Due to ongoing planning, Mukteshwar side trip has been canned until we are able to gather further information. Instead we do the Kasar Devi Forrest walk again post catching up with Adam a Swedish guy we met a few days earlier and discussing northern Uttarakhand up below the glaciers where he had been hiking a few months earlier.
At the chai store at Kalimath we are given free chai and biscuits (in thanks for the photo prints - NYs day). A few guys in the store were also trying some papaya that they shared with us, it was sweet by itself but they were eating it with a green sauce (coriander, green chilli, maybe mint) served generally with samosa. prior to taking the forest trail up to the higher road and then to the general store for the best espresso in Almora. Read a little more of Marx, whilst drinking. Then in discussions with the owner we identify that it snowed on New Years eve up here but only for fifteen minutes and it then melted as quickly as it came. We decide to head up to Mohans but decide on reaching it to sit up at the small Shiva temple in town and watch the sunset instead.
Soph strikes up a surprisingly decent conversation with a little girl who lives just below the temple. Introductions continue including to Blackey the girls dog and friends. Giving up on a spectacular sunset we start the walk back to Almora 8kms away. On passing the Rainbow hotel signs we look back and the sky has turned all crimson and beetroot over the Himalayas, reaching a higher vantage point further photos are taken and then we make our way down to town as quickly as possible in the remaining light.
Back at the Glory we settle in for Naan, Jeera rice (Soph has become a fan) and Kadahi chicken. These guys are great and we will miss them greatly when we move on. Hopefully Nainital, our next cycle stop, lives up to it's reputation given by Lonely Planet from a food perspective!