Back from the trek...

Well, I didn't go to the Annapurna Base Camp as planned...unfortunatly I wound up coming down with the flu :( Ian and I decided to hike back to Pokhara...a 2 day hike instead of 8. I'm dissapointed not to make it to basecamp, but still pretty darn proud of myself for completing a three week trek!! Plus, although I'm feeling better now, it was a good decision I think not to push it while I'm sick. Ian and I will be able to re-live the basecamp trek through Erics pictures.

So, here are my final thoughts and tips on the trek...

1. Give yourself plently of buffer time. Luckily we weren't going off a timeline, so we could check out neat side trails, stay in cool towns for longer, and we had a nice long rest day after we crossed the pass.

              

2. A porter and guide are not necissary...we were some of the only people without them, but the paths were well marked and whenever we started to go off trail we would immediatly have a Nepali grandma yelling at you incoherently and pointing at where you should be going instead. I couldn't count the number of times this happened to us. haha. The people we met with guides felt rushed, and also payed much much more. A typical day for us cost-wise was lodging for $1.25 max (often free). and food...usually around $2.00 for breakfast and $5.00 for dinner. If you got Daal Baht for dinner it was all you can eat! We ate lots of tibetan breat, tsampa porriage, omelets, fried rice, and tea...lots and lots of tea. My favorites were milk tea and lemon tea. We found out it was best to make our own lunches out of yak cheese, crackers, fresh fruit, and snickers bars. There are children everywhere trying to sell you apples, bananas, and oranges from the trees around their homes.

3. November is the perfect time to trek because there weren't too many crowds and the weather was great! It only rained one day out of the 20 and the rest of the time was sunny and beautiful.

4. Its good to get used to Nepali time...go to bed around 9 and wake up around 6.

5. Bring your own toliet paper...nepalis don't use it. AND get used to the very inconvenient squatty potties...I had a mishap one day when I was using a very slanted bathroom and I lost my balance...I'm embarassed to say I peed on my foot. Goes to show why western toliets are better.



6. A few must haves: a down jacket, warm socks, long underwear, a steri pen (to purify water), trekking poles, chacos, a headlamp, and a warm sleepin bag.

Going on the trek was one of the coolest things I've ever experienced...the people are gracious and friendly, the landscape is beautiful, and to be out in nature for 3 weeks straight was worth the time, effort, and sore muscles. We met lots of friends along the way too from all over the world. Supprisingly only a few other Americans, but lots of Israelis, Germans, French, and tourists from other Asian countries.

 

Now back in Pokhara I have lots of options...whitewater rafting, paragliding, horseback riding, kayaking, scenic flights, rock climbing....its going to be tough to decide what we want to do most! Got my first massage this morning for 20 dollars for a whole hour!!!

Sorry about the weird picture placement...the internet is SUPER slow and moving them takes 5 minutes to load. Also, if you click on the pictures you can see a bigger version!