Nepal Journal — Sunday, 11/24/96

Day 3: From Nagethanti (2460m) to Deorali (2834m)

We make a relatively short climb, about an hour or so, to Deorali, a small town that lies on a pass between two hills. Lonely Planet recommends a great little lodge here called the Super View Lodge. The lodge lives up to its name: we have a view of Annapurna from our room, and there's a rooftop viewing room from which you can see the mountains Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri, Machapuchre, and others. The scenery is totally amazing, although we're almost as excited by lodge's indoor Western-style toilet and hot showers.

The Super View Lodge lives up to its name: View of the Annapurna range from our bedroom window

Unfortunately, shortly after we arrive at the lodge, Mom begins to feel ill. We figure it's a result of exertion combined with altitude sickness. Whatever the cause, she has trouble staying warm, even under a ton of blankets and quilts. We don't think it's too serious, because we've stopped ascending for the day. (The easiest thing one can do to treat altitude sickness is to stop going up.) However, the condition can, in the worst cases, prove fatal, so there is still some cause for concern. Luckily, Mom begins to warm up when she moves down to the fire the innkeeper has started in the common room on the first floor. She starts to feel better, and by dinnertime, things seem okay with her. After dinner, Chris teaches the three of us a variant of backgammon called Trich-Trach that he learned on his travels.