Mugling

Mugling, Nov 25, 2011.

57 Km.

It was a bit up and down as one can expect in The Himalayas, but no major hills really. Not after the seven pass trek I did in The Khumbu just before this bike trip. I had read somewhere that Mugling can be a bad experience and it was right up my sleeve when I spotted a Thakali lodge and restaurant only 2- 3 km short of Mugling and just as my legs started to feel leaden. I got a fine room with hot shower for 500 Rs.

The lady, when I asked her, said that Thakali is a cast, and that they prided themselves in keeping clean about them. Her house and restaurant bore fine evidence to that. And the food was good too.

She asked if I had been to Mustang, from where they come. I said no. Then she asked if I had been to Muktinath. Sure I have, twice actually, Nov 1983 and again Nov 2007. So she says then I have been to Mustang, since Muktinath is Mustang. Lower Mustang actually, but nevertheless. Kagbeni, Marpha, Tukche and Lete are also in Mustang.

Later she tells me they are Buddhists. This surprises me as when she said cast I assumed they were Hindus. Buddhists have no cast system. But I have heard others on the subcontinent use the word cast as a sort, or maybe even race. One fisherman in India said "also fish have many cast". In this case I suppose it means ethnicity.

They took my bike in to the restarant in the evening.

PS The cycling was fine and beautiful. Weather was good. The traffic came in bursts of 5-6 cars at a time, many of them were buses and trucks. Several times I stopped by the curb and let them pass.