Sometimes the animals heading to market need a lift. In this basket there must have been 20 chickens. 

Sometimes you encounter animals en route to market. In this case, the goats are likely on the way to market for impending Dasain festival. On the 9th day of this 10th day festival, animal sacrifices occur at temples across the country. These goats are happily trotting off to become a nation's feast in a few days. 

A young water buffalo actually yields way to human traffic. Clearly he has not yet learned the rules of the trail - basically, that he rules the trail. 

Here we have run into a trailside hen and her chicks. 

Along the hiking trail, which is also the main thoroughfare between villages in the region, many varieties of animal life can be sighted. In this case, a cargo-laden mule train. 

Here is a far shot of the guesthouse in Banthanti described below. 

On the trail back down to Naya Pul, we stopped here at Banthanti for lunch, where we had stayed on the way up. I love how precariously perched this guesthouse seemed. It also had the best food, I think, on the route. 

This is a shot of me and my frined and guide, Bhim Prasad Begale, from Nepal's Ghorka region. He's not unhappy, but Nepalis tend not to flash big toothy grins for photos...they take portraits as seriously as westward migrating American families in the early 20th century. 

Maoist rebel grafitti in Ghorepani. 

This is a photo of the valley that we trekked along, up, over, and then back down. Nepal trails are notoriously riddled with flagstoned steps, so this was much more joint-breaking than I anticipated. It took 3 days of beachside massages in Thailand to recover from the trek! (For more on Nepal trails see longer text entry below). 

Completed, refreshed stupa, Ghorepani. 

Updating a Stupa, Ghorepani. 

After sunrise, we had to start back the way we came, because the Maoists told us to, basically (see long entry further below). This turned out to be a good thing because I inadvertently deleted the 100+ images I had taken already up to that point, and enabled me to retake some photos from the trail. This is a detail of a stupa being refreshed in time for the Hindu Dasain festival starting the next day. Even though the stupa is Buddhist, and Nepal is a Hindu Kingdom, it is unique because its Hinduism and Buddhism are intimately intertwined and festivals for one religion typically incorporate reasons to celebrate the other.  

Before sunrise, Poon Hill, Annapurna Conservation Area, NW Central Nepal. 

Pre sunrise, continued....