Day 5
Ghami – animal rush hour and shepherds
We arrive at dusk and meet some women once again dressed in traditional stoles and pangden aprons. The women are on their way out of the village to meet the shepherds who are bringing the animals down from the mountains. What timing!
We follow and see herds of long-haired mountain goats (chyangra) approaching. Seeing the goats in their natural environment is an experience better than I could have imagined. Cows, horses and oxen are also in the mix, rushing through the streets.
The women guide the animals further into their respective pens alongside the dwellings, as they have probably done for generations. The scramble of animals, the cacophony, the choreography. What a show!
The teahouse and hotel in Ghami
The vibrant hotel and tea house in Ghami advertises having hot water 24 hours a day. Its exterior is of white clay and the interior is of wood decorated with vivid textiles.
We are at 3,500 metres above sea level and the nights are cold. The large, lumpy blankets filled with wool batting provide plenty of warmth. We meet two athletic, mature Frenchmen who are trekking over the mountains to Lo Manthang. They are seasoned mountain climbers who have been to Mount Everest’s base camp at 5,365 metres and are now meticulously studying the local maps. We drink hot tea and talk through the evening.
