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The bus came to a halt, sending dust and sand swirling on the narrow road. I looked outside and saw a trail of unmoving vehicles. The guide told us there was a demonstration going on further up the road and traffic had come to a standstill. We would have to wait it out and so I tried to make myself comfortable in the tight enclosure of the bus. An hour passed by and there was no progress. The heat from the midday sun was getting unbearable, even though it was early spring in Nepal. The guide suggested we move to the designated stopover on foot, cutting across the hilly terrain. So together with the rest of the passengers, I swung my backpack over my shoulder, rolled up my pants, slipped on my hat and started walking through the crowd of cars and people and onto trails heading to what I hoped to be a respite from the heat. This wasn't how I imagined my first trip to Nepal to be.

My first impression of Kathmandu was not great. It was dusty, very dusty. Sand and dust piled up in little mole hills at the corners of door frames and window sills and covered any surfaces that were not occupied by humans. The long drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara passed by brown and desolated hills that made the weather seemed hotter than it was. I could not wait to get onto the mountains, away from the chaos of the capital city.

2000 metres above sea level, I huffed and puffed as I hiked up the trail, all the while praying that the next tea house appeared around the corner. I wished to rest my tired body, sip on hot masala tea and have a simple meal of corn bread, noodles or momo. I have grown accustomed to the vegetarian diet, the taste of spiced tea and a simple room consisting of nothing more than a bed. Hot water was a rarity as the heat from wood stoves barely lasted past the fifth guest taking a shower. I had no urge to fiddle with my mobile phone as there was no WiFi nor reception. Electricity in itself was a luxury. I was alone in the Himalayan mountains but I did not feel at all lonely as I huddled closer to the only fireplace located in the common area.

I looked around at the faces of locals, people who lived simply but had the most genuine smile on their faces. And I realised that we do not need much in our lives to be happy.