I have been thinking of what to say about my trip to Nepal since I came home three days ago. There is just so much to talk about and so many angles it cannot possibly fit into one entry.
I had been looking forward to this for quite a while and I rate it as my best holiday this year, among all my many other short trips around the region. It was something I had never done before and somewhere exotic I had never been before. That in itself was enough to excite me.
As we approached Kathmandu in the early afternoon, we could see Mount Everest from the plane window. From then on I knew this would be an awesome experience.
We took a short, six day trek, the highlight of which was going up to Poon Hill from Ghorepani early on one of the mornings to see some pretty spectacular views of the Dhaulagiri mountain range. So each day we walked between three and over five hours to get to lodges that dotted the entire circuit. The route itself was pretty easy, with clear paths and rock steps. But it constantly wound through scenic valleys and hills or crossed streams and rivers. Every scene seemed like it was from a postcard.
I felt very removed from urban society and my city life back home. Each day revolved around walking, eating, playing cards, sleeping and just taking in the stunning scenery. When I was in the presence of such natural surroundings, I felt instantly at ease and at peace. That was what living in the moment felt like. Being the slightly type-A person I am, I had to constantly remind myself to take it slow and enjoy everything around me because there was nothing to rush for.
And the Nepali people are so diverse and yet all so gracious, lovely and hospitable. I felt totally safe and welcome. I was very impressed with our guide, who is younger than me but so entrepreneurial and has achieved much more than people twice his age. I realized how lucky we are when he recounted how he had to do self study while enrolled in university as he was always out on treks portering and had to skip classes. Education was important, but for people who came to the city with nothing, jobs and income were even more important, he said.
I am really glad I embarked on this with Yen Han, and Grace, an acquaintance she met on a previous trekking trip in Malaysia. I had never travelled with either of them before but they were really good companions and I think we were a very good fit together.
During our free time when we were all showered and resting our aching muscles and could no longer stomach yet another card game, we had very interesting discussions. We talked about people, life, love and learned a little about the culture and history of Nepal. I had brought along Pema Chodron’s ‘When Things Fall Apart’ to read and apt as it was given the hypnotic and meditative setting we were in, I scarcely had time for the book.
If anything my time in Nepal further strengthened my belief in the grace of a higher power which blessed us with perfect weather, a near flawless itinerary and a wholesome, nurturing experience.
Have an awesome rest of October!
