Day 13 – September 30

Finally left Tilicho Base Camp. Can’t say we were very fond of that place. Don’t know what we didn’t like more: the cold, the lack of electricity/ hot water, the room or the centipedes.

Returned to Shree Kharka, then went on a shortcut through Upper Khangsar (4150 m). Hoped to have eaten lunch there, yet found out the village was deserted.

Survived on granola bars – pretty much the first time we actually needed the food we carried from Kathmandu. A couple of hours later we reached Nirvana – a small restaurant, just 2 tables in the dining room plus a kitchen. Wondered where do the owners sleep, then saw the mattresses tucked in a corner.

Rejoined the main trail after the 4 day Tilicho Lake detour. Arrived in Yak Kharka (4000 m), which looked deserted. Wondered where all the tourists were.

Then finally made it to Churi Ledar (4200 m), where we found all the tourists. There were 3 lodges there. The first one was full. Entered the second one, where we found a bunch of locals eating. Asked about a room and they looked confused. Them they seemed to remember they had one, but it looked like they only had one room overall and we would have been the only tourists there. So we said k10xbie and went to the last lodge, where we fortunately found a room. We were very happy to see we had warm fluffy blankets and also light – no more struggling with the headlamp. They only had bucket showers – looks like we’re gonna have to survive with just wet tissues for the next few days.

This was just the start of the tourist season on the Annapurna Circuit. I don’t want to imagine how it is to search for accommodation later on during the peak.

Had a delicious traditional Tibetan dish: tee momo (plain fluffy dough) with aaloo dum (spicy potato curry). Andreea played cards with the porters, a local version of “popa prostu” – using spoons.

The night was cold. As we went to sleep, outside it was lightly snowing and raining.