Trekking in Nepal:On the Orchid Trail in Annapurna

摘要

LANDLOCKED BETWEEN INDIA AND TIBET, NEPAL IS BORDERED ON the north by the magnificent Himalayas, the highest mountain system on Earth. A gem of natural and cultural diversity, Nepal is home to 102 ethnic groups and castes conversing in nearly 120languages and dialects! Its richness in nature is no less spectacular, with vascular plant species numbering nearly 7,000. The orchid family is represented here by some 377 to 454 species, depending on the source. I arrived in Nepal in mid-April, beforethe monsoon season, in anticipation of viewing and photographing a good number of orchids in bloom. Following my research and correspondence with many locals, including Kamal Prasad Acharya, who runs a blog dedicated to Nepali orchids (ncpaliorchids.hlogspot.com), I focused the first leg of my month-long visit on the Annapurna region, the most picturesque mountain massif in north-central Nepal and the largest protected area in the country. I discovered that it is abundant in orchitis. Adding to the excitement, several Rhododendron species would be in bloom at this time of the year.