We all made our way toward the hotel in Ringmo VIllage, with everyone eager to dive into their blankets. But I was still lost in Phoksundo’s beauty—I didn’t want this to end just yet.
I kept asking everyone to pause, look back at the stunning lake, and savor these final moments, hinting that our trip was slowly drawing to a close.
Some of the guys, though, just wanted to reach the hotel, so we finally left the park and headed inside. Anup and Sandesh were already waiting for us.
All of us gathered in one room and started a game of Teen Patti (‘flash‘ as we call it here in Nepal). No, we weren’t betting any money—just playing in a little “childish” style.
It was Bed A vs. Bed B. Bed A, being bigger, had more members—Ram, Sandesh, Prashosan, Nisha, and our silent Anup sir. Bed B had Sahil, Samundra, and me.
Didi was out for a while, helping me sew my small bag, which had torn from the weight when I carried stuff on our way to Gumba. She also checked in on the kitchen to make sure the buda (hotel owner) was cooking the chow chow we gave him.
Turns out, Didi had to do the cooking because Buda only added extra spices. Thankfully, there was Yak Sukuti, but it was cold. Buda always got emotional whenever we complained.
Back to our game: Bed B was winning points in the beginning, but then Bed A turned the tables, leaving my team struggling to score any points. There were childish arguments and, most importantly, tons of laughter.
One moment that’ll stay rentless in my mind was when Ram was searching for Siri under his blanket while the game was still going on (the video will make you laugh too).
The others:
- Nisha was snapping photos every time she won a round.
- Sahil, new to the game, was enjoying every moment, while Prashosan seemed determined not to lose.
- Anup sir was quiet but sparked laughter in the group as he started winning streaks.
- Sandesh was fully engaged, even introducing a new rule called “vaxo.”
- Samundra was, as always, hungry but filling up on joy.
- I kept chanting “Jay Phoksundo” every time our team picked up the cards.
- Didi joined Bed B later and turned out to be our lucky charm.
After the game ended, we headed for dinner—noodles yet again! But this time with the cold Yak Sukuti I mentioned earlier.
Meanwhile, another group in the hotel was having their own fun. Yup, it was time to socialize!
One guy was playing the flute, another the madal, and, everyone was singing the classic “Resham Firiri.”
Didi and I joined in with a dance as the group sang along. Two Indian guys, freshly returned from Upper Dolpo, joined in as well. They probably didn’t understand the lyrics, but they were tipsy enough on local daru to enjoy the vibe fully.
After vibing on a series of songs, we decided to play Lok Dohori. It was our beloved group against the new gang, with Didi leading our side and two guys from their team stepping up.
Prashosan and I couldn’t quite keep up with the rhyming, so we started dancing instead.
Samundra volunteered too, especially since his name, “Sanu,” was the main tukka: “Jhim Jhim Sanu najhimkyau pareli vutukkai hunchu ma.”
We even dragged the hotel ko buda in for a dance, though he was too shy to join in.
We enjoyed that for a while but seeked even more bonding time with our new Indian friends, so I suggested we play Antakshari, sticking strictly to Hindi songs.
The guys agreed, and suddenly, it was another friendly battle. We sang every song we knew—Atif Aslam and Arijit Singh would have been proud to hear their songs echoing in Ringmo Village.
Halfway through, the girls left, probably not as into it as we were.
You know, boundaries don’t matter when it comes to having fun. Here we were, vibing with strangers from so far away. Little did we know we’d meet them here in Phoksundo—another case of “lekherai vet vayeko ho.” Destiny at work truly!
After a while, most of the songs ended in “ha” or “ra,” so someone from the other group suggested a new game. Let’s call it “name-it-or-claim-it.”
The idea was that Team A names a certain number of items on a topic within a minute, and Team B has to bid higher.
For example, if Team A claims they can name 10 countries in a minute, Team B has to up the bid or start the challenge. It’s definitely a fun game to try when you’re bored.
We ended up laughing so much without getting drunk or high. Afterall, it’s the small things that bring happiness, right?
We had an unforgettable night for sure. We wished our new Indian friends all the luck on their upcoming travels, shook hands, but sadly couldn’t take a selfie—I regret it now!
I should’ve taken pictures with everyone I met on this trip, but I was just soaking up the moments. Next time, for sure!
Finally, it was time to get some sleep. We said goodbye to our Indian friends and headed upstairs. My adrenaline was still high. This night had been something else, and after that laugh-filled pee break under the stars, none of us could stop laughing.
But hold on—we’re not sleeping just yet! We checked the pillows and, WOAH, these were definitely not pillows but actual sacks. That also, just two for three of us!
Adrenaline mixed with a bit of frustration, I called the buda, asking him to bring a proper pillow, not another sack. This funny man went to his storeroom, Prashosan and I followed.
He had no real pillow, just tried folding another sack and calling it “yei ta ho ni sirani.” I was supposed to be annoyed, but I couldn’t stop laughing. At least he gave us an extra blanket.
Then we remembered the girls’ “luxury” room had three beds. The guys suggested one of us crash in there, but it would’ve been too awkward. So, we decided to just take one of the pillows instead.
But the problem was that they were sleeping like Kumbhakarna, and it took ages until Didi finally opened the door.
I went in, laughing, and pulled a pillow in style, singing, “churake pillow tera goriyan chali.” Victory! I finally had my sack to rest my head on. But then Didi whispered, “oi k gareko tya Nisha sutirathyo!“
Oh no, what have I done! I turned around and there was our poor Dhakal ji, absolutely shocked, soul practically leaving her body.
Imagine her perspective—middle of the night, deep in a dream, suddenly jolted awake by dudes (me, buda, Prashosan, and maybe Didi, who probably looked like a guy in that moment).
She must’ve wondered if we were trying to steal her pillow, her sleep, or the girl herself, after all those “timlai chopera laglan” jokes we’d been making all day.
Scary? Sure. But even more, it was hilarious—the funniest moment of our trip. Even recalling it now makes me laugh.
But at that time, I got worried. I hoped she didn’t hurt her head. I quickly apologized, praying she wouldn’t come after me with a chappal.
It was just too funny—Didi, buda, and I were all grinning, and Prashosan had already run to tell the story to the other guys.
I walked back to our room, and everyone was laughing. We retold that story a dozen times—even Sahil, who’d been sleeping, came over laughing. Turns out, the girls had been laughing about it all night, too.
After all that, we finally said goodnight, turned off the lights, and hoped for sleep. But no one really got a proper sleep that day.
I couldn’t stop thinking, though—wondering if Dhakal ji would be mad at me tomorrow.
And, of course, there was Ram, who moaned in his sleep all night. Sandesh and Samundra didn’t get much sleep either.
I was just waiting for morning, ready to start fresh and soak up those majestic Phoksundo views.
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