Phortse

resplendent in her snow white evening dress.

The town's homes line the side of a mountain and the wonderful Buddhist monastery is the highest building of the town. The little flat land that there is , is divided into small paddocks. These will more than likely grow a crop of potatoes. There was a school very close to our guest house which amongst school things also sports a table tennis table. The guys couldn't help them selves and Alex and Seven even played a game with the local monks. We were warmly received by the teachers and the children alike. Later that evening it started to drizzle followed closely with rain, cold wind and eventually snow. Within an hour the whole town seemed like fairy town. A thick cover of snow rendering everything soft and white against the drop of fading daylight. There is silent monsters out there just standing still- I recall thinking just this whilst pondering the enormous mountains looking into the dark outside of our window. We played cards whilst waiting for our dinner to be cooked and our bodies to stop aching. Dahl never tasted so good..... legs never stopped aching it just got less intense. We would have killed for a hot shower but guess what, no bathroom just a toilet. All good. We brushed our teeth whilst looking at the surrounding mountains. You spend a bit of time doing just this because their scale is so huge and they are so close you'd swear that you could touch them. Having said this I am not sure that we would have traded the mountains for a bathroom. In fact I am positive that I wouldn't. In what seems like a flash we awaken to the soft knocking of our guide Indra. Wake up. One look out of the window and not a trace of snow! Pack everything, eat, fill water and hit the track Jack......... Alex where are you, oh gawd, wake up..........