Well with all the best intentions my local sim card only worked at day 14!
So far have walked 143 km through the Himalayas and crossed one of the tallest and widest pass in the world – Thorong La Pass at 5416 m. Been at altitudes of over 4000m for several days and trekked uphill way better than downhill. Most of the downhills are the last part of the trekk after the pass – have opted to shorten my trekk twenty kms and take a bus for one leg of the trekk. I turned over my good ankle two days ago and have decided to give the last major downhill a miss. Funny how most people love the downhill – not me!
Haven’t hurt much or gotten very tired – too much beauty and amazing things to admire.
Played a bit of sideline soccer with little monks in a Buddhist monastery in Kagbeni.
Stood near the massive glaciers of the Annapurna mountains.
Moved up the dirt tracks with herds of goats with their bells jingling and sweet faces.
The landscape changes from mountains, to snow lined ridges, to glaciers to tundra and the amazing Himalayan steppe country.
Amazing little villages that can only be described as living and architectural heritage.
Glacial streams running through every village. We have visited every Buddhist monastery we can and thanks to my guides I was able to watch the little monks in their lessons for a while.
One of my local guides is also Buddhist and we are the only two out of fifteen stopping to go left at every stupor, shrine and ghoka – making sure we prayer wheel at every village.
If I can do this – so can you.
Maybe it’s not Nepal for you. Maybe it’s somewhere else you have dreamed of.
I’ve wanted to do this for 20 years and after my diving accident in 1993 thought I never would.
But I’m here and there have been some challenges (mild pain and discomfort).
But just magic!
Jacci Pillar 