Preparing for Muktinath

This morning. Wet and sunshiny. Lama in a beautiful pair of grey silk pajamas, strolling around the garden and looking at plants with great affection. He introduces me to his other brother, who lives next to the nuns in Kopan. Lama says that I don’t need to bother buying a plane ticket beforehand—I will have plenty of choices in Pokhara. I'm going to trust him on this one.

Lama says, “Tomorrow—you go Muktinath!”

I thought before he’d said I should leave on the 13th, but maybe he meant that’s when I would be in Pokhara. Anyway, I'm ready, so it doesn’t matter!

Today I’ll go back to horrible Thamel and buy a permit to enter Muktinath (2000 rupees) and a bus ticket (300 rupees—very cheap). Tomorrow morning: leave quite early for Pokhara, stay one night there, fly to Jomosom, stay one night there, walk to Kakbeni, stay one night, walk to Muktinath. Best to go slowly to avoid altitude sickness.