Chyame to Upper Pisang: 4 cups of tea in a medieval village

We departed Chyame at 0800 in beautiful weather. The rain last night had cleared the air, the sky was blue and the mountains were etched sharply against this backdrop. After our breakfast of fried potatoes and pancakes ( we usually order 2 separate dishes and then share them half/half), I began taking my Acute Mountain Sickness prophylactic medication of 125 mg Diamox. This drug works as a diuretic, preventing fluid from accumulating in your brain and lung tissue as you gain elevation. I can truly say it works if I count the number of bush pit stops I had to make. Dreadknot did not start taking it as the ingredients in his cold medicine should not be mixed with it. 

We said goodbye and wished our friends from the Netherlands and Serbia a good hike.

Today’s scenery was jaw-droppingly beautiful, the monstrous mountain peak of Annapurna 2 being the main feature of the day.

Leaving Chyame the road took us past a magnificent display of prayer stones and a beautiful prayer wheel stupa.

Making our way alongside the river, we climbed steadily, through paths cut into the cliff side with overhangs and then up into Alpine forests which was accompanied by the gorgeous aroma of pine.

Rounding a bend we were presented with the splendid site of the “Wall of Nepal”, a massive, sheer slab of rock making up one side of what is considered a sacred mountain and it is forbidden to attempt to scale or summit it.

A lunch stop was taken at the village of Dhukurpokhari at 10,000ft, and both Dreadknot and myself are coping with hiking at this elevation. 

Inching our way along the more difficult trail to Upper Pisang ( as opposed to taking the road to lower Pisang), we arrived at this extraordinary medieval village terraced up against the mountain side at an elevation of 10,660ft/3250m. The dwellings are built out of dry stacked rock, with narrow winding alleyways weaving through them up to the impressive Buddhist Temple which stands above Upper and Lower Pisang.

Fortunately it was open when we arrived and we had the opportunity to go inside and experience the beautiful feeling of peace that exits within it. This new temple was built and funded entirely by the local residents of Pisang with the side of kind donations. Each villager donated 54 days of labor towards its construction. The older temple is 250 years old and crumbling but still intact. It was extreme good fortune that we were able to go inside of this ancient temple too and experience its powerful essence.

We learned of the murder of the king and queen of Nepal along with eleven members of the royal family in 2001, referred to as “the royal massacre “. The story goes that one of the Kings sons gunned them all down after a dispute and then turned the gun on himself, but no one believes this version of the story. There is no longer a monarchy in Nepal.

Dreadknot is as sick as a dog with cold symptoms and was experiencing chills. We found a brand new bungalow cottage to stay in with a comfy bed, away from other hikers, so as not to contaminate them. I tucked him into his sleeping bag and brought him cups of lemon, ginger and honey tea. I hope he feels better in the morning or we’ll have to stay another day in Upper Pisang to allow him to recover.

The view from our cottage door is mind- blowing: Annapurna 2 looms over us in all her glory.

Hopefully Four cups of tea in a cozy bungalow will do the trick!