Čez prelaz / Over the pass

11. dan: Thorong Phedi-Muktinath Na pot smo šli že ob 4h zjutraj, da smo se izognili vetru, ki začne pihati na prelazu Thorong zgodaj dopoldne. Na prelaz (5400 metrov) sem prišla ob 8h zjutraj, kar je bilo točno po planu, nekateri so bili sicer hitrejši, drugi pa počasnejši. Težko smo dihali, vendar smo vsi uspešno premagali prelaz, kar je bila najvišja točka naše poti. Na drugi strani prelaza se pot zelo strmo spušča 1600 metrov nižje v vasico Muktinath. Srečevali smo ljudi, ki so prečkali prelaz v obratni smeri, kar pa je precej bolj naporno, saj je vzpon z druge strani mnogo strmejši.	Day 11: Thorong Phedi-Muktinath We started at 4:00 in the morning in order to avoid the wind that starts blowing on the Thorong pass early in the day. I reached the pass (5400 meters) at 8:00 AM which was exactly as planned. There were a few ahead of me and some behind. The breathing was tough but we all made it over the pass which was the highest point of our trek. On the other side the road winds down steeply for 1600 m into the town of Muktinath. We met people who were going up the pass in the other direction which is much more difficult because the pass is so much steeper on this side.
12. dan: Muktinath-Marpha Ves dan nam je nasproti pihal močan veter, hodili pa smo po kamniti rečni strugi. Nekajkrat smo se morali sezuti, da smo lahko prečkali pritoke reke. Dolina reke Kali Gandaki, po kateri smo se spuščali, je precej bolj razvita od doline reke Marsyangdi, po kateri smo se vzpenjali. Tovore tu prenašajo s konji in osli, medtem ko jih na drugi strani tovorijo ljudje. V Marphi imajo celo sončne kolektorje in tuše (to je bilo naše drugo umivanje na poti).	Day 12: Muktinath-Marpha We had a strong wind blowing in our direction all day and our path was along a rocky dry riverbed. we had to take of our shoes a few times in order to cross streams. The Kali Gandaki river vally where we descended seemd much more developed than the Marsyangdi river valley where we ascended. Cargo is carried by horses and donkeys on this side while everything is still carried by people on the other side. Marpha even has solar powered showers (this was our second washing on the way).
13. dan: Marpha-Lete V obeh dolinah rek so jabolčni nasadi, Marpha pa je kraj, ki najbolj slovi po jabolkih. Oba večera, v Marphi in v Leteju, smo si privoščili jabolčno žganje. Še nikoli v življenju nisem bila tako pijana za tako malo denarja. Naročiš "apple brandy", prinesejo ga 2 deci, zaračunajo pa 10 rupij (cca. 0,3 USD).	Day 13: Marpha-Lete Both river valleys are abundant with apple orchards but Marpha is the most famous for apples. Both nights, in Marpha and in Lete, we had apple brandy. Never before have I been so drunk for so little money. When I ordered an apple brandy, they brought it in a 2 deciliter glass and it cost 10 rupees (about 0,3 USD).
14. dan: Lete-Tatopani Pot se je strmo spuščala po kamnitih stopnicah, ki jih menda vsako leto po monsunu na novo postavijo. Domačini trdijo, da je vseh stopnic 3800, a mi jih zaradi glavobola po jabolčnem žganju nismo uspeli natančno prešteti. V Tatopaniju je topli vrelec, v katerem smo se lahko že tretjič umivali. Za večerjo smo imeli na izbiro celo meso, ampak ker smo bili že tako navajeni na dal bat, smo ohranili tradicijo.	Day 14: Lete-Tatopani The trail led down steeply along stone steps which we were told are rebuilt every year after the monsoon. The locals told us that there were 3800 steps in total but we didn't bother to count them, after all we were hungover from the apple brandy. Tatopani has a hot spring where we were able to wash for the third time. We could even have meat for dinner, but since we were so used to dal bhat by now, we stuck to tradition.
15. dan: Tatopani-Ghorapani V Tatopaniju se pot razcepi: ena pot nadaljuje po dolini reke, naš vodič pa je odločil, da gremo preko Ghorapanija (vzpon nazaj na 2800 metrov). Nič hudega, smo rekli, samo preko Triglava še skočimo, to je malenkost, saj smo vajeni himalajskih razsežnosti.	Day 15: Tatopani-Ghorapani In Tatopani the trail splits: one way goes into the valley along the river, but our guide decided that we would go the other way over Ghorapani (an ascent back to 2800 meters). We weren't too concerned, this is just another quick trip to Triglav (note: Slovenia's highest mountain), we were by now used to Himalayan heights.
16. dan: Ghorapani-Birethani Končno smo se spustili v nižino in smo lahko pospravili bunde. V daljavi smo že zagledali značilno obliko hriba Machapuchare, kar je pomenilo, da je Pokhara in z njo cilj našega trekinga blizu. Za konec sem se udarila v glavo, ko sem se vračala iz stranišča.	Day 16: Ghorapani-Birethani We finally reached lower land and we could put away our winter clothes. We could just see the silhouette of Machapuchare in the distance, which meant that Pokhara and our destination was close. To finish in style, I hit my head when I was returning from the toilet.