. When she returned, seeing he was happily plotted and I was happy to have him, she just left him there. By the end of the journey, her older boy was asleep on some other passenger's lap too as the bus had filled up and the child had somehow ended up there. Only in this part of the world would a man just have some random boy go to sleep on his lap on a bus.

I took the bus past Lakeside North (where I live) into town so I could run my errands, then I headed back to shower and pack. I had barely been back for a minute when Hakim showed up having returned half an hour earlier. It had taken him less than two hours to get down the hill! I was glad I had come on my own as I wouldn't have enjoyed the journey as much or seen the views as I would have had to watch my feet the whole time.

I would love to go back to Panchassee some time as I didn't get to spend much time there. I only went to the village, Panchassee Bhanyang which hosts the three guest house options up there. The actual temple and pilgrimage site is another hour or so up the next ridge and there is a lake also. It is very beautiful and somewhere I could easily spend a few days – to recover from the ascent among other things! Next time.