Day 48: Back to Kathmandu

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The day of fear has come and gone. I was dreading being on a bus for 7 to 15 hours and not feeling well. Yesterday, Raj was trying to prepare or terrify me with what to expect. He said it was not uncommon for the bus to get stuck in a traffic jam due to other people popping tires, breaking axels, or engines overheating. I committed to refraining from eating and drinking anything but water during the journey and we made it back to our hotel in 7.5 hours with no major incidents. Going the oopposite direction this was not the case. There was one semi that had two flat wheels and another had been there long enough for the owners to have started a fire by the side of the road and started cooking. We went to a dinner where they did a traditional dance of each of the Nepalese casts and they served the traditional Dal Bhat and momo. I had to laugh because Raj said the dancers have been the same since he started guiding 10 years ago. It put an entirely new perspective on staying at the same job. Overall, my experience in Nepal has made me want to come back and further explore. I think the 21 day Annapurna circuit would be amazing as well as a trek in the foothills of Everest. Raj kept trying to get us to agree to a base camp of Annapurna or Everest, but that doesn’t interest me much. I prefer looking up at the mountains than freezing in them. The hike gave me ample time to think and the challenge of sickness tested me in new ways that other trips have not. Stronger than I think and capable of preserving.

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