04-19 Birethanti

typical agriculture on the way back to the road
  1. Hille – Birethanti – Nayapul – Pokara

The previous 2 full days had been very strenuous chiefly because of all the steep steps, but it was well worth it. We had had beautiful views of the mountains and of lots of rhododendron trees in flower in the mornings. In the afternoons the clouds came in and there were thunder storms around 16.00 each day. One day it even hailed heavily, but each day we had been in the next lodge in time to avoid getting wet.

The last trekking day was described as a short 2 hour walk down the valley to the road head, but despite departing at our usual time of 7.45 it still took us all the morning. The now all too familiar steps were soon replaced by a new dirt track road and the scenery changed from partial woodland to mainly cultivated land. After the days in the mountains it was interesting to see some of the village life.

The main subjects of interest were now the farms and dwellings of the local inhabitants and their activities. These varied from women harvesting in the fields and a man fishing with a cast net in the river to a group of children setting off as if for a day at an English school.

Small children always waved and enjoyed having their photo taken, whereas adults when politely asked often declined. Their livestock was less fussy and provided some good subjects.

At Birethanti we reached a more major but still unmetalled road where the construction of a major hydroelectric power station in the Modi Kola (river) was underway. The contrast with the previous days could not have been greater. After a welcome drink stop we continued to Nayapul, the next smaller village where our bus was waiting for us. The ride of an hour and a half took us back to Pokara, where we first enjoyed a lunch by the lakeside. Some of the group walked the rest of the way and others stayed with the bus until arriving back at the luxury Fish Tail Lodge.

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