it's 40k kilometers around the world's circumference
One glass, two glass
The oranges amass
A fruit and a snack
I always go back
To the orange stand
With no particular brand
And juice so pro-pulp
That I must always gulp.
And at four dirham for one
Being one and done
Would be a big joke
For any thirsty bloke.
“The guidebooks love to tell you that the movie, perhaps the most famous film ever made, was shot entirely in Hollywood. I found it strange that it should have attracted such a cult following, famous for being famous. As the first scenes came and went, I couldn’t help but notice that the Casablanca depicted on-screen had very little to do with the city in which I was sitting. Indeed, I wondered if the two had ever been true reflections of each other. In the film, wartime Casablanca was a mysterious haven in which refugees heading for America would become stranded. Although the story line may have been founded on a fragment of truth, the city dreamt up on Warner Brothers’ back lot was a suffocating blend of Arab styles, whereas Casablanca of the time was European from top to toe.”
I can relate this quote from Tahir Shah’s “The Caliph’s House” to at least one emotion I felt while wandering around the city of Casablanca. Before arriving, my main exposure to the city came from this award-winning film. My high school prom was even themed Casablanca. I had my fedora ready and was prepared to task Sam to play it again. When I arrived, as Shah describes above, Casablanca is slightly different than the movie suggests. And Rick’s Cafe even closed at the early hour of 12pm on a Saturday night.
The city has a look that it used to be a more glamorous city and that it is trying to recapture some of that sparkle. For example, as I was doing Lonely Planet’s walking tour, I noticed they are in the process of tearing up a major road to install a tram system. In addition, in the 1990’s, the Hassan II Mosque was built on the water’s front. This mosque, one of the King’s projects costing about half a billion dollars, is a controversial subject considering the high unemployment rates in Morocco and the other uses for such a large sum of money. That said, the mosque looked like it cost about that with its 210 meter tall minaret, its courtyard made to handle crowds of 80,000, its centrally heated floor, a different glass floor, and its retractable roof. There was a line somewhere and I think Hassan II may have crossed it.
Staying at the Hotel Central in Casablanca’s Old Medina, the owner of the Hotel recommended we try a nearby restaurant called Sqala for dinner. We did just that, were not dissappointed, and it later reappeared in Shah’s book.
“[Zohra, Shah’s assistant,] suggested an excellent restaurant called Sqala, set in a former Portuguese fortress on the cusp of the medina. Moroccan food tends to be as inferior in restaurants as it is superior in the home. To achieve the subtle flavors takes an astonishing amount of care and time. The ambiance is important as the food itself, as is the attention lavished on a guest. As you gorge yourself on the delicacies, with your hosts whispering flattery, it’s very hard not to give in to delusion.
“The meal reintroduced me to the sensory marvels of real Moroccan cuisine. We ordered a selection of dishes. There was chicken tagine flavored with tumeric, honey, and apricots; a pair of sea bream marinated in a saffron sauce and served on a bed of couscous. After that came bistiya, a vast platter of sweet pastry, beneath which lay wafer-thin layers of pigeons, almonds, and egg.
“Zohra said the family was the center of Moroccan life, and that food was at the center of the family.”
A couple other highlights of my short time in Casablanca were both athletically driven. In the afternoon, the Casablanca futbol team won its league (or something along those lines based on the explanation I was given in broken english), and those dressed in green and white flew their flags, crammed into buses unclear to where, and made lots of noise. Then the following morning, on our way to the Hassan II Mosque, Adam and I walked along a part of a half marathon route. We pretended that we were disappointed that we didn’t know it was occurring as if we would have participated otherwise.
Although Casablanca was not the cultural center of Morocco, it did have some impressive sights and offered some delicious tastes for my first day in the country.
Before leaving Istanbul, it wouldn’t be fair to us or to the city itself not to go explore the Asian side, so Adam and I hopped on a ferry and ventured over to Kadikoy. Here, we enjoyed a much less touristy experience, good food at a restaurant called Ciya Sofrazi, and a fun network of lively, filled streets. From this journey over to Kadikoy, we can now better appreciate the fact that one city is built on two different continents. That said, the area still had a more Turkish than Asian feel, and based on the shear number of Turkish flags (which we have seen all over the city hanging from almost every building), there was no question that we were in Istanbul first and Asia second.
During the day, Adam and I explored the sites of Istanbul and wandered through both its Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar. The smells and sights from particularly the Spice Bazaar were always strong and always changing. The spices organized neatly in bins or baskets lined the aisles and every seller stood directly in front waiting to try to pull anyone and everyone into their shop.
In the evening, we changed gears and crossed the river to Taksim Square where it was easy to find cheap beers, Tavla sets, and live music. In fact, right in the middle of the square was a live concert featuring a group playing traditional Turkish music with a heavy bass beat. The crowd around the stage was young, enthusiastic, and fun to watch. As we moved away from the square, the streets were flooded with people. Every alley was full of tables and chairs set up outside to take advantage of the nice weather, and restaurants remained open serving all types of food. We stopped at one restaurant to enjoy a savory filled pancake that we saw being artistically prepared in the window. Unfortunately, we became so involved in the scene in and around Taksim that we missed the last tram home. We could’ve taken a taxi, but there were two of us and the walk wasn’t long even after making a couple wrong turns. On the return trip, Adam and I walked under Galata Bridge, another area full of bars and restuarants. Istanbul, as I’ve mentioned before, is clearly a young and active city.
Adam and Andrew’s excellent adventure continues onwards to Turkey, but instead of using a phone booth, we’ll probably stick to an airplane for this journey.
Kebabs, hazelnuts, corn, smashed ice cream and more all the line the streets around Istanbul. More than a snack, the smashed ice cream felt like a show. A server who was all dressed up swung around a half meter long spade-esque utensil kneading the ice cream, lifting it out of its freezer, spinning it around, hitting a bell or two, and then returning the ice cream back only to perform the same routine on another flavor. After a little haggling, Adam and I tried a layering of many flavors atop a sugar cone. The hazelnuts stands, although not as exciting, were impossible to ignore as they sent out smoke signals letting us know when we were close. The smoke from roasting the nuts may have been more okay if the amount of cigarette smoke had not already over-sensitized me.
A quick aside on cigarettes: Most of the cigarette packs I have seen thus far in Europe have largely printed warnings such as “Smoking kills!” and “Smoking causes cancer” along with graphic images of diseased lungs, removed larynx’s, hospitalized patients and more. However, despite these efforts, smoking companies seem to have little to fear on this side of the Atlantic as most people are not slowing down consumption. During this trip, without ever having a cigarette of my own, I feel like I have begun regular consumption through second hand smoke. In addition, in Turkey, hookah is a very popular activity, and although it is not addictive, it still shares most of the negative effects of cigarettes.
Although cigarettes are one of Europe’s bad habits I am trying to come to terms with, a different Turkish habit that I immediately embraced is the widespread Tavla (also known as backgammon). Most bars and cafes leave out Tavla boards to play while guests drink a beer or tea. One evening, Adam and I enjoy a bit of a Tavla marathon before heading back to our hostel.
While in Istanbul, we are staying at the Bahaus Hostel, where we are greeted by the friendly and always joking Volcano. Volcano is in fact what he called himself; however, it was a nickname for a different name that I did not learn. We walk inside and Volcano steals my hat and sunglasses before giving us a tour of the common areas, bathrooms, and rooftop. Full of information and always willing to help, Volcano made the hostel experience very enjoyable. In addition, Adam and I met the other guests on our first evening while enjoying the rooftop bar, cheap beers and kebabs. And by the end of the evening, we made a plan to tour with three girls we met from Hawaii the following morning. But before morning came, the rooftop provided an international experience in itself as we all taught each other popular games from our respective world regions including the USA, Belgium, France and the UK. I recommend the Bahaus Hostel near the old city of Istanbul to any future backpackers and budget travelers.
Istanbul is a fun city, alive with young people, with culture, and with a proud history. Istanbul and Turkey will be a place to which I already know I need to return.
καλημέρα.
Saying goodbye to Mykonos and the people I had met over the last couple days is no easy task, but I am excited to explore Athens and its historic sites. After a sunny, beach-side breakfast complete with Greek yogurt, Greek coffee, a slice of cake, and bread until I feel full, I get back on a ferry towards Athens. This time, I ferry to Athens’ Rafina Port, which is on the other side of the city, but the ticket price is a little better, and there is still a bus to take me to the center of town when I arrive. On the boat, I make friends with three Greek girls as we watch part of the movie “Center Stage” in English with Greek subtitles. One of them was looking for work on Mykonos island over the summer and the other two were accompanying her. Working on a Greek Island sounds like it could be a very nice summer job! Their English is pretty good and before parting ways, they give me some pointers of what to see and where to go in Athens.
For the next couple weeks of my journey, a friend from school, Adam is meeting up with me and we will explore Athens, Istanbul and Morocco together. After a short walk from the bus station to the Pella Inn, my hostel in Athens on 104 Ermou Street, I meet Adam and his brother Drew in our dorm room and our first adventure is finding food. But before we do anything, we appreciate the unreal view of the Acropolis that we have from our dorm window and the even better panoramic we get from the hostel’s rooftop. We leave the hostel in search of another cheap and delicious gyro place, we find the one that Drew had spotted earlier to be closed, and we start to improvise. We walk around Monastiraki and weave through its many narrow streets and alleys. As we pass every restaurant, we are semi-harassed with questions whether or not we choose to stop to check the menu and its prices, but eventually, we find a nice restaurant that produces a meat lovers plate with about 5 or 6 different types of meats. The three of us sit down, order Mythos beers, meat and bread, and all seems right as we watch the sun set on the Acropolis. After dinner, we wander around Plaka, an historic area of Athens located on the foothills of the Acropolis, and I find a fedora that fits and have a fun time bargaining for it. We make it an early night so that we can return to our hostel’s rooftop and admire the lit up Acropolis as we meet some of the other guests. We befriend Carley and Amanda from Winnipeg, Manitoba, and although originally they think they have a ferry booked heading towards the islands the next morning, after they wake up early and figure out how to get to the port, they realize that their days are off and they have an extra day in Athens. The good news is that it means the five of us will tour Athens’ highlights together.
Spanning a small area of only 33 square miles and with a population of about 10,000, Mykonos is easily transversed by motorbike or all-terrain vehicle (ATV). At this time, there are still few tourists and the island is pleasantly quiet. Also staying at Mama’s Pension, Kristen and I hire (a.k.a. rent) ATV’s and take off to explore what lay on the island. It is a bit cold to go for a swim, but that does not stop us from searching out many of Mykonos’ beautiful beaches and testing the waters with our feet while walking up and down the sand. Starting near our guest house at Agios Stephanos Beach, throughout the day we see many other turquoise coast lines, white houses nestled into hills extending from the water, and views that are meant for postcards. Other highlight beaches along our journey included Paraga, Paradise, Panaramos, Agios Sostis, Kalafatis and more.
The island being no more than 10 miles in its longest dimension allows us to search many of its nooks and crannies. We even move inland away from the coast and explore the village of Ano Mera. We find a wonderful bakery with an uber inviting smell, and I devour a feta cheese filled pastry to hold me over until dinner. Some of the roads that we travel along have a couple too many bumps and hills, but luckily on our ATV’s, we are semi-prepared to attack most paths that lay before us. I have limited experience driving such a vehicle, but after a day’s worth of riding, I can say I feel much more comfortable on an ATV.
The last goal of the day is to find an empty west-facing beach to watch the sun go down. We drive around the southwest extension of the island and eventually find a small stretch of unoccupied beach to watch the sun. We climb down from the road to the beach, spot a comfortable rock, and settle in to watch another colorful Mykonos sunset—a perfect ending to a full and fun day.
I land in Athens, find a bus to Piraeus Port, and figure out how the ferries operate. I arrive with a list of islands in mind that I might like to visit and learn which island the next ferry will be traveling to. In twenty minutes, there is a ferry leaving for Mykonos Island (one that was on my list), I figure out how to navigate the large, major port of Athens, and am soon on my way to a Greek Island. The ferry boat is less of a water taxi and more of a cruise liner, complete with 5 levels, bars, restaurants, couches and tables. After a windy and sunny four and a half hours, a quick stop at Paros Island, and a snack, I am greeted at the Mykonos port by many trying to sell their guest houses and hotels. I meet Christina from Mama’s Pension, like the sound of the place and the photos she shows me, and I am soon getting a ride in her car to the guest house. The house is run by Christina and her mother, “Mama”, both of whom are very friendly and helpful in providing tips of how to navigate the island. Mama’s Pension is about 2 km outside of town, but Christina gives me and another house guest, Kristen, a ride into the main town in the early evening. I look forward to a relaxing couple days while exploring the island and starting to learn more about Greek culture.
Kristen (from Australia who is currently studying in Sweden) and I explore the city as the sun starts to set, all the while looking for a perfect spot to enjoy a drink and watch the day’s final light. After exploring and photographing the windmills and Little Venice in various parts of town, we settle down at a nice bar called Katerina’s, which is located in Little Venice and has a small west-facing balcony. The food is a bit on the pricey side given our budgets, but we enjoy a drink to keep our seats, and after dark settles in, we move on to a small gryo shop down the street. A gyro is a delicious pita wrap filled with meat from a vertical spit, tomato, onion, tzatziki sauce, and french fries. Because they are inexpensive and my hunger still strong, I go back for seconds. The gyro may have been so good because of the delicious tzatziki sauce with its yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, olive oil and dill. I immediately know I will be searching this place out again before leaving the island.
Portoculture (n.) – the study of guides and porters who trek through Nepal (etymology: derived by combining the words porter and culture, the term portoculture was not in use until 2011).
Scenario 1: Food/Drink Service
At each of the lodges, all food orders were placed with the trekkers’ respective guides and porters, the order was then relayed to the kitchen, eventually the food was given to the guide, and finally the meal was delivered to the trekker by the guide. This same relay system also occurred when it came time to pay. Although it seems inefficient, this is part of the service structure that has been set up over a long period of time, and it was how I operated with Subash probably about 90 to 95% of the time.
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Scenario 2: Card Games
Many days, trekkers and their guides arrive early to their destination and are faced with the task of passing the time. Domal and Dalmara (I probably butchered the spelling here) are two card games that the Nepali guides taught me over several afternoons of looking for ways to stay busy. One afternoon, I learned a third card game and when I indicated that I was ready to play, the guide told me that they were gambling. I asked how they were gambling if no money was changing hands and no one was recording the results of the games. He responded vaguely by saying that they were keeping track in their heads. I waited a little longer to see what happens, and eventually he won a hand, so I asked him how much money that earned him. He avoided my question. Then I realized by gambling he meant try to take the silly foreigner’s money. To let him know that I caught on without saying so directly, later in the evening, I asked how much he won or lost. He said that he had broken even. I just smiled.
The next day, the same guide ended up at our lodge again, and this time I had started a game of cards with my own deck. We were playing Domal and not for money. He indicated that he wanted to gamble again. I made him spell out the rules very carefully. We bet 5 rupees on each game, and by the end of the hour, I was up 65 rupees (almost 1 USD). Gambling did make the game more exciting (probably because I was winning), and made the afternoon go very quickly.
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Scenario 3: Dal Bhat
Dal Bhat is a meal consisting of rice, lentil soup, curry, and vegetables. I ate many throughout my trek because it was the only dish that kept coming until I was full. Bottomless Dal Bhat can fill up anyone. This was also the meal that the guides would eat at least two and sometimes three times a day. It was identical to what we ate, except they always used their right hand to eat, and eating curry, rice, and soup with a hand is an impressive feat.
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Scenario 4: Guide to Guide Loyalty
The guides are very loyal to each other and to “the business.” As I was making friends along the trail, one morning Subash turned to me and asked if we talked about “the business.” I had an idea to what he was referring, but acted otherwise and said no and asked him what the business was. He was referring to the business of trekking operators, their costs, their programs, and their perks. He then proceeded to say that the guides are angered when we talk of such things. I wanted to tell him that when you have over 100 businesses offering almost identical services, it is hard not to price compare in a capitalistic society, but I just nodded and said thanks for letting me know.
Another example of guide to guide loyalty occurred one evening when I was talking to a guide who had previously worked with the owner of my trekking operator. He was describing treks off the beaten path, seeing another part of Nepali culture, and walking paths that were just opening up to the public. When I asked for his email and contact information for the next time I visit Nepal, he refused to give it to me. He explained I should talk to my current trekking operator and ask for him. I told him I understood his concerns and that we could exchange contact information as friends and that I would not tell anyone we had done so. The next morning he reluctantly gave me his information.
Day 1
Start: Nayapul (1070 m)
Lunch: Sudame
Destination: Tikhedhungga (1540 m)
Lodge: Chandra Guest House
Trek difficulty: Easy to breathe and easy to walk though there was some climbing. The day was overcast and the temperatures remained moderate.
Highlight: The highlight today was getting to know the other trekkers doing similar routes to me. There was a Japanese woman with a Nepali boyfriend staying at my same lodge. There was a man from Hong Kong also traveling solo, and although he seemed too cool to talk to anyone, I tried anyway. To pass the time, Subash taught me a couple fun Nepali card games that I would be able to use to impress the other guides and porters over the duration of the trek. And I met Paula from Chicago. She was staying at the lodge next door, and I realized we had taken the same bus from Kathmandu. We shared stories over some chicken curry and banana pancakes before heading to bed early so that we would be ready to go bright and early the next morning.
Day 2
Start: Tikhedhungga
Lunch: Nangge Thanti
Destination: Ghorepani (2860 m)
Lodge: Sunny Hotel
Trek difficulty: The first two hours were all at a challengingly steep incline. Afterwards, the path remained semi-level or slightly uphill.
Highlight: The two highlights from today were recognizing that I was, in fact, climbing through the Himalayas from the first two hours of intense climbing. These hours let both my lungs and my water bottles feel their wrath. Before lunch I went through 3 liters of water and didn’t even feel I had to go to the bathroom because I lost all that water while perspiring. The second highlight was at my Ghorepani Lodge, where I played cards with some of the guides, porters, and Grace and Eva (both from Hong Kong), and I had a chance to play basketball with the local Nepali children as the sun set shining on the snow-capped mountains.
Day 3
Start: Ghorepani
Sunrise hike: Poon Hill (3193 m)
Lunch: Ban Thanti
Destination: Tadapani (2630 m)
Lodge: Himalaya
Trek difficulty: Today was an easy day that started early with the sunrise walk and ended early in Tadapani. The hike to the top of Poon Hill was steep, but it lasted less than an hour.
Highlight: Watching the sun touch one mountain peak at a time as it climbed into the sky was surreal and very photogenic. After it rained much of last night, the sky was almost perfectly clear, with just a couple clouds to provide the rays of sun more surfaces to light. In addition, after a nice walk through the forest and along a river, I spent the afternoon and evening playing cards and learning the stories of the other trekkers, guides, and porters also staying in Tadapani. The temporary Tadapani community we created felt so natural and warm that I was sorry to leave it behind the next day, but maybe it was its ephemeral quality that made the community all the more special.
Day 4
Start: Tadapani
Lunch: Chhomrong
Destination: Sinuwa (2360 m)
Lodge: Sinuwa Lodge
Trek difficulty: Tough! Although we lost almost 300 m in altitude, we did so by making our way through two valleys– down, up, back down, and back up. I was exhausted. Upon arriving, I needed a Coca-Cola’s worth of sugar to be functional enough to change into warmer clothes and get ready for dinner. The rain during the second half of the day added to the challenge as the trail because slippery and my rain coat uncomfortable.
Highlight: Subash and I are the first to arrive at our lodge, and after gaining back some energy from the day, I asked Subash if he thought that others would be coming. He didn’t know. I see a couple pass by, hesitate, and the look around, The owner of the lodge runs outside and says something in Napali to their guide. I watch hopeful that they might choose the lodge. They start to walk away, the lodge owner disappears into the kitchen, and then I see them hesitate again and turn around. I yell to the owner that they are coming back and she smiles at me and goes back outside. These two trekkers from Belgium will be my hiking buddies and eventually good friends as we all make our way up to ABC.
Day 5
Start: Sinuwa
Lunch: Himalaya (2920 m)
Destination: Deurali (3230 m)
Lodge: Panorama Guest House
Trek difficulty: Difficult and again it is up and down and up and down. The Annapurna trek doesn’t believe in flat. Even at the end of today’s hike when we are eye level with our lodge, we need to climb up, down, and then back up again before reaching our destination. That said, a slow and steady pace made the day more than manageable. I felt much better after day 5 than I did after day 4.
Highlight: The sun was out most of the day, the views were beautiful, and I was finding my “trekking groove”. It is also a great feeling when I was able to arrive to my lodge just before bad weather rolled in and that is exactly what happened today. Minutes after getting to the Panorama Guest House, visibility drops to nothing, the temperature falls, and rain drops start appearing. Again, the small group staying at my same lodge was very friendly, and many of them enlightened me about the famous climbers who had attempted the famous Himalayan peaks.
Day 6
Start: Deurali
Destination: Annapurna Base Camp (4130 m)
Lodge: Annapurna Sanctuary Lodge
Trek difficulty: Although the path itself presented with only moderately difficult inclines, the continual rise in altitude made this last day to our destination a true challenge. Luckily, it was only a half day and the motivation of knowing what lay ahead was enough to keep me going strong.
Highlight: The highlight today was watching the clouds clear as the sun was setting. I forgot about the tough times getting there, I forgot about the mitten I had lost earlier that day on the trail, and I forgot about the challenges that were ahead in getting back down the mountain. At the moment, surrounded on all sides by white mountains towering at around 8000 meters high, there was no where else I rather be. The sky was changing colors while I walked around the Annapurna Sanctuary seeking out the perfect perfect of this uncapturable moment. The sun sets, I go back into the lodge’s dining room, have some pizza and a lot of hot masala tea while the guides and guests all play cards, Yatzy, and compare stories of our journeys to the top.
Day 7
Start: Annapurna Base Camp
Lunch: Dobhan
Destination: Sinuwa (2360 m)
Lodge: Sinuwa Lodge
Trek difficulty: Much harder than I had anticipated. A long day of mostly downhill can be brutal on knees, ankles, and feet. And the difficulty of downhill is only compounded when it starts to rain as it did for the second half of the day.
Highlight: Waking up at 5am for the moment I had awaited the whole journey had to be the highlight of the day. As the Annapurna Sanctuary warmed up while the sun climbed over the mountains, I wish I could’ve been there forever. However, at around 8am, the descent back down began. Climbing down almost 2000 meters and unfortunately with a lot of interspersed uphill made for a sore evening. For dinner, I had some tomato soup with gurung bread to warm up, but as I ate, I could not shake the anxiety of what tomorrow would be like if my joints didn’t feel better. A highlight, though, would have to be after reaching Sinuwa, where I arrived to a full lodge of excited trekkers both on their way up and back down the mountain. This was the first evening that I crossed paths with a group of 8 Australian trekkers, who would end up being some of the best trekking partners. I would eventually get to know all eight of them plus their 2 guides and 4 porters. They were a wonderful group that I feel so fortunate to have run into.
Day 8
Start: Sinuwa
Destination: Jhinu (1780 m)
Lodge: Jhinu Guest House
Trek difficulty: Today should’ve been one of the easiest day. It was a short distance, all down hill, and the weather was overcast yet dry. Unfortunately, extremely sore knees can turn even the easiest of days into a challenge.
Highlight: My sore knees ended up being both a negative and a positive. A short way down the path, the Australian team came up behind me, recognized the pain I was in, and fixed me up. Tim and Mark gave me a stronger anti-inflammatory and taped up my knee in an attempt to stabilize my patella. Although I didn’t feel 100% afterwards, their tape and medicine worked! I was soon caught up to them and continued with Team Australia to Jhinu. Later that afternoon, soaking my sore knee in the Jhinu Hot Springs was exactly what my muscles craved and I gained a little more confidence about the upcoming days.
Day 9
Start: Jhinu
Destination: Ghandruk (1940 m)
Lodge: Annapurna Guest House
Trek difficulty: Today was downhill for the first third, and uphill for the next two. Again, the trek was only a half day of walking, and luckily for me, the uphill does not hurt my knee in the same way that downhill does.
Highlight: Upon arriving in Ghandruk with the Australian trekking team, we have a big lunch and then walk around the relatively big town. We dress up in wedding gear, and I “get married” to the four Australian women as well as to their assistant guide Tilla (because we happen to be wearing the same hat). The laughs we shared as we all got dressed continued straight into the evening as we all recapped highlights of our trek over some cold Everest Beers. For dinner, I had the most delicious Dal Bhat of the whole trek, and considering this may have been Dal Bhat number 15 of the trek, that is a true recommendation.
Day 10
Start: Ghandruk
Lunch: Birethanti
Destination: Nayapul (1070 m)
Trek difficulty: Today was all downhill and flat, but my knees kept reminding me that they were tired. That said, especially after getting to the flat area, the day went very smoothly and easily.
Highlight: Walking back through the town of Nayapul, I remembered how I felt on that first day. I was nervous and anxious as I had little idea about what was to come and what to expect. Those last 20 minutes after lunch, I felt a sense of accomplishment as well as a tinge of sadness for having completed the trek. I will miss the lodges, the other trekkers, the friendly Nepalese, and getting up for sunrise most mornings to watch as the sun rose over the Himalayas. It was this sadness that made it clear how much I truly enjoyed this adventure.
