April 23, 2007 - Nepal - Not Exactly on Orange Alert

Our flight from Bangkok to Kathmandu was fine (except for all the Indian men who literally turned around in their seats and stared at us the entire flight). We landed and went to get our visa... and that's when the fun began.

We had to pay $30 for the visa and we didn't have that much money. They had an ATM at the airport, but it was downstairs and outside the building. But no problem they said - just walk on out the security gates, get the money and come back in. Hmmm. We were certain that this would not fly. Why would they let us walk through three security stations and then come back again the same way we went out? But they did. No one asked us a single question. We walked forwards and backwards through all kinds of "security", we left the building, we set off alarms... nothing. We kept looking over our shoulder expecting armed guards to be running us down any minute. Nope. Nothing.

We got our money and got back in the "Without Visa" line upstairs only to find out that they didn't accept Nepali rupees. Hmmm. Strange that. So I went to exchange rupees for dollars and got back in line once again. Once at the front, we were promptly ejected from line to go fill out yet another form.

As usual, we had all kinds of process improvement ideas for them, but we kept them to ourselves. And again, we invoked the "We've got nothing but time" mantra to ward off popped blood vessels. All said and done, we got our visas and were allowed into the country with an interesting story already under our belts.

Kathmandu airport

Warm welcome

April 23, 2007 - 1 Hour, 15 Minutes and 57 Years

When we left Thailand, it was 8:00am in the year 2007. When we got to Nepal, it was 9:15am in the year 2064. How strange. I had never heard of a 15 minute time difference. It must be difficult for them to be that different from the rest of the world. It makes sense to have smaller gradations of time differnece depending on when the sun rises and sets in certain areas, but it certainly makes things confusing from a global perspective. Think about the stock market and international calls and, above all, television programming. How confusing to have BBC Worldwide start at 8:15 instead of 8:00.

In addition to this 15 minute craziness, they have to deal with a 57 year difference as well. Their calendar is called Bikram Sambat and begins the year King Bikram Adittiya began ruling Nepal. Talk about ego-centric. This must be difficult for the locals to deal with, especially in such a tourism-driven country where they have to think of time in Western terms. So in one way, Nepal is ahead of the times, but in other ways, far behind.

April 24, 2007 - Janaandolan II

One year ago today, the people of Nepal successfully ousted the corrupt King Ganendra from power. This success is called Janaandolan II and means "People's Movement II" (there was another one several years previous). After 10 years of repeated protests, the Nepali people's victory resulted in an 8 party coalition government in charge of making decisions. The Maoists are also part of this coalition government and by putting down arms, have helped boost tourism in Nepal - particularly in the Annapurna region they held hostage for so many years.

Despite the victory, the Nepali people are frustrated one year later. As is typically true of coalition governments, progress is slow. It's difficult to get decisions made and funding isn't reaching much-needed areas and people. The Nepali people seem resigned to this new state of affairs, but love watching the weekly television programs that satirize the bumbling government officials. Progress might be slow but the outlook is good as long as the people are watching and keeping their elected officials in check.

People power

April 24, 2007 - Prison Break

When we started this trip, our worst fear was that we would end up in prison somewhere and have to spend several years in detention for a crime of which we were surely innocent. So we came up with a prison break scheme for each country. Here are our schemes to date (please note: the assumption is always that only one of us has been imprisoned. In my mind, that is always Sarah. Turns out that she believes it will always be me. But the plans work regardless of who is actually behind bars.

Thailand - The Flip Flop Ruse

This Monty Python inspired plan involves a handful of Westerners who we convince to aid us in the rescue attempt. We all wear flip flops on our feet and on our hands in order to sound like an absolute herd of rescuers. With our enornous size advantage (helped along by moonlit shadows) and all the flippety flopping, the Thai prison guards are sure to "run away, run away" in fear, thus allowing the successful reclamation of the one imprisoned.

Plan B: If the guards are not fleeing in terror at the sounds and size of those approaching, plan B is to have someone start yelling "Ao Nang, Ao Nang" repeatedly until the guards are inspired to come and take a longtail boat to Ao Nang (the repeated yelling really works).

Cambodia - Street Vendors

No one is more persistent or distracting than the young street vendors in Cambodia. They follow you down the street to try to get you to buy another copy of the same book you have in your hand. And sometimes it works. These children will be an integral component of the Cambodian prison break. Their job is to enter the prison grounds (en masse) selling books, bracelets, snacks, etc. They will overwhelm the guards with their repeated requests of "you buy, you buy?" and they will pepper the guards with questions. I will ride a skateboard type contraption in the middle of the throng. Once properly distracted, I will sneak into the prison and get Sarah. Meanwhile, the kids will play their version of duck, duck, goose and get the guards involved. This should keep them distracted until I am able to rescue Sarah. Once we're at the doors, I will give the signal and the kids will break up the game and come to surround us again so we can escape via the skateboard method.

Vietnam - Domino Decoy

This little jewel was inspired by none other than Ho Chi Minh himself. As we learned at the HCM museum, when Ho and co were plotting their communist plans, they would pretend to play dominoes so the government would believe them to be leisurely gents taking in a bit of social enjoyment as opposed to men planning the demise of French colonial rule and a 30 year war to bring communism to the country. It sounds unlikely, but there is clearly a precedent for success with this plan.

So some helpful Vietnamese people and I set up a table and play dominoes just outside the prison gate. The guards inside the gate come out to tell us to leave. We overtake the guards, tie them up and don their uniforms. We move the domino game inside the prison gate. People inside the prison see that guards are playing dominoes with a bunch of locals. They go out to break up the fun. We overtake these guards, tie them up and don their uniforms. This plan is repeated until everyone in the rescue team has a guard uniform. When that happens, we will go into Sarah's cell, explain that she is wanted for questioning and escort her out. At some point, we might have to start running for it.

There is a lot of over-taking required in this plan and it is possible that the "domino decoy" could fail. Fear not. Plan B has been devised and it is even more complex than the Domino Decoy. I won't go into detail, but know that a gorilla costume, a singing telegram, an ao dai and durian will all be used as weapons of mass distraction.

Nepal - Buddha

This might seem wrong to use the buddha to break someone out of prison, but the assumption is that Sarah has been wrongly imprisoned. So I think buddha would understand. So we'll need to wait for a Buddhist holiday or festival for this prison break. These happen frequently so it shouldn't be a problem. This plan is to dress up in one of the masks seen in monastaries and used in celebrations. I'll wear the disguise and Dambar and Kaka will carry me on a cart through the streets and to the prison. Once in the prison, we'll get Sarah out of the cell and have her put on the mask and costume. I will change into traditional Nepali wear and casually walk out of the prison. Although I'll look a bit odd with my light skin and hair, I will start hocking up snot and spitting it out on the floor and they will be convinced that no westerner could do that and there won't be any problems.

India - Trojan Cow

Since the cow is a revered animal for Hindus and since Buddhists and Seiks can't harm animals per their religious beliefs, we will come up with some sort of "Trojan Cow" plan as yet to be determined, but sure to work.

Seems likely

Trojan Cow

April 26, 2007 - Worst Day Yet

To start our trek, we had to get from Kathmandu to Besishahar by bus. This experience turned out to be a bit of a nightmare. We arrived at the "bus station" and made our way to the back parking lot. We passed several tourist buses and my worst fears were confirmed when we headed straight for the most dilapidated buses I've ever seen sat by itself. The inside was absolutely appalling. Everything was old and filthy and we couldn't even see out the windows because of the scum and dirt coating them. We sat there and the bus somehow found the will to move. As we crawled along, people from the street were jumping on the bus and crowding into the aisles. At the prospect of spending 6 hours like this, I asked Dambar if there were any other options. He sprung into action and arranged for us to jump off the bus and wait on the side of the road for an hour in order to catch another bus. Surprisingly, this option sounded better than our current situation so we did that.

We waited for a short while and then Dambar came back, having found a passenger van we could all ride in for a few hours. It was clean and comfortable and even had shock absorbers. We rolled in luxury for four hours, lulled to sleep by the heat, the lack of air and the hum of the road.

Unfortunately, this joy ended and we had to change vehicles once again for the remaining 2 hours to Besishahar. This time they put us up front with the driver who liked to open his door ever 4-5 minutes to hock a snot ball and spit it out on the road. However, it would have been fine except that the exhaust pipe wsa apparently pointed directly into the vehicle. We were absolutely dying from the fumes. I seriously feared lasting brain damage (tests have been inconclusive).

Rickety transport

Filthy inside

Side of the road

April 27, 2007 - The Trek Begins

We started from Besishahar and walked about 7 hours to Bahundada. It was so different from what I expected. First of all, it was hot! Really hot. When I think of trekking in Nepal, I don't expect to be in shorts and tshirts and sweating buckets. Also, we trekked through many villages. There were many people going about their daily business and you could stop along the way to get a softdrink or a snack if you wanted. I thought we'd be in the middle of nowhere and would only pass by the occasional small village. The views were also unexpected. We passed rolling hills and terraced crop fields and the white water river is constantly rolling along either in sight or sound. Occastionally, we caught a glimpse of one of the towering Himalayan peaks in the distance.

Sometimes villagers will walk alongside us for a while. Many of them are interested in us and give us a "namaste" in greeting. More often, our trail companions are the hard working mules who are carrying goods to the villages. We feel sorry for these little guys because they seem to have such a hard life. But we clamour to the safe side of the trail when we see them coming because they'll just push you over the side if you're in their way. Sweet muffins.

Drawing a map

Beautiful view

Starting strong

April 27, 2007 - Dambar, our Guide

We organized our trek and guide through Snow Leopard Trekking Company. My friend Tim did a trip with them a few years ago and recommended them as well as his guide Dambar. Both Sarah and I second these recommendations so let me know if you'd like their contact info.

Dambar is a joy to be around. He has an effusive personality and a never-ending store of energy. He greets passersby with gusto and always seems to make friends along the way. He was always doing silly things to make us laugh - demonstrating a monk prostrating himself from Tibet to Dharamsala, singing silly songs, doing slap-stick impressions, giving piggyback rides and chasing farm animals.

On top of that, he has an excellent command of the English language and is an expert on Nepal history, geography and culture. He taught us so much Nepali that we delighted villages in every town we passed as we demonstrated our new-found knowledge. We also learned gobs about Nepali culture, tradition, politics and religion.

In addition to all that, he took excellent care of us. We were a tad needy on this trip with several bouts of sickness and exhaustion. He was always there for us, whether to rub our aching muscles, carry heavy things in our bags, get us a room with an attached bathroom, squeeze the puke out of us or catch us before we tumbled down a steep hill. I'm so grateful that we had such a wonderful guide or became a good friend.

Waiting for mules

Tibetan monk crawl

Piggyback ride

Always smiling

Staring at himself

April 27, 2007 - Binod, our Porter

Binod was our porter for this trip. He is Dambar's uncle or "kaka" in Nepali. We thought it was funny that the 26-year old baby of the group was Dambar's uncle so we all called him Kaka for the entire trip and that's also how people came to know him and refer to him while we hiked.

Binod is a sweet and thoughtful person. He doesn't speak fluent English, but enough to get by. We had so much fun with him and were glad that he and Dambar had each other, just like Sarah and I had each other.

Strong porter

Loving the iPod

Friend to all

April 27, 2007 - Divination

When we were in Kathmandu, I found a book on Astrology and Divination. I think this is really interesting and couldn't resist the feeling of being a Hogwarts student, so I picked up the book for a bit of fun.

I am a rat (1972) and Sarah is a dog (1970) and our compatability chart (in the book) reads, "A good team. The rat's control and the dog's loyalty make a good combination, although they both like to talk a lot so the relationship could be a noisy one." So perfectly true!

We had a lot of fun reading our palms but didn't anticipate how much the guides would enjoy reading their own palms. They gathered around the book and had a great time looking at what everything means. We are all infinitely fascinated in ourselves.

Palmistry

Guides get into it

April 28, 2007 - Trail of Poo

Our second day of trekking started out fine. We were all in good spirits and only had 150 meters elevation gain for our 6 hour trek. We had our usual dahl baht for lunch (this is what the guides and porters eat for every lunch and dinner meal during the entire trek). When we started walking again, I could tell that something was not right. Both Sarah and I were really gassy and my stomach was cramping up. I feared the worst and the worst arrived.

As I was clutching my aching belly and telling Dambar about the predicament, I looked over and Sarah had "crazy eyes" and was frantically mouthing words of urgency to me. I hussled Dambar out of sight and Sarah ran up the hill for a round of poopers. We started walking up the hill again and my stomach was hurting terribly. So I tore up the hillside as Sarah stood lookout for me. As I'm squatting, she is all of a sudden overcome and raced further uphill for another round of poopers.

We moaned and groaned the remaining hour and a half and then blessedly arrived at the guesthouse where poopers-a-plenty happened the rest of the evening. I guess it was something we ate.

April 30, 2007 - Prayer Wheels

Most villages have prayer wheels placed at the gates of the village. These are Buddhist prayer wheels that people spin and chant "Om Mani Padme Hum" as they pass through the gates. Every time we pass (always keeping them on our right side because that's where Buddha sits), I say a little prayer for my friends and family. I know that some friends are hoping for specific things to come about in their lives and I'm putting our requests that they all receive those wishes. I also say a little prayer for Sarah and me because there are things we're hoping for as well. Since Annapurna is the spiritual energy center of the planet, I woldn't be surprised if all these good wishes come true.

Saying a prayer

Om Mani Padme Hum

Prayer tower

April 30, 2007 - Stand Up, Be Proud...

shout your name out loud, we are Americans! Sarah and I were a little worried about being American and traveling around the world right now. W and his attempts to democratize the world and preach family values to the masses is giving the rest of us a bad name. However, we actually haven't had any difficulty at all - mostly peole making comments that we agree with whole heartedly.

But we were surprised by the warm reception we've gotten in Nepal, simply for being American. The Nepali people think so highly of Americans and the opportunities our country affords us. But also, the people we meet on the trail seem to think well of us also. Lots of "American beauty" comments but also praise of the forward-thinking and amazing opportunities that Americans have. One Austrian said it best, "We love your people, hate your government." I can live with that.

It's all good

May 1, 2007 - Tibetan Tea

We visited a monastery on our way out of Chame. Many villagers were there preparing for the next day's celebration of Buddha Day. When we walked through the gate, a woman offered us cups of Tibetan tea. We gladly accepted and then had to keep ourselves from spitting it back out. It was very salty and Sarah most accurately described it as tasting like dough. Salty dough. We got down as much as possible, which wasn't very much. Dambar finished off mine and then Sarah's (in addition to his own) so as to not be rude. We then went in and looked around the monastery for a bit. About 5 minutes after we started out, Dambar said he had to pull off the trail to go to the bathroom. We joked that he had to make Tibetan tea and, from that point forward, we used the euphemism every time we had to pee.

Making tea

May 1, 2007 - A Banner Day

While we were walking, I asked Dambar about the snot spitting that is so common in Nepal. Our stomaches turn every time someone hocks up a bunch of snot and spits. They do it so frequently and don't seem bothered by it so I wanted to know from Dambar what it was about. He told us it's just a bad habit they have developed and it's not only offensive to tourists but to other Nepalese as well. As he was offering the explanation, unbidden from me, came snot from my lungs and I had to spit. I coughed it up from deep within and then panic-stricken asked Sarah what I should do with the snot in my mouth. She hurriedly gave me permission to spit it out and the rest is history. I am disgusting.

But it doesn't end there. Nope. As we walked along, I was feeling really gassy and kept burping and passing gas as we went along. Not very ladylike, but it's not good to keep that stuff in. Soon enough, I had to dash off the trail repeatedly for desperate bouts of poopers. It just didn't stop. Later that night, I was crying in our room as Dambar held a bucket for me and tried to squeeze the puke out of me (I'm not kidding).

Sarah called this a banner day for me - spitting, burping, farting, peeing, poopers and nearly vomiting all the way from Chame to Pisang. What have I become?

Before the storm

Full of air

May 2, 2007 - Buddha Day

Buddhism and Hinduism are the two main religions in Nepal. Some Nepalese follow one or the other, but it is also common to combine the two together and follow some amalgamation of them. Many Himalayan villages have prayer wheels set up as you walk through the town gate. Villagers take their religion very seriously and spin the wheels every time they pass and chant Om Mani Padme Hum as they meditate on their porches.

On Buddha Day, we visited a monastery in Braka (near Manang) to witness the ceremony. Lamas were chanting and presenting offerings at the altar. Villagers sat on the floor and prayed and also gave offerings to the Buddha. It was nice to see local customs and the celebration for something that they didn't teach us about in Catholic school (funny that).

Wanting to learn about Buddhism while we are here, I bought a book in Kathmandu about the religion and learned quite a bit during the trek. In addition, Dambar has a lot of knowledge about Buddhism and Hinduism and shared this information with me as we went along. This will be a great foundation of knowledge for our trip to Dharamsala India where I'll learn even more about this interesting religion.

Guatama Buddha

Religious ceremony

May 2, 2007 - Harry Potter

With a new Harry Potter book coming out in July, Sarah and I decided to get the last book (Half Blood Prince) and reread it while on our trek. But we added a little twist - we read it aloud in British accents. It was quite fun! We took turns reading to each other and our accents got quite good. It's such a great story and the make-believe quality of the book was so welcome after a long day of trekking. It was jolly good fun - especially when accompanied by a cup of tea and biscuits.

Great story

Perfecting the accent

Snuggled up

May 3, 2007 - Speaking Nepali

We started learning to speak Nepali as soon as we began our trek. Dambar taught us so many useful words and phrases and always acted like a proud papa when we were able to understand and speak in his language. It was so fun to learn this new language and even more fun to see the surprise and joy on villagers faces when we were able to speak with them in their own language.

Here are a few of the things we learned:

• Namaste (Hello/Goodbye)
• Dunnaybad (Thank you)
• Hajur (Yes)
• Chhaina (No, nothing)
• Tapai lai kasto chha? (How are you?)
• Malai sanchai chha. (I'm fine.)
• Tapai ko nam kay ho? (What is your name?)
• Miro nam Leslie ho. (My name is Leslie.)
• Tapai kati barsho bayo? (How old are you?)
• Ma chautis barsho bayo. (I am 34 years old.)
• Suba ratri (Good night)
• Suba prabhat (Good morning)
• Malai garmi bhayo. (I am hot.)
• Maiai jaro bhayo. (I am cold.)
• Malai takai lagyo. (I am tired.)
• Malai bhok lagyo. (I am hungry.)
• Pheri betaula. (See you later.)
• Hambro charpi ka ha ho? (Where is the toilet?)
• Bistarde (slowly)
• Ramro (good)

May 3, 2007 - 12,000 Feet and Matt Dillon

We stayed in Manang (elevation 12,000 feet) and extra day so we could acclimate to the altitude. We hung out and read our books, did some laundry and had chocolate danish and hot cocoa. Acclimatization is fun!

We also ventured out on a hike up to a monastery high up on a hill so we could get another 1000 feet under our belts. the lama and his wife blessed us and gave us good luck necklaces so we would cross the Pass without trouble.

Sarah and I had another night of crazy dreams. When we woke the next morning and shared the stories, we were amazed to learn that Matt Dillon was in both our dreams! Too crazy. I know Sarah and I are close, but this is getting ridiculous. Just so you know, in my dream, I was trying to get Matt Dillon and Nicole Kidman to go out with each other. In Sarah's dream, Reese Witherspoon and Matt were trying o adopt a baby. The only explanation we could come up with is that we saw a Matt Dillon poster (think The Outsiders) in one of the cafes several days earlier. That and maybe a bit too much Us Magazine reading on the flight to Kathmandu. Or more likely, we'd gone mad from the elevation.

Laundry day

Up at the monastery

Matt Dillon

May 3, 2007 - Full of Yi

I have been reading a book about Chinese medicine and have learned all sorts of fascinating things. The Chinese word "yi" indicates intention, willpower, determination or awareness of the possibilities that are open to us to make changes in our lives. That's really what this trip is for us. We have ventured out into the world with the intention of learning about it as well as learning about ourselves and opening ourselves up for change in our lives. We already feel that significant changes have taken place in our minds regarding careers, marriage, children and much more. We are so full of yi at this moment and are sending out many prayers that the changes we hope for will come about.

Brimming with yi

May 4, 2007 - And The Economist Too!

We met two men from Northern California on the trail and took to them immediately. Ted and Bob came to our rescue in so many ways. First of all, they gave us excellent guidance on our itinerary for India. By that I mean that they planned that part of our trip for us. This is quite a blessing because we clearly don't have time for trip planning while we're on our trip. Not only did they plan our itinerary, but they also gave us good beta on some of the culture-shock issues that could come up (constant staring, filth, squatty potties, groping, etc). This preparation will go a long way in helping us deal with any adversities that might arise. It's better to be prepared. What's more, they convinced us to do a 10-day silent meditation while in India. This is something I've been very interested in doing and now have the courage to give it a try.

They also gave us a 2GB memory card for our camera at a very low price (more pictures for you to look at!). In addition, as I was experiencing some problems breathing at 12,000 feet, they gave us good advice on how to acclimate and proceed up the mountain more easily. They also gave us a supply of Diomox for emergency altitude sickness and Grapefruit Seed Extract for belly distress.

On top of all this, the icing on the cake was when they handed over the last two issues of The Economist. I swear to you that a tear came close to breaking the surface at this point. All needs and desires had been fulfilled.

It's so amazing when special people come into your life and shine their light on you at just the right moment to help you achieve your goals.

May 4, 2007 - Srivasta Tattoo

I have wanted to get a tattoo for years now but have never come across any symbol that was meaningful enough for me to permanently display on my body. I had hoped that something would come up while we were on this trip so that I'd have a meaningful symbol as well as a constant reminder of this amazing adventure. Alas, it has happened. I've found the perfect symbol - the endless knot. This beautiful design symbolizes never-ending compassion - a goal we all strive for - and has no end and no breaks. It is constant and unbreakable and something to remind one of higher goals as well as look beautiful. I won't want to get a tattoo in Nepal, India, Turkey or Morocco so it looks like I'll have to wait til Italy or Spain to get inked.

Coming soon

May 5, 2007 - A Bit of a Failure

After a terrible night of laying in bed wide awake and having difficulty breathing (4,000 meters in Yak Kharka), I decided it would be best for me to stay another day at our current altitude and do an acclimatization hike in hopes of getting my body to perform better at elevation. Sarah and Dambar agreed that this was a good idea and we set about doing our laundry and going up 500 meters to acclimate.

Okay - I know I did the right thing. I wouldn't have done well on the hike up to base camp and I sure wouldn't have been able to breathe or sleep when we got there. But still... I felt like a bit of a failure. All our new friends were heading out as planned and it was sad to be separated from them. Plus, I'm so achievement oriented that it's very difficult to delay the plan set for reaching the goal. I'm letting it go because I did the right thing and I wouldn't have made it otherwise. Besides, this is a good lesson for me to be okay with not being perfect. I can't believe I haven't learned that by now. Clearly a work in progress.

Checking altimeters

Gorgeous view

Acclimating

Yak in Yak Kharka

May 6, 2007 - Power of Two

Right before we left town, Kirsten scored some tickets to an Indigo Girls concert at the Warfield and she, Karl, Sarah and I went to enjoy the sounds. From that moment, their song "Power of Two" has been the theme for our trip. This trip is so much better because we have each other to share it with. When one of us is weak, the other is always strong. We know we can handle any situation together. Such a blessing.

This is good practice for us too. We would both like to settle down when we get home and this is like a learning experience to prepare us for this eventual relationships. All is takes is complete trust and full commitment. You have to truly believe that the other person loves you and wouldn't intentionally hurt you and you have to stand beside each other through thick and thin. It's easy to let little things go when you have a foundation built on those two things.

The chorus, which I love:

So we're okay, we're fine... Baby I'm here to stop your cryin'... Chase all the ghosts from your head... I'm stronger than the monster beneath your bed... I'm smarter than the tricks played on your heart... We'll look at them together then we'll take 'em apart... Adding up a total of a love that's true... Multiply life by the power of two.

Fully committed

May 7, 2007 - Summit Day - 17,700 Feet

We woke up this morning at 4am to find that it had snowed all night long (pretty rare for this time of year). We decided to begin hiking up the first 300 meters to see if it would stop snowing and to assess the possibility of successfully crossing Thorong Pass.

We got started around 5:30am (why did it take an hour and a half to get ready?!) and our new friends Chris and Amrei joined us for the big day. I felt really good, having acclimated nicely by doing an acclimatization hike the previous day. Sarah wasn't feeling so great but felt that she could make it to the top.

The scenery was gorgeous and we had clear skies for much of the journey. We made good time and gained 1000 meters in 5 hours, despite having to "make Tibetan tea" about 10 times. We stopped at the top for some photos and some hot tea and then started the long, long way down the mountain. It took us another 5 hours (and another 10 Tibetan tea stops) to get from Thorong Pass to Muktinath - the first village after the pass. We were all exhausted from the long day and arduous 1000 meter uphilll followed by the knee-killing 1600 meter downhill.

Just like the short trek we did in New Zealand, this trek has also created many friendships for us. We meet people along the way or in the guest house and become fast friends. We so quickly become part of one another's lives and on big days like today, we bond together to help each other through the difficult parts. It's really special.

Team Snow Leopard

When we began

Amazing

Snowy trail

Success!

May 7, 2007 - The Body, The Mind

Ten hours of hiking at high altitude takes a lot out of you. Physically, it is distressing. First off, you go straight up for hours on end and you're barely able to get enough oxygen to keep from passing out and every muscle in your body (particularly your legs) is screaming and begging for mercy. Then you start going down, straight down. The trail is either slick with snow or ice or skree and every step is an adventure in "Let's Fall off the Mountain". Add to that the fact that your (nearly) 35 year old knees are aching and protesting and barely holding you upright and you start to feel that the odds are stacked against you. However, this is mostly a silent distress. No sense in complaining about it to the people you are with since they're going through the same thing you are. Might as well act like nothing's wrong and keep plugging along.

And that brings us to the mental impact. This really catches your attention. You feel so vulnerable and all your emotions are riding on the surface. Sometimes you feel like crying, sometimes laughing, sometimes laughing hysterically. You get upset (really upset) if your friend gets more than 50 meters ahead of you. You worry about how difficult it will be to get your gloves out of your bag or take your jacket off. You fear having to go pee yet again.

But mostly, it's just empty mind space. One foot in front of the other... like a walking meditation. It's very quiet. You're exerting too much effort to have a conversation and your mind is fairly blank. It's basically an all out effort to stay focused and get up, then down the mountain. Fleeting thoughts come from time to time, but this is no time for day dreaming or solving the world's problems. It's a time to stay present in the moment.

Doing that summit hike was an incredibly difficult thing, but I never questioned why I wanted to do it. That was always clear to me. I love pushing myself to my boundaries and beyond and seeing how I handle it and who I become as a result. I also love being out in nature surrounded by breathtaking scenery and overcoming hardships to accomplish something.

May 7, 2007 - Natty Dreadlock

On our approach to Thorong-La Pass, we weren't staying in places with warm showers. This luxury is actually more common than you might expect, thanks to the use of solar panels. Most guest houses have a panel or two to heat up water and power some small things. However, no luck in getting a warm shower for several days and it was far too cold to take a cold shower. Therefore, we were dirty. Really dirty. All the sweat, dirt and pee just kept layering upon itself. And my hair, which had been in a ponytail for several days, truly looked like a single dreadlock. The strange thing is that I really didn't care that much. I was concentrating all my effort on getting up and over that 18,000 foot mountain pass. However, once down from the mountain, the first thing I did was check to see if there was any hot water. There was! And not just warm water, but really hot water. How glorious to stand under the tap and wash away the filth. A wonderful reward for our hard work.

May 8, 2007 - Nothing Left to Give

After such a difficult, effortful summit day, I woke up today feeling absolutely drained. It was hard to get out of bed and even though we had breakfast with a large group of our summit friends, I didn't really feel like socializing with anyone. I was also not looking forward to the 7 hour hike in front of us for the day.

As we were walking down the hill out of Muktinath towards Jomson, I promptly started crying. Not just a tear or tow mind you, but body-shaking sobs. Dambar and Sarah took turns hugging me and we kept walking as I kept crying. Pretty soon Sarah got in on the action and it was one big cry-fest. It passed eventually, but it was really interesting. The previous day was so strenuous, physically and emotionally, and we had to stay strong the entire day because bad things can happen at 18,000 feet if you lose your head. But today was like a release of all those pent up emotions. They came unbidden but I felt better afterwards. As Dambar said, "Crying is good and healthy and cleanses your body of negative energy and adds years on to your life... but please stop now." :-)

May 8, 2007 - Himalayan Winds

Today was supposed to be a fairly moderate trek across nearly flat terrain - plus a little wind. A little wind my ass. We walked along comfortably for the first 2 hours, chatting and dreaming. We turned a corner and got hit with a powerful blast of wind. We ran back around the corner and donned our windproof jackets and then proceeded to fight this wind for the next 4 hours.

This wind was relentless and powerful. We had to learn forwards to stay upright and it felt as though we would be picked up and swept away at any moment. What's more, we were crossing a dried up stream bed which was basically like crossing a desert. It was grueling effort to take a step and was almost as difficult as the previous day's summit bid. Conversation was impossible with the howling and my mind was all over the place. It brought back to mind the quote from a book I'm reading (The Alchemist) that reads, "The desert, with it's endless monotony, put him to dreaming."

I pondered past successes and failures, the frailty of cairns, how difficult it is to get something out of your backpack and why they don't make more accessible pockets up front, Tiny Her curled up to her favorite boy at this exact moment, whether it's too soon to eat a Snickers bar, why Buddhist prayer flags come in 5 colors, whether it's odd to have to go pee again, whether it's possible for any government to function without corruption, how great it would be to eat biscuits and gravy, how old it sounds to have bursitis and whether it's really possible that bones rubbing together isn't harmful, singing the same song over and over again in my head (Power of Two), how great it would be to cook my own meals for a change (gasp!), etc.

We ended up stopping early in another town because we were exhausted. But Dambar says that we'll have 2 more days of this wind. Maybe I'll break out the iPod for a change of tunery.

Wind blows

Wind bandits

Desert trek

May 9, 2007 - So... Where's the Compassion?

Most Nepali people practice Buddhism or some combination of Buddhism and Hinduism. The overriding principle in Buddhism is compassion for all sentient beings. We must have a very different definition of what a sentient being is because the Nepali people are absolutely cruel to their animals. My heart broke over and over again as we were witness to more and more cruelty every day.

They load the mules down with really heavy loads and whip them, smack their faces and throw rocks at them to keep them moving. They also don't give them enough to eat - just a tiny bag of feed each night - and they wear metal cages around their snouts to keep them from eating along the trail. They also chop the beaks off hens, keep goats on such short leashes that they can't graze and shut sheep up in tiny cages.

I don't understand why people treat animals so horribly. I suppose it's mostly ignorance - thinking that the only way to control animals is through fear. I realize this happens everywhere and that in our own country, people control other people through abuse and fear. Even our government uses these tactics to control people. It's just really unfortunate and very difficult to have to witness it every day.

Caged

Loaded down

Short leash

May 10, 2007 - 35th Birthday

Another long day of trekking brought much reflection on my life as I turned 35. That sounds like such an old age but, despite being really tired from 2 weeks of difficult trekking, I don't feel old at all. When Dambar asked, "Why you look so young?" my answer was that it's because I'm happy. And that's true. Being happy and relaxed takes years off your face and body.

So 35 is pretty much middle-aged. The first part of my life has been filled with so much learning and striving and growing and changing. Now I've got so many years in front of me and I feel really good about my future and all the possibilities that lay ahead. I suspect there will still be lots of learning and change is inevitable, but I also suspect that there will be more calm and less chaos. Part of that will be due to this trip and having time to reflect and to dream and to be an adventurer in the ways that bring me happiness.

Sarah didn't let my birthday pass without celebration. She got the boys involved and presents were given, songs were sung, candles were blown out and cake was eaten. But as always, it was her words that truly touched my heart. Telling me all the things she loves about me and reiterating how lucky we are to be on this amazing adventure together - hand in hand, heart in heart. I can think of no better way to spend a birthday - in the land of enlightenment, climbing mountains and in the company of a friend for life.

Kirsten also didn't let me birthday pass without celebration. She rallied all the troops back home and got people to flood my email box with birthday wishes. When I got down from the mountain and saw all of the good wishes from friends and family, I was so excited and felt so loved. Thanks to everyone for making me feel so special. :-)

35 years old

Card from Sarah

Boys bake a cake

Making a wish

Singing a song

May 11, 2007 - Team Snow Leopard

When we were in Kathmandu, we passed several t-shirt making shops. Sarah thought it would be fun to have "team" t-shirts made for our hike and I thought that was a brilliant idea. So we put our heads together and came up with a design. Oddly enough, many of the slogans were inspired by an Aussie we met in Chiang Mai. But they make us laugh and seem appropriate.

"Team Snow Leopard" cam from our trekking company (Snow Leopard Treks) and we found a cool photo of a snow leopard online.

"Attaining Reiki Level 15" is a joke because there are only 3 levels of reiki that one can achieve. But it's also hopeful because we'd like to achieve the balance and centeredness that comes from reiki.

"Expedition 2012" is also a joke. We heard that a cultish sect believes that the world is going to flip upside down in the year 2012 (Gregorian) and the only safe place to be is in Nepal. We're on an expedition to stake out a good place to set up camp.

"High Altitude Chakra Spinning" is that search for balance and well-being - potentially induced by the high altitude.

It was fun to wear the shirts and it made us laugh. Costumes play a big role in our lives so we couldn't miss out on having team shirts to wear on this trek.

On summit day

Good team

May 11, 2007 - In Cold Blood

Since crossing the pass, we broken out the iPod to listen to some music and get a bit of entertainment as we walked for hours and hours over somewhat uninspiring terrain. I was really excited to find that there was still an audiobook on my iPod that I hadn't listened to. Sarah and I took turns listening to it and were grateful for the distraction as we had several long days of going uphill for hours, sometimes in the rain.

Although the title sounds gruesome, this Truman Capote novel is a masterpiece in storytelling.This novel is about an actual crime that took place in Kansas in the 1950s. Apparently, Capote became obsessed with the story and did an immense amount of research before writing about it. He has an amazing way of taking the emotion out of such horrific acts of violence. Not once did I feel scared as I was listening to the book. I think it was because of the incredible detail and background information Capote provides - you become wrapped up in small things and don't get overcome with emotions. It's so unusual for an author to take that path. Typically, writers use emotion to make the story real for readers. It was interesting to read (listen to) such a different style of writing.

In Cold Blood

May 12, 2007 - Not Gonna Make It

Maybe only Anke, Ryan and Tim remember my melodramatic exclamation of "I'm not gonna make it" when we were on our way home from Smitty's one night in the sub-arctic climate of Sausalito. I had to pull the phrase out again, but in slightly different circumstances.

Since climbing up and over Thorong Pass, I haven't been able to recover. I did fine that day, but have been absolutely exhausted ever since. We really should have taken a rest day in order to recover a bit, but we had a schedule and thought we should press on. But today, my body shut down. I was fine the first 2 hours, but soon enough, I was unable to continue. It didn't help that we had over 5 hours more hiking in front of us and that it was all uphill with a total elevation gain of 1700 meters. But regardless, my body gave out. I literally didn't think I was going to make it to our destination.

I felt like such a failure. I started crying out of disappointment in myself and desperation in not knowing how to make it stop. Dambar took lots of heavy things from my pack and carried them for me. Sarah made me some electrolyte water and promised to find some protein for lunch. With all that help, I actually did make it to our destination, but it was a brutal battle the entire time. In fact, everyone struggled with the weight of "a man down" and we all agreed to take a much need rest day in Ghorepani. It's amazing how "not gonna make it" has changed from a chilly 2 block walk home from a bar in Saus to a 7.5 hour hike in Nepal uphill for 1700 meters and the last 2 hours in freezing rain. I've grown.

May 13, 2007 - Finally, A Day of Rest

Since beginning our trek 17 days ago, we have not had a day when we weren't trekking. As a result, we are exhausted, both physically and mentally. We got 11 hours of sleep last night and woke up feeling refreshed. We took hot showers and ate gobs of protein. We sat outside and enjoyed the sunshine and the view. We read and wrote in our journals and chatted the day away. Dr. Dambar helped work out some strained muscles and then went off for endless rounds of pool with Kaka. We remapped our trip and it looks like we can still make it to the Sanctuary within our remaining time. It was so fantastic to just stop and be still for an entire day. I wish we would have planned for more of these along the way.

Great view

Medical attention

May 13, 2007 - Tale of a Topee

When we were in New Zealand (4 months ago), we went into a yarn store in Arrowtown and found some really cool yarn. Sarah got some and said she was going to make me a hat. You can imagine my surprise when she chose pink yarn as it was only a year ago that she put her foot down and said she wouldn't climb with me if I wore pink pants. Sarah has clearly grown since beginning this trip. ;-)

She started working on it when we were in Australia but then it got really hot when we hit Thailand and was just not comfortable to be knitting a wool hat. So it wasn't til Nepal that Sarah picked it up again. She was rolling right along with it during our trek. She thought it looked a little big, so she had me try it on. Sure enough, it looked like I was wearing a bucket over my head. So she ripped it all out and started again. Two weeks later, the hat was finished! What a gal that Sarah is :-) The Nepali word for hat is topee so that is what this hat will forever be to referred as.

A little big

Topee knitter

Topee with tassles

May 13, 2007 - Snickers Evangelist

Over the past few days, we have rediscovered the delights of the Snickers bar. I always knew that Snickers really satisfies, but I didn't realize that it also restored your will to live. It is pure goodness with a bit of salt, a bit of sweet, and a whopping 5 grams of protein. That's more protein than we get from lunch and dinner combined! Each bite is pure delight and, in these days of suffering and deprivation, a ray of hope.

Snickers lover

Evidence

May 13, 2007 - What's Real Will Wait

I'm reading The Alchemist right now and have taken so much from it. Something that stands out for me in this moment is the following

"Don't worry about what you left behind. If what you found is made of pure matter, it will never spoil and you can always go back to it. If what you found was only a moment of light, like the explosion of a star, you will find nothing upon your return."

Doing this trip was difficult. We left jobs, friends, relationships, lifestyles and pets. But in our hearts, we knew that everything that is real and meaningful will still be there for us when we return. It's nice to see that thought echoed in print halfway through our journey.

May 14, 2007 - Poor Trail Planning

We felt so much better after resting for a day that we decided to trek for 8 hours today so we could make it all the way to Chhomrung. If we had known that it would be up and down steep hills all day, we probably wouldn't have done it all in one day. LIterally, we would go straight up for 100 meters and then straight back down for 100 meters, and then repeat for 8 hours. Where's the sense in that?! It's really unfortunate because it's so much unnecessary effort and very hard on the body.

Offending objects

Sarah gathers strength

Huffing and puffing

May 14, 2007 - Tortoises and Hares

Now that we're hiking up and down steep hills, our hiking style is much different than Dambar and Kaka's style. They like to go really fast and then rest every 15-20 minutes or so. We prefer to go at a slow, steady pace and not take any rests. We are literally the Tortoise and the Hare in action. We leap frog each other all day long and every time we come across the boys resting, they call out with pleas of "bas nus" (sit please) and then we explain, time and time again, that resting makes it more difficult for us to get going again.

One day we passed by them and got up to fence that you had to climb up and over. When we got over the fence, it was deep enough to be a hiding place. So I told Sarah to hide with me so we could scare the boys. I heard them coming and when they got close enough, we jumped up out of the abyss and scared the bejeezus out of them! It was awesome! It looked like Dambar might pee himself and Kaka was so thrown off-guard that I thought he might keel over under the weight of our bags. It was hilarious! I'm not one for scaring people, but this was such a perfectly executed surprise attack that it's difficult not to be pleased. :-)

Tortoise and Hare

Hares at rest

May 14, 2007 - Ressham Firiri

On our very first day of trekking, we asked Dambar to teach us a Nepali song that we could sing as we walked. He taught us the popular trekking song called Ressham Firiri. The song is a simple folk song about love and has a very catchy tune. So catchy in fact that we had to beg Dambar not to sing it anymore because it would get stuck in our heads and replay itself over and over. However, tonight it all paid off!

We walked down the steps to the next guesthouse to see a local song and dance program. They pulled us up to dance for the crowd and as a finale, sang Ressham Firiri to us. We proudly joined in the singing, much to their surprise and delight. It was great!

"Ressham Firiri, Ressham Firiri, Urera jauki, daramaa bhanjyang, Ressham Firiri"

"Ek nale banduk, dui nale banduk, Mir galai takeko, Mirgalai maile takeka hoino, Ma yalai dakeko"

May 15, 2007 - The Alchemist

For my Annapurna journey, I brought along a lovely and enchanting book written by Paulo Coelho called The Alchemist. This book has been around for about 10 years and has made the rounds through many book groups during the past few years. However, I'm so glad that I didn't pick it up until this journey around the world and specifically during our trek through Nepal. It is a sweet story about having the courage to pursue your dreams and listen to your heart. Here are some of the key ideas/quotes that either rang true for me or gave me inspiration:

"Your Personal Legend is what you've always wanted to accomplish. When you are young, everything is clear and possible. You are not afraid to dream and to yearn for everything you would like to see happen in your life. But as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince you that it will be impossible for you to achieve your Personal Legend."

"When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it."

"I don't live in either my past or my future. I am interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you'll be a happy man. Life will be a party for years, a grand festival, because life is the moment we're living right now."

Great book

May 15, 2007 - Mind Games

Dambar gave us some fun puzzles to work out as we passed time in Bamboo. I never remember these things, so I took photos. I know at least one person (Kirsten) who will love puzzling them out. Enjoy!

Remove and replace 3 sticks and have the fish face the opposite direction.

Use the extra 3 sticks to make a total of 4 triangles all the same size.

Remove and replace 2 sticks to get the trash out of the shovel.

Remove and replace 4 sticks to make only 3 boxes of same size as existing boxes.

Remove and replace 2 matches to make 4 boxes of same size as existing boxes.

May 16, 2007 - Carrom Board

We came across this popular Nepali game in Tukuche and had the boys teach us to play. It's very much like pool in that you're trying to get the carroms in the corner pockets. It's quite fun and now I look for it in every town we pass through. We're going to buy carroms in Kathmandu and build our own game board when we get home.

Intense concentration

Assuming the position

May 16, 2007 - Good Vibrations

Have you ever gone somewhere and been able to feel the positive energy vibrating in that place? I have felt that intense energy in one place - Yosemite Valley. No matter how many times I go, I always feel overwhelming joy and well-being when I get into the valley. There is some powerful energy field there. (Yes, I know this sounds really new-agey.)

I have felt it again. Today as we hiked closer to the Annapurna Sanctuary, I felt the good vibrations surrounding this special place. It's an amazing feeling. I spent the entire day with a big smile on my face and a buoyancy in my step as we hiked from Bamboo to Deuralli. We are just 5 hours from reaching Annapurna Base Camp and the Sanctuary and I'm sure that these vibrations will intensify as we get closer.

Feeling happy

Scenery

May 16, 2007 - Fatty Cakes Diary

Before we started this trip, Sarah and I were both closeted sugar fiends. It has been a delight to have a partner in crime as we make our way around the world looking for sweet treats. We are fairly obsessive about our quest for "fatty cakes" and have found plenty of treats along the way the fill our needs. Here is a diary of our fatty cakes consumption in each country:

• Mexico: pancakes, chocolate cake
• New Zealand: muffins, cake, cappuccino, tim tams, cheds
• Australia: muffins, croissants, cappuccino
• Thailand: oreos, sour mentos, fanta, thai iced tea
• Cambodia: oreos
• Vietnam: oreos
• Northern Thailand: oreos, pancakes
• Nepal: snickers, french toast

As you can see, we are keeping ourselves busy and are most certainly not losing any weight along the way. You may guffaw at some of our choices, but you never know what you're going to become addicted to and these are all a damn sight better than those Tootsie Rolls I used to feast on at Genentech.

May 17, 2007 - Annapurna Sanctuary

Against all odds and elements, after 21 days of trekking, we have reached Annapurna Base Camp and now have front row seats in the much revered Annapurna Sanctuary. ABC sits at 4130 meters and provides a 360 degree view of some of the worlds tallest peaks.

It rained all through the night but quit shortly before sunrise. Sarah and I got up around that time and went out to see if the clouds would clear. Around 6am, we had a good view with Annapurna South (7219m) directly in front of us, Annapurna I (8091m) to our right and Annapurna III (7575m), Annapurna IV (7535m) and Machhapuchre (6998m) behind us.

It was really beautiful to see all of this reveal itself from behind the fog as the sun rose burned off all the fog. I sat watching and saying little prayers for people and Sarah did a quick sketch. Within about 15 minutes, it was all veiled in fog again. The views from the Sanctuary are lovely, but definitely elusive. You have to hike for days to get there and are then only allowed a few minutes to see the beauty before nature pulls her curtains again. Both Sarah and I agreed that it was worth our effort.

Annapurna I

Sarah sketches

Reflecting

Flags and mountain

May 17, 2007 - Maybe a Little Competitive Still

I have always been very competitive and frankly, a sore loser. About 7 years ago, Tim intervened and told me I needed to make some changes. This rare rebuke came when we were visiting my family for the holidays and I was playing Sorry with my 6 year old niece. I got seriously angry when I lost a child's game to a 6 year old. Sad.

Since then, I've gotten a bit better, but it still hurts my heart when I lose. I just show it less. Well... my devil reared its ugly head again here in the spiritual center of the planet. We have taken to playing Rummy to pass the long nights. After 3 bad hands in a row, Sarah went out unexpectedly - leaving me with 2 aces. My immediate reaction was to accuse her of holding cards (basically calling her a cheater). Ridiculous.

I apologized right away for being such an idiot and we all laughed at what an ass I am. It seems I still have to work on this one a bit. :)

Friendly competition

May 19, 2007 - Tuna Noodle Casserole

The only way to get protein on the circuit is through eggs and tuna. We've eaten a lot of eggs and tuna. We're pretty tired of eating the same thing over and over. However, we were treated to a little bit of Midwest comfort food in Chhomrung. They had cream of mushroom soup on their menu so we mixed that with fried macaroni and tuna. It was delicious. Tuna noodle casserole was one of my mom's specialties. It was great to get a taste of the good old days so far from home.

May 19, 2007 - Changing Scenery

I had no idea what to expect when we started this trek. We did an appallingly small amount of research (none) before we began and therefore, everything was a surprise. The Annapurna Circuit combined with the Annapurna Sanctuary totals over 200 miles of trekking and immense elevation changes from one day to the next. We pass through so many micro-climates as we went that it felt like we went trekking through many different countries.

We went through green terraced lands, numerous villages, pine forests, desert, dried river beds, raging waters, bamboo forests, rainforest, himalayan peaks and even a glacier. Some days we would walk in sweltering heat (feeling the dahl baht cooking inside us), sometimes we had to pack on layer after layer of clothing just to stay warm, sometimes we had to wear our bandanas as masks because the wind was ferociously blowing dirt and sand in our faces, sometimes we would be so sweaty and moist from humidity that it felt like we were drenched from rain, sometimes we couldn't see more than 20 feet in front of us because the fog was so thick... and sometimes it was just right.

Green terraces

Snow

Mountain views

Desert

May 19, 2007 - Monsoon Season Comes Early

We knew we were cutting it close, but hoped that global warming would be on our side and keep the rains at bay until the end of our trek. But no luck. The rains arrived about four days ago and we've ben drenched ever since. OUr so-called "waterproof" gear is useless under these rains.

Today we hiked the final 15 minutes of stairs to Landruk and we had to walk through an actual waterfall. Water was pouring down the stairs in a large current and there was no stepping around the oncoming water. All one could do was just walk through the river and falls and hopefully not slip on the stone steps underneath.

It was kind of a bummer, but what can you do. I channeled my youthful self that loved to go outside and play in the rain and that made it much more fun. My only regret is that I've gotten that Eurythmics song firmly stuck in my head with no hope of reprieve... "Here comes the rain again, falling on my head like a memory..."

Here comes the rain

Wet girl

All signs point to rain

May 19, 2007 - Ready to be Done

As of today, we have been trekking for 23 days. Tomorrow is our last day and we are both ready to be done. This has been an amazing experience, but we are tired. Our bodies are exhausted. Only rest day on a 24 day trek is not enough. We are ready to stop walking.

It is going to be so wonderful to have all our filthy, mildewy clothes washed and to take off these ever-present backpacks. It's going to be glorious to get a massage and a facial and to eat different types of food (we've already promised ourselves a bottle of wine to celebrate our accomplishment). But most of all, it's going to be so wonderful to email people back home. We've been disconnected for so long now and we miss our friends very much. We plan to call people for the first time since we began our trip 5 months ago.

It's good to disconnect for a while and have time and space to think and meditate. But it's even better to come back and re-establish those cherished connections.

May 20, 2007 - Animal Lovers

Sarah and I are big-time animal lovers. You might know this about us based on our love for our cats. But this love is spread far and wide to many animals. We always greeted the cows and mules and yaks and horses with a namaste. Sometimes they would respond in kind, but more often they were too shy and moved along down the road.

But a special favorite of our on this trip has been the goats. They are absolutely phenomenal creatures. They have sweet little voices and have a lot to say. They run and play with each other and the babies are very into their mothers. But the coolest thing goats do is jump. They are amazing jumpers! They look like little soccer players jumping up and heading the ball. So precious! Sarah swears that she will have a goat one day. I hope she does because I'd love to visit it.

Sarah had a little kid

Mama and babies

They love to be petted

Guarding the bridge

May 20, 2007 - And Then There Were Leeches

Just when you think it can't get any worse, it does. I really must stop thinking that! The rains have brought the leeches. We've had a couple on our shoes the past few days, but today, our final day, was the worst. I think all the leeches heard we were leaving so they wanted to give us a big send-off.

As we walked, they crawled all over our shoes and bit our legs. Sarah only got one bite, but my legs were covered in leech bites. These suckers were smart in that they would latch on, suck the blood, then drop off without me ever knowing it until I looked down and saw the blood smeared on my leg.

Luckily, leeches don't bother me. They are harmless and these are little tiny ones so I felt quite confident that they wouldn't drain me of my life blood or try to take over my body or anything. But still, they are a bit creepy.

May 20, 2007 - Down From the Mountain

Finished at last! Today was our last day of trekking. Sarah and I are definitely ready to be done and I think the boys feel the same way. This has been an amazing experience and I'm so glad that we did it. But I'm also glad it's over. This definitely stretched me past my physical and mental boundaries and it was infinitely interesting to see what came out when faced with these challenges.

I think I've grown in many ways. I now have an understanding of an entire culture that I had never known before. I learned about a religion (Buddhism) that I didn't know anything about. And also, I now understand myself better than I did before. These are all great gifts that I will cherish for a lifetime... but I'm still glad it's over! ;-)

One last look

Finally done

May 23, 2007 - Reconnecting from Kathmandu

It was very difficult to be out of touch with everyone for such a long period of time. It's amazing how dependent we've become on getting and sending emails with our friends. I couldn't wait to get back to civilization and email people and call people. It was great to get so many emails for dear friends and even better to hear some familiar voices. I even got to see live footage of sweet Her. What a joy!

May 24, 2007 - Not Ready for New Experiences

We have to leave tomorrow for India and I have to admit that I am not ready to leave here. I need more time to just sit and relax and let the past month's activities sink in. I'm definitely not ready for any new experiences and I know that India is going to be a bevy of new experiences - most likely hard-earned.

I love it that this trip gives us a little taste of all these different places around the world and my mind has expanded beyond belief with all this knowledge. However, it's really quite wearing to jump around so much. My mind spins with all the new information it receives and is a little afraid of trying to fit even more information in. We still have 7 months after all and there will be so much happening during that time.

I suppose it's human nature to never be satisfied with the way things are. I can't believe I'm complaining about how tired I am on my trip around the world! I'm sure this will dissipate soon enough and I'll be ready once again to experience the hidden treasures that this part of the world has to offer.