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world . With the sun approaching the nearby peaks the temperature was already retreating though exploring the township was a must . It was clear that whilst the people are traditional they have embraced a level of tourism , it ’ s a way of survival , a necessary evil . With restricted numbers on visitors to the Upper Mustang I wondered if it was working or whether it was just considered a supplement .
Stunted cows mingled with the few people walking about , workers sought refuge in the last vestiges of the sun ’ s rays , children cheekily played on rooftop walkways . We continued to explore finding hidden gompas , brightly coloured doorways , and traditional offerings to the gods of the mountains .
A street sign beckoned . ‘ Restaurant ’, it proclaimed in English . We ’ d entered the building to discover a young woman washing dishes in what seemed like a lounge room come dining hall come kitchen .
“ Thukpa ,” she ’ d proclaimed when asked if she had food . In fact , we ’ d asked if it was indeed a restaurant , she ’ d shook her head , a similar reaction when we asked about food . We ’ d settled on the thukpa not
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