Walk to Ranighat

On my second day in Tansen, I decided to join my fellow medical students for a hike to one of the local attractions. Ranighat is the site of an old palace built in 1896 by Khadga Shamsher Rana, an exiled politician who aspired to take over leadership of Nepal but never quite made it. Known as the Taj Mahal of Nepal, Ranighat has long been stripped of its contents but stands majestically on a bend in the Kali Gandaki River. (See photo album below.)

Walk to Ranighat

The walk from Tansen to Ranighat is about 20 km round trip. (Yep, that's right!) And about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way is uphill. Had I know this at the outset, I'm not sure I would have tried it. But I wanted to do some hiking, see some sites, and bond with my fellow medical students. (Maybe a little pride in the decision?) All I can say is that I think I pushed my leg muscles beyond their capability. I wanted to cry at the end when I had to stop every 10 steps for rest and around every bend saw the road keep ascending at a pretty steep rate. (Actually, I think I did cry once.) It was really hard, and I am still limping and sore. But I guess you could say it was worth it. I am very thankful for all the helpful people we encountered along the way who guided us to the correct paths. I've now heard several stories of hikers getting lost and walking for several extra hours!!