It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

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It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day in the neighborhood yet we didn't get to see the sunrise. Instead I learned how to create my own version of a sleeping bag. I couldn't sleep as I didn't have a blanket so I took a sheet and wrapped it around my body and then zipped my arms up inside my jacket and put my hands in my armpits. This morning I came to learn they would have given me a blanket. But an experience is an experience and after doing that I slept fine so I'm not worrying.

I've learned a bunch of things while travelling. One of the most important things is to listen to your body - go at your own pace not that of others, your body will teach you when to eat and you need to listen to that. My body said I need to eat every 3 hours if I'm trekking o now I know to do that. I've also learned the difference for me between uphill and downhill. Uphill I use my body more so I end up sweating more. Downhill I use my brain more - actually looking at the rocks to see which are good to step on or how I should walk. Uphill is like stairs for the most part you know where to step it's just a matter of getting there.

Just now I've learned I coud have easily done this trek in 4 days instead of 5 as tomorrow we're only going to trek for 2 hours but I suppose in the end I'm glad to simply spend time up here. Most people either are travelling with a gudie or with other people. I've yet to actually meet anyone going alone. Although some people with ugides have ended up traveling with others with guides.

Some of the slightly older people have bad knees or have broken bones from trekking and have found the best thing to do is travel with some sort of stick (which I don't have). I've also learned it's best not to buy and use new shoes for trekking - the best shoes are slightly older. Jeans are also not suited for trekking, nor are short socks (as there are leeches all over the place - we call them mountain mosquitoes - the best thing to keep them away is a good pair of shoes, long socks, short pants and good eyes to spot them (although the nepalis seem to not have a problem with them.

These towns thrive on nothing but tourists - without them there woudl be no towns as they would get no money.

There are many times that I wish I weren't travelling alone. I just played cards with two German brothers - Daniel and Phillip and their guide Raju. Now Raju and Milan are talking as are the Germans and I'm here alone to sleep. I will be alone again tomorrow while trekking as their pace is faster than mine even though we've changed our plans to go to the same place they are.

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