I made it! Currently sitting here in Hotel Florid in the Thamel district of Kathmandu. The journey from Dulles was 30+ hours and quite exhausting. Arriving in Kathmandu I was completely overwhelmed by all the people, noise, and pollution. I made a new Nepali friend in the airport and we shared a taxi to Thamel. It was a tiny car with no seatbelt, tires with no tread, and a guy who kept shifting to 5th gear at 15mph. The streets are tiny and are choked with all manners of transport and the occasional wandering cow. The driver's wingman was continuously trying to sell me on his favorite hotel and on doing a guided trek with him as a guide.
We eventually made it into the heart of Thamel and I was ecstatic to find Nico sitting in the lobby on a computer! I had never met her before but thanks to the wonders of technology could tell it was her. Dave was right upstairs skinnier and hairier than ever before. They had just returned from 3 weeks trekking to the Everest base camp and had amazing epic stories. Many of them revolved about getting very sick at various times. We spent the afternoon eating and figuring out what we wanted to do in the coming weeks. I deteriorated pretty quickly in the evening and passed out on my bed at 9:30. I feel totally rejuvenated today after my first solid night's sleep in 3 days.
Tomorrow we're heading to the Annapurna region to start the Annapurna trek in Besi Sahar. We'll be on the trail for about 2.5 weeks. Internet access will likely be limited, but we may be surprised. I'm ready to escape this crowded city and trek through clean mountain air. We're off for a day of getting hiking permits and exploring the city. An early bus tomorrow AM will get us on our way. All for now.
No comments:
Post a Comment