March 8
Four weeks ago, we blindly threw ourselves into an adventure of a lifetime. We took a few clothes and a bag of snacks and followed our guide, Bhagawan, into Annapurna National Park.
The first day was full of ups and ups. It was hard enough for Henri, who had trekked in Switzerland on his own before, but imagine what
I had to go through. I start wheezing after one flight of stairs!
The Annapurna Trek is considered a "teahouse trek" because food is always within reach and you can stay in one of the charming tea houses on the way up.
On our first night, we stayed at Tadapani and "Didi" (big sister) gave me a walking stick because the first day had killed my legs.
My second day would have been much worse if not for the stick, which Henri carved with a cross. The grooves in teh wood were perfect for my fingers to grip.
Still, the second day was probably the hardest. We went up 80° for 2 hours non-stop.
It got so hard that I asked to be put out of my misery. In between wheezes, I asked them to kill me or get me a pony.
There was a full moon that night, and outside our window, we could see the snowy peaks glowing in the night. Just like the night we were in the desert in Jaisalmer, it was magical :)
The following morning, we woke up at 5am; the steps up to Poon Hill were frozen and there was snow on the path up. While we stopped to catch our breath (it was 3,200 meters high, after all), I saw a shooting star's glowing trail in the dark horizon.
