Arrival in Phakding
and the end of day 1
This seems to be the last photo I took with my camera on this day, so this must have been right outside the teahouse we were staying at. I remember us sitting down right outside and resting after a tough hike, possibly because the tables inside were being cleaned. Phakding is one of the lowest parts on the trail (2610m) and this first day was supposed to be the easiest of all the days heading up.. and yet there we were, sitting down, slumped over, happy to have finished that day's hike. Spirits were high, but all I wanted to do was get a warm meal in me and get some rest so that I can recharge and be ready for a much more difficult hike the next day.
Our guide always called ahead to make sure we had rooms waiting for us by the time we arrived at the preferred teahouse each day.. This was one of the advantages of having a Sherpa guide with us. He took care of a lot of the interaction with the local staff, including making all the arrangements for accommodations.
We usually got 2 rooms to share between 3 guys, so we'd rotate who got the single room that day.. The single rooms were always smaller and there were always 2 beds in the double rooms, so the only real benefit was the extra privacy and not having to listen to someone else snore.. but everyone always wants the single room, and on the very first night that honour fell to me.
The teahouses were for the most part unheated wooden structures that were not very well insulated. The only heat you could find was in the common room, which had an oven in the middle burning yak dung. Still so close to the trailhead though, here in Phakding this teahouse was more like a proper building. My room on the second floor and was rather spacious and came with a big cabinet and a nighstand.
After arrival at the teahouse we would usually get an hour or two of downtime, after agreeing on a dinner time. During this time it was common for people to stick around the common area and read or play cards.. or go online.... but it was also fairly common to go to your room to take a short nap.. In some of the larger villages you could also find bars, pool halls, cafes, and other places to spend your time and money.
Dinner always began with our guide bringing us menus in English and then taking our orders. He wrote them all in a kind of journal that is left behind at the establishment as a way to keep track of finances.. but also to present a final bill to us after the next day's breakfast. So as you sat there in the common room, you could get things like coca-cola products, chocolate bars, beers, pringles.. and each time you did, a new entry would be added in the book under your name. You pay up for everything, including accommodation, right before you depart the next day... and as the days go on, these products get more and more expensive, as the yaks have to carry them further..
Our guide ate all his meals with all the other Sherpa guides, and from what I understand they always ate the same thing for dinner - Dal Bhat. This consists of steamed rice and a cooked lentil soup, plus a couple other side dishes, depending on locale. A sort of saying has developed, "Dal Bhat Power, 24 hour" signifying how the local population use Dal Bhat as a sort of fuel to get through a busy day's work or a long hike through the mountains.
After dinner we always had a short meeting with our guide during which he would run down the next day's hike for us. This was important because he would tell us what sort of conditions to expect, including the weather and hiking conditions. This allowed us to make better decisions when deciding what to put in our daypack and what to stuff in the bag the porter was carrying..
All in all the first day of hiking was a success, with no problems along the way.. but it was also a bit eye opening.. We were basically at the lowest part of the trail in terms of altitude, this was supposed to have been one of the easiest days, and yet at the end of the day I felt a bit drained of energy.. Even so, I drifted off to sleep in relatively high spirits.. for I had the single room and I couldn't hear anybody snoring