I checked into the Hotel Encounter Nepal in the Thamel tourist district when I arrived in Kathmandu. Not having made a reservation in advance and arriving late at night, I took the first decent offer for a taxi ride and hotel that came my way, figuring that I could always change hotels the next day. After a decent night sleep, I awoke to the noise of the city and took stock of where I had landed. Fortunately, I got lucky. The hotel, while certainly not the Ritz, nor even the Motel 8, was clean and the staff was very friendly. I had a decent breakfast and then was about to start planning my trek on the Annapurna Circuit when I was approached by a trekking agency representative. I was initially skeptical about going with a guide
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