Kagbeni (2800m)

Since we had just crossed the pass the day before, we were promised an easy walking day. We "only" walked 3.5 hours today and it was downhill. Unfortunately, there were a couple of people in the group who seemed to enjoy speed walking through the Himilayas while listening to their i-Pod. It was pretty annoying. Most of us were content to walk leisurely and enjoy the sights and sounds around us. There was a deep valley on one side of us that looked like something from Drumheller – there were old stone caves carved into the mountain side that people used to live in. There were goats being herded in the distance and we could hear one bleating in what seemed like fear. As we came closer, we saw that his horns were stuck in a bush and he couldn't wiggle free. The rest of the herd was already walking away in the distance! One of our guides quickly came to the rescue and ran down into the valley and freed the poor goat. We have it all on video :)

The teahouse in Kagbeni was by far the nicest place we stayed in the whole trek. It was an old wood and stone structure and our room had it's bathroom with a western toilet and a shower!! Unfortunately, there was no hot water, but it was such a luxury to go to the bathroom at night without having to put on your shoes and brace the cold to a squatter. I couldn't put my body under the cold water but I managed to wash my hair in the sink. Let me tell you, the soap did not like to lather in my 14 day no-wash hair. It was still dirty.

We walked around Kagbeni and saw what looked like a McDonald's! Upon closer inspection though, we realized that it was a Yak Donald's teahouse. Kagbeni is known for it's apples, and our teahouse boasted the best apple crumble in town. We had the freshly squeezed apple juice and apple crumble and it was seriously delicious. The cook/owner grates the apples and squeezes it through a cheesecloth for the juice. So THAT'S what apple juice is supposed to taste like! It was fresh and delicious and the most refreshing thing we've had all trip. The apple crumble was baked like an apple pie with incredible pastry topped with crumbly deliciousness. Even though we didn't try any others, I believe them when they say it's the best in town!

I think that by the time we were in Kagbeni, most of us had had some serious bout of stomach ailments and were eager to have the least offensive thing the menu that did not previously make us sick. The cook/owner recommended the "homemade tasty mushroom soup with buckwheat bread". We had it for lunch and man was it good! There were vegetables (which we had been lacking and quite skeptical of before the pass) and mushrooms and lots of garlic. The bread was hot and fresh. We did not get sick! Eric and I both weren’t feeling 100% yet so for dinner we wanted something familiar that normally would not make us sick. So for dinner, the cook recommended pasta pomodoro topped with yak cheese since she makes the pasta from scratch. Also delicious! The sauce I suspect had ketchup in it but the freshness of the pasta made it worthwhile. We finished off the meal with more apple juice and apple crumble. For breakfast, we had what was advertised as the “Trekkers Breakfast” – an egg, onion, and potato omelette on top of a chapati with a side of apple juice. It was fantastic! All in all, Kagbeni did not disappoint.