Annapurna: Muktinath

Jan. 6, 2009

Just as I was about to give up on my Annapurna commentary, I had another look at the photos of the last days of my trek. The images brought me right back into the mountains. I feel like they need to be shared.

These photos depict the holy village of Muktinath, the first town you reach after crossing over the pass from Manang. Every year thousands of Hindus and Buddhists make a pilgrimage to the town to visit the holy temple in the hills.

The mountain Dhaulagiri is the prodominent feature on the western horizon from the town. The mountain seems to breath steam from its peak. Women sit along the one street through the town selling jewelry and hand-woven yak wool scarves (that's where I got your Christmas present Mom!).

I sent several postcards from a nearby little town called Jharkot. Outside the post office which was nothing more than someone's back pantry, a woman was cutting up yak meat. I don't know if the postcards sent from that little post office just below Thorung La will ever arrive. If they do, it will be a tremendous feat having had to be carried by humans and mule trains through the mountains down to the valley and then carried by car to Kathmandu where it will be airmailed to Europe and eventually sent overseas.

The last two photos in this album are really special to me. I awoke early one morning in my hotel room in Muktinath with a bright light shining in my eyes. Thinking it was the sun, I got up to pull the shades closed. When I looked out the window, I saw that it was actually the moon, full and massive setting behind the mountains.

I later learned that that is the closest the moon will come to earth for many, many years. I was in a magical spot to witness it.