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| Jharkot |
Today was our last full day in the Mustang Valley. There is always something slightly bittersweet about the final day in a place you have grown to love, and Mustang had quietly worked its way into that category.
Today we drove north, heading closer to the border of Upper Mustang, the restricted region that was once the Kingdom of Lo and remained closed to foreigners until 1992. As we travelled further up the valley, the Tibetan influence became even more pronounced. Prayer flags fluttered across ridgelines, traditional flat-roofed houses clung to the hillsides, and monasteries appeared perched in improbable places along the cliffs.
Our first stop was Jharkot, a small fortified village sitting dramatically above the valley. Jharkot is known for its ancient monastery and well preserved traditional Tibetan-style architecture, and wandering its narrow alleys felt like stepping back several centuries.
From there we continued on to Muktinath Temple, one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Nepal. It was the first place we visited where we encountered crowds...Muktinath holds deep spiritual significance for both Hindus and Buddhists, who come from across Nepal and India to visit the temple. For Hindus, it is one of the sacred places associated with the god Vishnu, while Buddhists regard it as a site blessed by Guru Rinpoche.
There are several ways to reach the temple complex...horseback, human carriage (on a sedan) or helicopter if you prefer maximum convenience and you have cash to splash.
Today, we chose our feet. The cheapest alternative.
The temple complex is known for its 108 sacred water spouts, shaped like bull heads, where pilgrims pass beneath the icy streams as part of a purification ritual. Nearby are small pools where devotees immerse themselves completely.
The scene was fascinating to watch. But as I observed the water flowing over the feet of what must have been millions of pilgrims over the years, I couldn’t help but think about the cumulative total of dead skin cells involved in the process. It was a hard pass for me.
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| I'm going to miss this breakfast view |
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| First glimpse of Jharkot, a former palace turned hotel |
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| Entrance gate, can you see anything interesting... |
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| A village seemingly trapped in time |
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| 14th century prayer wheel |
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| Belonging to the 14th century monastery |
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| Horses ready to take pilgrims to the temple at Muktinath |
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| Walking through the village |
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| Yak! |
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| Um...so many people |
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| The temple that they all come to visit |
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| 108 of these that pilgrims run through or collect water from |
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| To take home for those unable to make the pilgrimmage |
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| Doing the run |
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| Umm no thank you |
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| The complex and buddha has incredible views |
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| Solar cooker |
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| These are the steps up and down |
From Muktinath we continued hiking towards Jhong Village. It was a relief to leave the crowds behind and return to the quieter rhythm of the valley. Though it was also a little sad to see rubbish scattered along sections of the trail, a reminder of the challenges that come with increasing tourism in fragile mountain environments.
Waiting for us at the rooftop monastery in Jhong was one of the now-familiar surprises from the Shinta Mani team: a beautifully set lunch table. From our perch we had unobstructed views across the valley, snow-capped mountains rising in the distance and the villages we had visited earlier in the day scattered across the landscape below. Not a bad lunch spot...
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| walking through another ancient village on the way to Jhong |
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| Crossing rivers on suspension bridges |
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| We can see our destination |
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| Jhong |
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| I do love the colours here |
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| Ooh what can we spy with our little eye |
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| Complete with relaxation chairs |
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| Birthday cake! |
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| Phenomenal views |
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| 4 course meal |
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| E-bike time. For Mal at least |
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| Ready to go |
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| It was dusty! |
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| This photo is for a sense of scale. There are 2 tiny dots on the right track. Thats Mal and Rishab |
Our final stop of the day was Kagbeni, a windswept medieval village that sits at the gateway to Upper Mustang. For centuries Kagbeni was an important checkpoint along the ancient salt trade route between Tibet and Nepal. Today, however, we were there for something far more important.
Yak Donalds.
Mal decided to e-bike his way down to the village, enthusiastically embracing the dust, gravel and unpredictable terrain. I saw the road conditions and opted for the far more civilised support vehicle. At Yak Donalds we partook in a Himalayan"happy meal": a yak burger, complete with yak butter and yak cheese, seabuckthron juice and fries made from local potatoes. Yak cheese has a… distinctive aroma. But if you could get past that, the burger itself was surprisingly delicious. In fact, it tasted remarkably like beef.
From Kagbeni we returned to Shinta Mani Mustang for our final evening in the valley. Dinner that night was spent with new friends, a lovely couple from the US and the UK, sharing stories about other remote corners of the world that offer the same rare combination of natural beauty, cultural depth and meaningful experiences. Preferably with a splash of luxury thrown in.
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| Yak Donalds. When in Nepal... |
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| Happy meal! |
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| The theme this evening was steamed! |
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| Almost Chinese... |
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| Delicious |
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| The final gift reflecting our experiences today |
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