Day 12: Dhampus to Phedi to Pokhara, Nepal
Last night, the group ate dinner with the staff and distributed tips to them. Sherpas get 4,500 Rupees and Porters, 3,250 Rupees each. This would be our last night with the staff since they would catch a public bus from Pokhara back to Kathmandu. Vimal explained the pecking order of tipping and pre-ordered dinner, Dal. Dal is a typically Nepali and Indian dish consisting of lentils or chickpeas, rice, potatoes and some vegetables. Dal is not one of our favorites but it was only for one night. Vimal also asked everyone to eat Nepali style, with fingers.
After dinner, the tip envelopes were distributed to the staff, everyone in the group taking turns to present to their Porter or Sherpa. I presented to Purna and ex-Marine gave his envelope to Lila with extremely heartfelt thanks for all the hard work. Running back and forth between the kitchens and dining areas in all the teahouses, carrying the 40# duffels over the same terrain as us...up and down those killer steps...the smiles...singing...for adding ex-Marine's and my backpacks to their already heavy loads...with never a complaint. How could we adequately express our thanks for everything they did.... After that, time for singing and dancing. Steve and I were completely exhausted and went to bed.
One last sunrise on Machapuchhre from our Dhampus guesthouse...View image...
(By the way, these teahouse/guesthouses sold everything. From Marlboros to Pringles to toilet paper. Whatever you needed, they had for sale.)
...one last time using the outside "facilities"...tonight we'd be in an actual hotel room with a Western toilet...joy of joys...
...one last teahouse breakfast...
...and we were off on the short morning trek down to Phedi where the bus would be waiting. A max of three hours trekking. The descent started on the Dhampus jeep road before turning into farmlands with wheat, corn and small villages...and sections of those damn steep steps...past farmers shearing...
...Porters carrying trekking gear up...it's good manners to always give them the right-away...
...Porters carrying Western children in an unusual "porter seat" (instead of car seat) on the trail...
...and another family we'd seen along the route, carrying their small child in a hiking carrier... Tough people! But all I could think of was what if he accidentally stumbled or fell...what of the child then...
Slowly, slowly, until we heard cheering and clapping. It was our staff waiting at the bottom. Emotional? Again, we took that last steep step to the bottom, filled with gratitude and felt as if we'd just crossed the finish line of a Marathon. It was over! We were on solid ground, semi-intact and time for group photos, high fives...View image... hugs all around...some last minute photos with Purna...
The grueling trek was finished. On the 45-minute bus ride to Pokhara, the staff started singing the "trekking song" one last time...
