18/10/19 Pokora to Tawal

Pokora is a great little community, heavily destroyed by the Earthquake, a sea of blue tin roofed buildings which indicates that it was rebuilt with a Government grant. The grant was about 3,000R, the cost of a rebuild around 20,000R so some help at least. 

We left at about 8am, awake at 5am to start the full repack. Met at the little shop where we had eaten the night before and then climbed from 1710m to 1770m. From this location we could see across the valley to Tamal which was our destination for the day. Immediately downhill on very steep, difficult terrain. We bought onions and tomatoes to supplement the pasta we were carrying for lunch. All the way to the valley floor, on the way we meet an Aama with a basket on her head full of fresh bananas. I bought 13 for the team. The steep slope turned to reveal a wire bridge suspended above the raging mountain river. We pitched camp for lunch, cooking the pasta, onions and tomatos and adding mushroom soup to make a sauce. Tasted bloody delicious along with bananas for desert. 

The Trek guides swam in the river and caught fish with their hands. 

After lunch we packed up and then went into an immediate near vertical climb. Within 5 minutes the sweat was pouring off me, very hard to catch my breath and the heat and humidity started to cause me real issues. Plenty of breaks, magic rehydration salts and I finally recovered enough to complete the rest of the climb. 

Arrived in Tawal, the view across the slope again indicted many many blue tin roofed houses, really the majority of the houses were destroyed. I can't begin to comprehend the horror, especially in such a remote, tough place to live. 

Bloody socks. Turned out the leaches did get me after all, despite the attractive way I tucked my socks into my hiking trousers. 

Tawal is amazing. Everyone is super friendly, currently as I write this there is a massive group of children outside playing and laughing with the team. I popped out with a bag of balloons and was immediately mobbed! 

Dal Bhat then early bed, today has been the biggest physical challenge of my life.