I am now realizing how difficult it is to find free time to write to you. Wonderful for me because it means I am sustaining my endurance qualities despite having to sacrifice my morning runs in the name of adventure. Let me paint the picture for you right now tho before i tell my trekking story. The setting: sunset in Lakeside, Pokhara....Steamed hazelnut milk in a giant armchair on a porch overlooking the Anapurna region....soft guitar in the background, no shoes and a romantic date with myself. So now that you can feel the love, sit back and join me In my memories
First stop after the flight into a village called Lukla (home to the shortest airplane runway in the world) was Phakding (yes say it loud and proud it sounds exactly how you think it does in English). Its funny looking back on the moment I was sitting on a porch listening to reggae music and playing solitare because I didn't know that I would be meeting 3 wonderful hikers that I would be spending the next few days with (uh oh power surge in Pokhara, hope all this saves) ANYWAY, after a dinner of vegetable momo (dumplings) I went to bed around 7:30 to escape the looming lonliness of solo trekking (with a guide) and not staying with the friends I met previously. But it's so fine, the friends will come and meanwhile I should be getting used to being alone with my own thoughts.
Morning of Friday May 19, started my 9-day streak of toast and honey and left for Namche Bazaar. We ended up doing a 5-6 hour hike in just under 4 hours (my turn to be an over-achiever now that I'm out of school). Once we got to our tea house (think of a simple ski lodge dining area with motel bedrooms above) I found my two friends Erlend and Thiago and we went on an acclimatization hike 1,000 ft above the village with a sweeping 360 degree view of the valley below. It was incredible how easy it was for us to talk and share our passions for the region and trekking and you could feel the excitement between us for the experiences to come. Even though we would be going our separate ways the next day, they will always be a part of my memory of my first (and definitely not last) trek in the shadow of Everest. ill let that sit with ya for a little bit while I try to figure out how to upload pictures. Hopefully another post coming in a bit :)
