Himalayan Cycle 16 — Shenmuda Camp to Menbu Town Camp
18-09-2014 - Thursday
Cold start to the day, overcast and a cool wind. Had a light breakfast as felt a bit crap after riding on full breakfast yesterday. The ride was great as we headed from the near Tingri to camp at the base of the next big pass.
Lovely scenery and quiet, almost no traffic, riding across the plains then up a river valley. Passed through several small villages and saw lots of harvest activity. The weather improved, sun replacing cloud and it warmed up.
Time for a re-group (above) and ancient Fort ruins (below).
After that it was a nice lazy afternoon enjoying the luxury of a single tent (3 of us who didn't pay single supplement are rotating). I read some The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets
(Kindle app on my phone) then it was afternoon tea time. Rather odd topic to read about in the Himalayas but had heard author Simon Singh talk about it on several podcasts and was the first chance I’d had to read the book.
Great read and mentioning it, and the location I read it, resulted in this amusing tweet from Simon!
@robincapper i think that makes you my most elevated reader.
— Simon Singh (@SLSingh) November 17, 2014//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
We are camped near a town again and for the first time had a visit from beggars. While lots are trying to sell goods this was just a straight “Give us money” request, a first for me in Tibet. Next someone arrived looking for payment for the campsite. Another first, the guides dealt with that!
Most locals visiting our other camps have just been curious.
In a busy afternoon we also had a herd of goats, several local dogs and a man drive past close to camp in a large excavator. For a minute wondered if that was the response for not coughing up for the ground rent! Turned out he was just going to a nearby building construction site.
A bit more lazing and our was dinner time. Tonight it was pasta, veges, chips and
outragecake for desert.
I can’t remember what type of cake, carrot?, but pretty sure ‘outrage’ was an autocorrect error!
Time for bed, a pass to climb tomorrow but not too far to ride (45km).
Quote of the day:
"Survivor Tibet, who will be next?" - Been said before but this reference to the lurgi s stalking the trip would be said again.
Camp altitude 4537.000 meters
Post 17. Menbu to Lalung La Pass Saddle Camp
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