Road to Kyanjin Gompa

The next day we did not have very far to go and the views started to become incredible. This is what I had come to Nepal for: jaggy black and snowy peaks. Incredibly our weather still held and we got some fantastic views up the valley towards where we were headed. We passed rows of carved stones, piled up into walls. These are mani stones and I think the same principal applies as to prayer flags and prayer wheels; I think the writing carved into the stones is prayers. I guess it's the rain or something that's meant to whisk them off in this case. Now the cows were getting distinctly more yakky and the air was getting much chillier.

Mani stones and mountain range

Joanne walking past mani stones

When we arrived at Gyanjin Gompa it had clouded over, so we couldn't see the peaks we knew were all around us. Nevertheless we found a very nice hotel called Hotel Super View, where we were not only offered the room for free, but a 40% discount on the food. It was run by a really nice Tibetan woman. In fact most of the people we had come into contact with since Syabrubese were Tibetans who, if anything, we even nicer than the Nepalis. OK they were desperate and, in the small places, really bored, but their hospitality still seemed very genuine.

Getting closer to big hills

Since we were in Tibetan occupied territory I thought I'd try a “Tibetan Tea” despite Al's warnings that it involved rancid Yak butter. It was pretty disgusting, but the butter used wasn't rancid. It did just seem to be several ounces of butter and hot water, though. A great tip the Chilean couple had given us was that there is yak cheese made in the village, so I went out to look for it and, after one guy insisted on telling me how they make the cheese I bought a lump at only Rs450/kg. It was really nice and we were all desperate for cheese, which you don't generally find much in Asia.

Yak graing in front of mountains

On the hunt for cheese I saw the Americans again, surrounded by Nepalis, and failed to engage them in conversation again. I also went out looking for beer but I excelled myself and came back with about a litre and a half of chang which cost only Rs100. Nobody had thought to try and sell it to us, but I asked on the off-chance and hit the jackpot. The chang was quite nice, and very similar to saki, which isn't too surprising I suppose, since they're both made from rice. Our hotel owner got a bit upset, though, when she saw us bringing in all these outside goods, after all we were staying for free.

Yak cheese and chang

The cheese she seemed prepared to let go, but she insisted we try her chang and wasn't too upset when we said that it wasn't as good as the stuff we'd got elsewhere. That evening the people with the prayer sheets arrived from Langtang. There was a bit of a party again, which the owner was very excited about, but it seemed a lot more restrained than the previous night.

First view of Kyanjin Gompa

Road to Kyanjin Gompa

Kyanjin Gompa, Nepal