As predicted, my posts are tardy.
Trekking Recap
I spent a couple more days in KTM planning my trek. I met another American who advised me that for a first trek in Nepal, Annapurna Circuit is the way to go. I hopped a bus to Pokhara, found a female guide, got my permits, and off we went. The trek took 13 days from Besisahar (a few hours' bus ride from POK) to Nayapul (another couple hours on a bus). The circuit has an AMZAING amount of variety. I'll spare you the day-by-day (you can read descriptions online), but I had a great time and returned filthy (some showers are hot on the trail, the bathrooms are too cold to shower, though), tired (some days I hike 30+ km), bruised (I got hit with a bucket helping at a fire in Manang), sick (some form of upper respiratory infection from which I am still recovering despite antibiotics), scratched (no idea how these happened), chapped (wind and sub-freezing AM temperatures), sore (looong stairway down the last day) and as happy as I have ever been.
It's probably time to return to work
I've been spending the remainder of my time playing super-tourist in KTM. I am a lousy tourist, though, and hope to meet with a Nepali Mifos Specialist today to talk about microfinance challenges in Nepal. However, I've seen a number of Hindu temples and Buddhist stupas, all of which have been interesting. Friday is Holi (which I may celebrate by playing, um, golf). I've been eating a little too well--ALL food in Nepal is great. Every last bit. Added bonus: I've been provided with a guest room (and washer!) at a friend's house, so I get to live outside the tourist ghetto, have unlimited hot showers, and play with a dog. The things I enjoy most are walking around the city (I tend to taxi out to a site and then walk home) and talking with Nepali people. They have a very intense political history, as well as important elections coming up in April. Despite all the tensions (and before my trek, fuel shortages) I was relatively unaffected as a tourist.
3 years ago
