Evacuation

If our journey around the Annapurna Circuit was a story of two chapters, we were about to embark on the second.  Meanwhile however, something about Tatopani didn’t feel right to me:  our hotel was exceedingly grubby and though our room had the first western toilet we’d seen in two weeks, this was badly clogged with the waste of a previous occupant.  A possible explanation for this filth was the presence of a spider of such gruesome proportions that, (if our own shock was anything to go by), had probably loosened the bowels of the pour soul who last used the facility.  The creature’s lingering presence would also have deterred any cleaning staff from coming in and sanitising the place.  Besides these horrors, the sweet, clawing smell of dope hung in the air.  Amidst the previous evening’s downpour, I’d caught glimpses of trekkers skulking in the shadows, the cherry red glow of burning joints illuminating cupped hands.

The first order of business the following morning was a visit to the village’s famous thermal baths – (“Tatopani” meaning “hot springs” in Nepali).  We were tempted to take a dip but quickly discovered that a horde of chattering locals had beaten us to it.  Scores of men and women of all shapes and sizes luxuriated in the steamy pools while others were vigorously soaping themselves under the showers.  We returned to our rooms to find Colin pacing the balcony, his brow furrowed with anxiety and lack of sleep.  Sandra had taken a turn for the worse.  She’d awoken during the night gasping for breath and, terrified that she might suffocate, had asked Colin to sit alongside her and ensure she did not doze off. Wrapped up in the depths of her sleeping bag, her face drawn and hollow, she looked terrible.

Nilgiri

We had spoken at length about the prospect of evacuation.  Many years ago a friend was airlifted from Namche Bazaar after his appendix burst.  For days we’d been seeing the red and white helicopters of the HRA flying rescue missions over the Manang district.  Though we never imagined any one of us would be contenders for a ride out, it was immediately obvious that Sandra was in dire need of help.  Once the decision was made, activating the rescue was surprisingly simple requiring no more than a single cell phone call.  

The end of Sandra and Colin’s trek now a reality, a certain gloominess descended.  The entire team including Raj and the three porters crammed into the Harris’ room to join in a final prayer and to bid a sad goodbye.  There was little purpose in hanging around and waiting for the helicopter.  Prem, coordinating the operation from head office in Khatmandu, said the chopper’s ETA was still at least 90 minutes hence as it was in the process of evacuating stricken climbers in the Everest region.  After final goodbyes the depleted team crossed the Kali Gandaki River and began the arduous two-day climb to the town of Ghorepani on the valley rim.