Sun is Out in the Himalayas

So I would like to continue with my trek that I took back in June 2012. After the last post I wanted to continue with the story and tell you about my next day in the Himalayas.

After spending a night in Monjo we woke up to a beautiful morning. We were still in pain… yes… but we were more relaxed about not having to be anywhere or do anything in particular. Failure indeed can be a real joy while traveling sometimes because it sets you free from having any expectations on yourself or the trip. Now we were allowed to enjoy walking slowly and we had no where to be in particular (we had planned to be in the Himalayas at least another 2 more days).

So we woke up and I immediately got a good shot of some snow capped peaks. They were so vivid and the day was so clear. It’s also nice to have the sun come shining in since the nights can be very cold.

We get up and eat (enjoying our meal instead of the constant rush we were constantly in) and we then left the guest house (with Matt accidentally stealing the room key). The trek back is longer than I remember it being and it’s going to take us around 6 hours to get back to Lukla… the starting point.

Today was all about walking and both of our legs had been shot from the two days prior. After resting and sleeping your body tends to get rigid and tense. And after walking for 2 days straight your body starts to ache. Mattys toes, knee and feet were especially hurting and I knew we had to get back to Lukla so he would be able to stop walking.

When your walking with a heavy backpack and the sun is beating down on you. you forget how tired you get just from walking a couple of hours. And probably the most annoying part about the climb is the fact that there are rocks coming out of the ground (the whole trek was not really a smooth surface. These rocks constantly jab at your feet). After standing on a few hundred of those your feet cry out not to step on one again.

So our first goal was to make it to Phakding, which is another 3 hours away from Monjo. Today we passed numerous people that were walking from Lukla which was good news for us . It meant that the airport at Lukla was currently open and people were flying in and out. We were a little nervous that we would get stuck up in Lukla since they can close the airport due to weather at a whim.

When we finally arrived at Phakding we were excited to give our backs a break and have some lunch. Food in the Himalayas is not bad but it’s probably not the most tastiest dish you will ever have. Traditional foods are very heavy in fat but they do have options for other types of foods like vegetables etc… Soup is always a good option as well as something that is cooked/hot. You do not want food poisoning up in the mountains!

After Phakding we tiredly get up and start on the trek again. The sun was out and it was really a perfect day. (I felt kind of bad that we didn’t get to see Mount Everest (correction we did but just the tip of the mountain!!) on this day since it was such a clear day but it did start to get cloudier throughout the day).

After Phakding we went to a “internet cafe” which was surprising they even have one in the mountains. It’s slow but you can indeed log on into your email and go on Facebook!

Moon Rise over the Himalayas

Beautiful day in the Himalayas

Valley in the Himalayas

Internet Cafe in the Himalayas

Everest Base Camp Trek

Matty Posing

And then more walking and more walking. Really what gets old about the walking is the constant up and downs the trek takes. It’s funny that once you start from Lukla you actually go down in elevation and then slowly but surely work your way back up in elevation again. Well coming back we have to go up and then back down and then up again to finish our trek.

One of the last stops we made was in the city Chheplung, an hour outside of Lukla. We had lunch at this inn and we had the pleasure of being entertained by this little Nepalese girl.

Every-time we said hello she would said hello back! It was surprising that even a little girl knew some English words (just goes to show you how much tourists travel this trek). And when we introduced her a new word she repeated it back. She was a bit crazy though. Running around the little house and spilling her drink. All of course while we are having one of the best views of the Himalayas. What I truly remember about that place was how peaceful and calm the whole surroundings were. There is no music, no loud music, no busy crowds… just sounds of nature.

So after our break we made our final push for Lukla. And then finally we get back to Lukla and had a mini celebration for Matts Birthday (we ate at a German Bakery that was actually quite good.) And that pretty much our day. Simple yes but actually quite enjoyable. Now we had to wait until the next morning to be able to secure tickets back to Kathmandu. So we just went up and down the streets of Lukla and shopped a bit (last minute souvenirs) and then went back to our more comfortable hotel and for the first time in a while… and had a very relaxing sleep!

What was only a 3 day adventure ended up being one of the hardest journeys while travel I have ever done. Truly an amazing experience but I can tell you that I won’t be doing this for a while.

For my next blog I want to tell you about our scary flight back to Kathmandu and the extra days we had before our flight left for China (we couldn’t get an earlier flight out) until then! (food poisoning is a bitch).