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| Prayer wheels at a monastery in Syang Village |
The haze finally cleared enough for us to see the mountains. This felt like a small miracle after the previous two days. When the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges decide to reveal themselves, the entire valley suddenly makes sense.
Breakfast with a view was a very good way to start the day. We downed our juice shots with gusto and enjoyed our made to order mains.
Afterwards, Rishab had organised something special to mark our 50th birthdays, a monk blessing in Syang Village before we began our hike. Mustang’s culture is deeply influenced by Tibetan Buddhism, and village monasteries remain important centres of daily life in these remote communities.
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| Bathroom with a view |
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| Sunrise from the room |
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| Yes I had congee for breakfast! |
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| Doorways here are for short people |
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| The amount of wood on top of your roof used to indicate the wealth of the family |
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| Still not clear but at least the mountains are now visible! With the apple farms down the bottom |
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| Apricot blossoms |
From there we drove towards the Panda Khola Gorge to begin our walk. Our first stop was Lubra Village, an 800-year-old settlement tucked into the valley. Lubra is one of the last remaining strongholds of the Bon religion, a spiritual tradition that predates Tibetan Buddhism and was once widespread across the Himalayan region. Today Bon survives only in a handful of communities, and Lubra is considered one of its most important living centres.
To reach the village we followed a picturesque trail through the gorge. The walk itself wasn’t technically difficult, but at around 3,000 metres altitude you definitely notice the thinner air. Every incline reminds you that oxygen is now something of a luxury. Fortunately we had Rishab with us carrying extra water and maintaining a sensible pace.
Lubra itself felt timeless. We wandered through narrow lanes of stone houses before continuing uphill towards a cave monastery overlooking the village. Mustang is famous for its thousands of ancient sky caves carved high into the valley cliffs. Many date back more than two thousand years and were used variously as burial chambers, meditation retreats and even entire cliffside settlements. Our cave monastery was far more accessible, thankfully.
After exploring the village we were invited to the rooftop of a local family home where lunch was served, simple but delicious local cuisine, eaten while looking out over the valley. Not a bad lunch spot! And definitely the highlight for us.
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| Village of Lubra |
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| Entrance to Lubra and the 800 year old walnut tree as part of how the village was first settled |
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| Children walking to school |
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| The hostel where they stayed because their parents had to work full time in the fields |
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| View from the cave monastery |
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| The landscape |
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| This monastery in the village itself was built in 1847 |
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| Look at our table for lunch! |
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| This is on the rooftop of a home |
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| Traditional local cuisine |
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| Shinta Mani had fancy water bottle holders |
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| Hats off to the cook who prepared our meal |
Back at the lodge we resumed what was quickly becoming our daily routine: obligatory spa time. Another massage was followed by an hour-long sound healing session. I will admit that I approached this with mild scepticism, but it turned out to be surprisingly good.
Afterwards the healer explained both the spiritual philosophy and the scientific ideas behind sound therapy - how different frequencies can influence relaxation and stress responses. Whether spiritual or physiological, the result was the same: we both left feeling noticeably calmer. Safe to say we’re now converts and already planning additional sessions.
The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing in the bar before dinner. Tonight’s theme was the chef’s special menu, and once again the food was superb. I hesitate to say this, but it may actually be a notch above Singita Kwitonda — which is saying something.
Life at 2,850 metres is proving to be very comfortable indeed.
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| View from the spa was infinitely better today |
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| The sound healing room |
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| Door to one of the most important rooms in the resort |
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| The bar! Where the staff are always happy to chat. We were taught a Nepalese board game called Tigers and Goats |
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| Snacks and drinks time |
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| These were little morsels packed with flavour |
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| Marpha Appletini |
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| A very thoughtful gift waiting in our room! |
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