Tatopani (1160m)

There was a huge descent into Tatopani, and the scenery proved it. There were bamboo forests and a lot more greenery. Tatopani means “hot water” in Nepali, so called because of the hot springs by the river below the village. After a very tasty meal of chicken masala (me) and spice rubbed chicken (Eric) we disobeyed everything our parents told us and immediately headed to the hot springs!

After a short walk donned in our swimming suits and flip flops we reached the hot springs, paid 25 NPR each (less than 50 cents) and was pleasantly surprised to find only a handful of people there. There are two “tubs” but only one of them was filled with water since it is the low season. The tubs are made of stone and piled up rocks and looked pretty nice. But, like the “bakeries” and the “hot showers” we saw advertised along the trail, we were skeptical. We saw some people washing themselves and their laundry in the effluent from the springs so we decided to wash ourselves also before getting into the hot springs. This is the first “shower” I’ve had in over 2 weeks so it was definitely necessary for me! Holy shiza, the warm water felt SOOO GOOD!! It was the first warm water we felt since we started the trek. In fact, it was the first encompassing warmth that we’ve felt in many, many days. We both washed ourselves and our hair with soap and sat in the hot springs. It was actually HOT. Like a hot tub. Man, it was so relaxing and just what our bodies needed! The mood was good and most of the gang enjoyed some beers while we chilled. In the effluent, I washed by body and hair with soap again since I wasn’t sure when I’d see hot water again. Eric washed some of our clothes. Having warm water was such a luxury!

We headed back to the teahouse and got changed before walking around Tatopani. This was probably the first village we saw that had a life of its own. It felt like, even if our group of trekkers left, it would still be happening. It was a nice feeling, and it also meant that we weren’t being harassed as much either. As we were walking around, we passed by a small establishment where most of our porters and guides were chilling. They invited us to join them and we were happy to oblige! It is so nice to be able to hang out with them and talk instead of watching guiltily as they carried our heavy bags. They are such fun people who not only work hard but play hard too. We found out that the youngest porter, Dinesh, was only 19! Shankar was 20 and Ram was 21. Wow. I was concerned that we just bought them a round of beers and they might not have been legal yet… Prem assured me that there is no legal drinking age in Nepal!

We headed back to the teahouse and had a lovely dinner. The teahouse offered some baked goods including brownies and chocolate cake. There was a cute dog that followed some other trekkers from Marpha, and was now keeping us company. The relaxing hot springs, hanging out with our wonderful porters and guides, and finishing off with good good -- all in all, it was the best day yet.