Nepal Journal — Friday, 11/29/96

Day 8: From Ghasa (2000m) to Kalopani (2560m)

We walk along the edge of bluffs on the Kali Gandaki river, then ford across a tributary by hopping on stones. We trudge up an enormous hill to the village of Lete, where we decide to have lunch. When we begin to walk again, we discover that there's no real distinction between Lete and the town of Kalopani, our ultimate destination for the day. We end up completing our post-lunch hike in all of fifteen minutes.

Taking a break on the outskirts of Kalopani

Kalopani looks to me like the old West in the United States must have: a number of small houses clustered along a dirt strip. The owner of the hotel in Ghasa had insisted we stay at her brother-in-law's hotel in Kalopani. She even wrote us a note to give to him, presumably recommending that he give us nice rooms, maybe point out some nice whole chickens for sale. The brother-in-law's lodge looks much nicer than the one recommended by Lonely Planet (even if that one did have Western-style toilets), so we end up staying there.