We were hoping for better weather, but it was still cloudy with drops of rain in the morning. We arranged plastic bags as pack covers so that our stuff would be better protected, and we set off.

The morning’s scenery was a continuation of the previous day’s deep canyon cutting northward through the mountains. More waterfalls fed the main river. More road construction created detours and blemishes on the landscape.

As usual, we had lunch in a teahouse along the trail. The menus and prices are fixed by the local tourism councils, who train the restaurants on how to cook for Western stomachs. Some dishes are more successful than others. We made the mistake of ordering lasagna today. The result was an overly salty pile of pasty noodles that resembled Chinese stir-fry more than pasta.

After lunch, the trail turned a corner and began following the east-west valley that will take us all the way to Manang and the pass beyond. This valley has the broader shape of glacial formation, and the wide trail is an easy uphill on what will eventually become the road. We stopped in the mid-afternoon in a town called Donaqyu – another easy day.

The weather was also improving. The rain stopped just after lunch, and by mid-afternoon there were rays of sun. Stars appeared in the evening, so we are hoping for a good day tomorrow.