Trek: Syabru Besi to Gatlang

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Syabru Besi, was the start of our trek. It was a steep and hot one at that. It was a slog for us to move on and up, especially straight after the many hours of flying and car transit.

Syabru Besi, Syabrubesi, Syabrubensi typical of the English translation of a foreign language: maps, town signs and electronic media will have different spellings.
To brighten our day, we were treated along the way with the rhododendrons in full bloom.
The kids have little in the way of digital and other modern toys to play with, but the creative nature comes out as we marvel at this guy filling his motor bike.
Plenty of rural charm with the fields of various cereal crops and the animals - goats, cows, chooks and dogs etc.
Occasionally there is a sign to reassure you that you are on the right track. A map and gps, and of course our guide made sure we were not going to get lost !
The area we are walking through is very much an agricultural region. We see rural works conducting their daily tasks. Though English is commonly understood, there is not a lot of conversation as Nepalese is the native language. No doubt our Australian accent makes it a bit harder too. Everyone is generally friendly and will smile and wave.

There are very few travellers going into the Tamang region, we meet Sebastian who accompanied use on this part of the walk. He used to be a software developer and chose to leave the profession to become a scuba diving instructor - my kind of guy !

Our accommodation was perched over the Gatlang township. It is fairly new and geared towards having a few guests. The worst part however was the perpetually slamming toilet door all night and the noise of the Nepalis making those horrid throat regurgitating noises trying to get the phlegm out of their throats. We also met an Australian couple with two kids all suffering from the runs and looking quite ill.
After rest and a meal we walked up further and met this lady grinding the grain.
The old site of Gatlang is still in use, but I'm guessing that it is easier to provide water and other infrastructure for a growing population in the new location.
We walked round the sacred lake adorned with prayer flags. Belief systems are strong in Nepal, lakes, mountains etc are significant in Nepalese culture. The colours of the prayer flags are indicative of the importance of nature:: yellow (earth), green (water), red (fire), white (wind or air) and blue (sky or space). I've simplified the meaning as there is a lot of metaphorical meaning beyond the simple statement for say green for water, as well the flags have to be hung and positioned in a certain way.
We visited a cheese maker, I could not resist buying a piece of yak cheese. It is quite strong tasting & slightly salty (and a bit smelly of course !) , delicious according to my taste buds and Katie didn't mind it either
Further to our experience was seeing a cow giving birth, a marvel and special experience to see.
 What a tiring but interesting start to our walk. After this post dinner walk we return to the accommodation in a stupa ! My fears about Katie doing enough training proved unfounded (so far) - she was scampering up the hills with little effort, unlike her old man.
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Location: Gatlang 45000, Nepal

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