When we got up at 5:30, the sun was already on the top of Dhauligiri and other high peaks. I took many pictures before the clouds came up.
We got on the trail early and descended to a wide floodplain of a large tributary stream. We rejoined the road and had a drink at what was once the only guesthouse on this whole stretch of the river, now falling into disrepair. A man with a mobile shopping center was sleeping on the steps.
We had agreed that Marcia and our porter would save their legs by taking the bus downhill to Tatopani, our destination for the evening. An opportunity soon presented itself and she was off in a cloud of dust. Actually, she still had to walk a good distance since one part of the road was closed for construction. Afterwards, she got on a different bus and had to wait for over an hour because the driver refused to move until the already packed bus got four more passengers. Marcia finally started a movement for everyone to chip in 45 rupees (60 cents US) to pay for the remaining tickets.
Kinna and I walked about five hours down the road. It was surprisingly pleasant, with varied scenery and occasional views of Annapurna and other peaks. We had missed all this on our previous trip in the bus.
Tatopani means “hot water” and we took advantage of the hot springs just as we had in November. There were surprisingly few people, only a quarter as many as before. Our hotel owner explained that many Europeans had cancelled their trips due to the Icelandic volcanic ash, and others had been prevented by the general strike from traveling by road to the loop's starting point. It's amazing that a volcano in Iceland can affect business in a village on the other side of the planet.