Well, I'm back from my trek around Annapurna Circuit and resting up, ridding my self of the second dose of Diarrhoea in two weeks and preparing to ride from here down into India and beyond.
In fact the 19 day literary for the Trek of Annapurna Circuit was way too conservative and by day two I was already one day ahead of schedule and heading into day four territory. My guide, named - very appropriately - Pasang Sherpa, was very flexible and didn't mind what I did in the 19 days, so we decided to do the circuit and then head into Annapurna Sanctuary and the Macchapuchare & Annapurna Base Camps.
On day 1, I met a French couple, Olivier and Odile, also planning the combined circuit and sanctuary trek so we spent most of the next 19 days together in some way. Walking together, or staying in the same village/hostel/room. The added bonus with O&O was that they had just arrived here in Nepal from France with bicycles and were doing this trek before commencing their bicycle trip around the Himalaya's. (Cycling Nepal, India, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, China and finishing in Pakistan - taking the next 9 months). So we had heaps to talk about. They were great company for the trip and I became their official trek photographer as they'd lost their cameras in Kathmandu immediately before the trek. You can see a few more of my photos - including different ones - on their French language blog. http://o2tourdelhimalaya.over-blog.com/
The trek wasn't as much of a doddle as I'd thought it might be - given the popularity of the circuit. It had lots of very steep up and down, and places with thousands of steps (which use exactly the same leg muscles as bike riding - yippee). The trek also includes Thorung La a high pass at 5300 metres. But, as I said above, the 19 days was very conservative and would have had me spending most of each day sitting in teahouses instead of actually trekking had i not changed it to include the sanctuary.
I'm glad to think that I made it with no real knee problems especially since I had ruled out ever trekking in Nepal about 8 years ago - but then I'd never have dreamt that I'd ride 12000km through Europe to Asia then either.
Thorung La at 5300 metres is not as high as Mt Kilimanjaro which I did 10 years ago, so I was hopeful before hand that I'd be OK at altitude. As it turned out I picked up a bout of Diarrhoea in Menang a few days before the pass and got symptoms very much like altitude sickness AFTER I'd done the pass. Because this is such a popular tourist trek they are well equipped to handle cases of AMS (acute mountain sickness) with medical centres in Menang and in Thorung Phedi (typically 2 or 3, and 1 day before the pass). After the pass in Muktinath though - where I got sick - there is nothing like that. Reading a bit more - in another trekkers guide book - about the typical diarrhoea here in Nepal it too has head aches and vomitting as symptoms, and I copped it pretty bad toilet wise, so I think in hindsight that what i felt was belated AMS after the pass was in fact just those other stomach problems. Dosing myself with Cyprofloxin and Metronidazole cleared that up within a couple of days and I was once again able to enjoy the trek. Now back in Kathmandu it seems like I have another bout of it - no doubt from lunch yesterday in a bus stop half way between Pokhara and Kathmandu. The joys of travel in Nepal - one of the worst places in the world for Diarrhoea. (I don't expect India to be much different)
But for the next couple of days I'll be here in Kathmandu. I opened the bike box yesterday - it survived the flights and storage - so it will be assembled in the next day or two ready for heading south.
Below are are few photos from the trek - there's more in the Annapurna Trek Sub album of Nepal (just click one of these to get there)
Also Attached to this is a kml file of the trek for anybody familiar with Google Earth. You'll be able to see pretty much where the trek went - give or take a little.
Day 1 trekking through the lower valleys with luscious green rice paddies
Trekking in cycling gear is actually very comfortable - and cycling leg warmers work great above 5000 metres 
along the route before the pass you have the Annapurna range on the left and stunning views
The Annapurna range from the northern side
rehearsals for a village festival in full progress. The men dancing and singing the women in hysterics at the side of the room. (and the kids rubbing the strangely bald head of the man taking photos - there are no bald Nepalese) 
Menang and Annapurna 1
a day of acclimatisation takes us up 1000m above Menang to "Ice Lake" at 4600m and back.
back on the track towards our pre-pass stop, Olivier & Odile my trekking buddies from France
Thorung La, 5300 metres
Down the other side of Thorung La you enter a wide river valley for a couple of days of "less interesting" views and Bloody strong headwinds.
Poon Hill provides the masses of early morning tourists specy views of the mountains.
Heading away from the circuit path toward the sanctuary
Olivier and Odile in the sanctuary (Annapurna Base Camp or A.B.C)
An icy creek at A.B.C
Back into the lower valleys as we head out and down to finish the trek.
The decorated taxi ride to Pokhara
The bus from Pokhara to Kathmandu the next day, mechanical problems.For those in Australia, take a listen to the track Too Happy Too Soon by Liz Stringer - a local Melbourne Singer Songwriter. It's a track I've been carrying with me since I left Aus over 6 months ago on my little mp3 player and seems somewhat relevant at the moment. I'll need to leave Kathmandu before I can "do my bit" to help - and wont be in a suitable part of India. I leave it to you.
jeff
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