Slippery Slopes and Juddery Buses

Deepak did not bother waking me for the sunrise, and I was glad. Sleeping long and deep in the little stone bungalow was really restful and I didn't want to get up.

At breakfast there were a couple of buffalo farmers looking glum. 'Yesterday, tiger killed two of their cattle'. Deepak explained.

We set off a bit later than yesterday. 'Its about 5 hours walking. But all downhill!' Deepak called cheerfully as he scuttled ahead of me.

In one way, going down hill is much easier. It doesn't make your heart race, the sweat pour from you, or your thighs burn. But it is much harder on the calves and knees, and pretty soon, my legs started to quiver like jelly.

The steps were also very wet, 'They are always slimy, the sun never dries this side of the valley' Deepak commented. Going was slow and careful, and I still almost slipped twice.

Despite this though, we were at the bottom in about three hours. We had some chai at a friends house, and then caught the bus back to Pokhara.

I am not sure why but catching a old and juddery bus through sculptured paddy fields made me extraordinarily content. The road wound down scarcely more than a track to start with, over river beds, the surface slowly getting better and better as we approached the lake and then Pokhara itself.

At Butterfly Lodge, I hugged goodbye to Deepak. 'Thanks. Its been amazing'.
'You're welcome'. He smiled at me. 'Next time we go somewhere really exciting!'

My bike was ready at Doctor Raju's Bullet Surgery. I had a shave at the barbers and then over a coke thought about the last few days.

It had been exactly what I wanted. Somewhere off the main track, something to prepare me for Everest, and somewhere with stories.