Today we followed what used to be the Annapurna trekking circuit, riding alongside and in the worlds deepest gorge - attracting tens of thousands of trekkers a year to what was one of the worlds best treks. Alas a few years back the Nepali government decided to build a jeep track to connect the remote villages along the trekking route (which at some economic level makes a lot of sense). Alas though the easiest route for the jeep track was to basically bulldoze the previous narrow and tranquil trekking trail into something resembling a road (well, sort of...). The trekkers responded by saying they had no desire to trek along a dusty old road and stayed away - the villages are now well connected, but now serve no-one, they are all but deserted, their tourism income virtually nil. The government seems alas to have shot their golden goose, all in the name of economic progress.
Arrived at Tatapeni this evening and paid a visit to the local hot springs, a great tonic to the weary body.
Last day of riding tomorrow, booo!
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