We had such a long journey. It was just one flight after another and all of them were red eyes. We had a 5-and-a-half flight to LAX, then a 13-hour flight to Turkey where we then took 7 and a half our flight to Nepal.
Day 1
We landed in Katmandu finally! It was a long three days. When we got off the plane we were walking to the exit when a Napali man stopped us and said is this you? While pointing to a picture of us on his phone. At first, I was a little panicked because how would a random guy in Nepal have a picture of me and Gavin. But then I remember three days ago I sent this to our tour company. I told him yes it was us! And he pointed us to baggage claim where DB was waiting with marigold flowers. DB is the owner of the company which we booked our tour with. I have been communicating with him for the past several months so it was exciting to see him in person. He was exactly everything I pictured. And his English was perfect.
Once we arrived at our hotel we ate a quick breakfast that consisted of potatoes, yummy crêpes, fruit, and hard-boiled eggs. It was the perfect first meal for us. We hadn’t eaten anything since LAX and we were pretty hungry. After breakfast, we were pretty tired, but we didn’t want to be jetlagged so we decided to start our city tour.
For our city tour, we had our own private driver and a local guide explaining the history of the different places and buildings we were going to see. We went to four different Buddha temples. I learned so much about the people and the Napali culture. I learned that they worship over 36,000 Buddhas. That's a lot of Buddhas..
The first temple we went to was called Swayambhunath Stupa better known as Monkey Temple. The reason being is that there are monkeys everywhere! And I mean everywhere. I guess the monkeys and animals used to live in the city but as it became more crowded and populated all the animals ran to the mountains but the monkeys. The monkeys sure do take control of the place. I was laughing at how funny they looked lounging on the benches and hanging out on the fences. They were sure so fun to watch. They were sure good at swinging from the flags and causing mayhem.
This temple sits at the top of a hill that overlooks all of Katmandu. We saw locals come and participate in their daily prayers. They do this by walking clockwise around Buddha spinning the prayer wheels that are along the outside of the temple with their right hand. There are also tons of prayer flags hanging around all the temples and pretty much all of Katmandu. These prayer flags are used to promote peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom. The Tibetans believe the prayers and mantras written on them will be blown by the wind to spread goodness, peace, and wisdom to the surrounding areas.
The second temple was Pashupatinath which means the Lord of Siliva. This temple is located in the heart of Katmandu. This is one of the holiest temples that both Hindus and Buddist come to worship at. We saw several different buildings which were all part of this temple. In 2015 an earthquake happened, so there were many repairs going on to try to restore the temple.
We both had so much fun walking around because we saw a school group on a field trip. Several of the girls came up to us and said in very broken English you are a beautiful couple. I was so touched by that comment. One girl even wanted to take a picture with us!
I really enjoyed this part of the tour because I was able to get a little glance at the way people live here. I saw people on bikes carrying huge loads of apples, clothes, and other products. I saw ladies putting tarps out on the gross dusty sidewalk laying out their vegetables to sell. I saw policemen in the streets trying to keep traffic under control. I saw the military march through. I saw a variety of different shops that sold the most random things. I guess if you live here you know where to buy all that stuff. But it seems like a bunch of chaos to me.
The third temple we visited was Hanuman Dhoka Durbar, this is the oldest temple in Nepal. They said it's been around since 400 BC. It sits on the river of Bagmati. When we got there, there was a ceremony going on. We weren’t sure what was happening but our guide explained to us that when people die in Nepal they come to this temple to be cremated. They perform the ceremony right by the river on a platform built for the dead. Once the body is on the platform they cover the body with logs and light them on fire and the family watches till it's all just ashes. Once they have the ashes they sweep them into the river. I have to admit it wasn't the most pleasant site to see. Crazy to think that this is all the people know and what is normal for them.
The river they sweep the ashes into is absolutely filthy. It's a murky gray color with floating garbage everywhere and probably dead animals. It’s kind of sad this is the way it has to happen. We also saw a pile of hospital beds near the platform where previous people have been brought into the temple on. We didn’t stay here long because I think our guide could tell we had nothing to say. It started raining before we made it to the taxi, so we hid under a part of the temple and watched tons of people from India come through so they could pray inside the temple. They had to enter the temple barefoot so all of them were walking along the nasty street barefoot and I was getting a little creeped out.
The last temple was Boudhanath Stupa. It kind of looks like the other temples but this one sits in the center of a little market. We walked around the outside and passed many more prayer wheels. After we ate a very lovely traditional meal on top of a roof restaurant with the best view of Buddha. We had A very cute Nepali woman as our waitress. We asked her what was good on the menu because we didn’t recognize anything. And she told us, Daal Bhat, as she rubbed her stomach and said very good very good. We said why not, and ordered it up! The meal was actually very tasty and Gavin and I said to each other we could probably eat this every day while we were here because we thought it was so yummy. Little did we know that we might have eaten it a little too much on the trip and that it is actually not that good.
When we were heading out of the restaurant there was a picture of Everest on the wall. I pointed to it while talking to our waitress and said have you been? She probably didn't know what I was saying because she got this huge smile on her face and said Everest, that's mtn Everest over and over again with a huge lisp and slurring the words. It was the cutest thing. This was our favorite phrase for the rest of the trip. We would say, Everest, that's mtn Everest while imitating her cute accent.
After the tour, we went back to our hotel so dehydrated and exhausted. They hardly gave us any water on the airplane and we didn’t really have much water at lunch. We started feeling nauseous, had a headache, and were so sleep-deprived. When we got back to our hotel we each drank a huge water bottle with electrolytes and passed out on the bed for 12 hours.
We woke up at 3 AM just in time to pack our bags and get everything ready for our flight to Lukla that morning.
Day 2.
Gavin and I were so excited as we put on our backpacks, and headed downstairs to meet our guide. Our guide's name was Alexis and he was perfect for us! He was very chill, and funny, and let us do whatever we wanted to. When we got to the airport we learned that flights were delayed due to the weather. I guess they had been delayed for the past seven days because of bad weather. I panicked because if we missed our flight to Lukla we wouldn’t be able to make it to base camp and down in enough time before we had to get back to America.
We met other people in the airport who had been waiting for days. The people we talked to were done waiting and wanted to know if there was another option. Our guide told us we could take a jeep! It would take eight hours, and then after we would have to hike for five hours. We thought this sounded like a good plan because we wanted to get out of Kathmandu and on our way.
Before I knew it there were eight of us crammed into this tiny jeep with our backpacks strapped to the top. We drove and drove and drove. We didn’t know that we would be riding in the jeep for so long and how hot it was going to be. We were both in our warm hiking clothes, so we were sweating in the car. Gavin had a window seat but was taking breaths of dust and polluted air as we wound around the mountains and villages.
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It was actually really fun to ride in the jeep. We laughed and talk to the other people and got to know them really well. We were able to see many parts of Nepal riding in the jeep. It is so crazy that people live in these tiny villages in the middle of nowhere. Along the way, we stopped for tea and more Daal Baht! We ended up driving for 10 hours and didn’t even make it to where we needed to be. So we crashed at a teahouse where we ate more Daal Bhat and rested.
Day 3
We are still on the road. Our guide told us that the road conditions were crazy. Meaning slippy and on a cliff. So we needed to switch jeeps in a couple of hours which would be better for the road conditions. We all hopped back into the new jeep and rode our way on the bumpiest, windiest, craziest roads, for another couple of hours.
It was funny because our guide had actually never taken a jeep before and he had no idea where we were going, or how long it was going to take. We hopped into the second jeep and began our journey around more mountains and bumpy roads. We stopped for a while because a huge boulder had fallen on the road. Unfortunately, we couldn’t drive around the boulder. So several Napali men had a stick and we were trying to roll the boulder off the cliff. We heard them grunting and puffing and huffing as they eventually rolled the boulder to the side. Gavin and I were their big support team! At this point, it kind of felt like everything that could’ve gone wrong was going wrong. But we were having a wonderful time and I was just glad that we were on our way.
After three or four hours in the second jeep, we had to switch jeeps again. But this jeep couldn’t hold everyone. So our guides had to sit in the back of the jeep in the bed. I felt so bad for them. I could hear them grunting as we were going over huge bumps. This part of the ride was crazy beautiful. We passed huge waterfalls in the most beautiful mountains. The Himalayas really are something amazing! These roads, however, were the sketchiest by far. We were driving along sheer cliffs where it was slippery because of the rain and some of the corners we went around required a three-point turn. At this point, all of us were holding onto something in the jeep for dear life. Our driver even lit his incense and started spinning his prayer wheel and praying before he did the three-pointers. I think we were all praying in our hearts as well. The mountains kept me distracted along with beautiful Monasteries and temples that were scattered on the hills.
Finally, after a 20-hour jeep ride, we finally made it to the trailhead. This is when our guy told us that we needed to hike 15 miles to Lukla. before we would be on the right track. We were eager and ready to get out of the jeep and start hiking to stretch our legs. Gavin and I had done nothing but sat for the last 5 days. It started raining slightly but we all had huge smiles on our face. We walked for only a few hours before ending the night at a tea house with more Daal Bhat tucked up in the mountains. I was sure glad Gavin and I had packed so many Snickers to snack on after dinner.
Day 4
We woke up to some rain the next morning. I really love the sound of rain hitting the roof. The mountains looked absolutely beautiful with the mist and everything looked so green. I wasn’t complaining. Gavin woke up with a head cold that morning. I think from sitting next to the window while breathing dust and dirt into his lungs for 20 hours wasn’t the best thing for him. His nose was pretty stuffy and he had a horrible sore throat. I felt bad and I could tell he was frustrated because this was not the time to be getting sick. But one thing I really love about Gavin is that he never complains. I could tell he wasn’t feeling good and maybe frustrate that he was sick but I never heard him say one negative thing about it. He pressed on like a champion.
Today we basically hiked all day. Our guide had no idea how far it was going to get to Luke. He kept saying 5-6 hours. Or almost there. When in reality we knew he was just trying to hype us up and keep us motivated. We walked and walked and walked around the mountains up and down up and down. Thankfully we were close with the people we rode in the jeep with that we had plenty to talk about. We stopped for lunch at a teahouse where we met the cutest little boy. The only thing he knew how to say in English was mountain. He sure kept us entertained.
Another big thing a Nepal is tea breaks. Everyone drinks tea. And everyone wants you to drink tea. Some days we were boiling hot from hiking and they would offer us hot tea. It was always the last thing we wanted to drink. But we did it anyways because that's what you do when you take a trek up the moutain you just go for it.
We had no idea how hot it was going to be. I thought it would be a lot cooler just because of how high we were. But we started hiking at 8000 feet so definitely on the warmer side. I wish I would’ve had shorts to wear. However, there were a ton of leeches on the plants so maybe it was a good thing we had pants. Sara one of the gals we were hiking with said she found a leech in her water. During the hike, we would fill our water bottles up at fresh springs along the way. The water tasted amazing! After 10 hours of hiking pretty much nonstop, we were getting pretty tired. We pressed on for another couple of hours until we made it to Phakading which is a two-hour hike from Lukla. So after a 20-hour jeep ride and 15-mile hike day we were finally where we needed to be. Gavin and I were a little nervous because we are a couple days behind on our journey. But Alexis assured us it wouldn't be a problem and that we would make it.
We enjoyed some yummy noodle soup and warm tea before taking a warm shower before bed. I was sure glad Alexis chose a tea house with a warm shower included. We were super sweaty from that day's hike. and the jeep ride. I was definitely glad I could get it all clean. I don’t think I could’ve gone up the rest of the mountain feeling as dirty as I did it.
Day 5
Our day started out bright and early. Gavin and I were still getting used to the food on the menu and we weren’t so sure what was the best thing to order especially with all the hiking we were going to be doing. I ended up getting a pancake which was the worst idea ever. It was solid flour and water with flavorless chocolate syrup on top. It did not sit well in my stomach and today was a very long day of hiking.
We walked through many villages before getting into the main National Park. As we were checking in we ran into our favorite friend Zultan who we met at the airport. Zultan didn’t want to ride in the Jeep so he paid for a helicopter. He sure has a lot to say. He is one guy that does not stop talking. He was hiking in jeans which looked so uncomfortable. He also brought so much stuff he had two porters carrying it up for him. And his arm was full of those rubber wristbands that he had gotten from festivals all around the world. His original language is Hungarian so his accent was killing us. He was sure fun to hike with.
Every day of hiking was absolutely beautiful. Today we walked along the river for a while and it was so cool to see how fast it was flowing. I can’t believe how much water is coming off from the top of the mountain. Today we crossed the famous suspension hanging bridges. There are about 20 suspension bridges that we crossed throughout the trail. My favorite was the last one right before the huge hill that led us to Namche Bazaar. I pulled out my hiking poles to help me gear into a four-wheel drive. Our guide kept telling us slowly but continue. I told myself to go as slow as I needed to but just continue. This hill was no joke. It took a couple of hours to get up. We were all pretty silent as we were hiking focusing on our breathing and each step. But because I was going so slow I was able to take in the breathtaking mountains and the beautiful trees in the river down below. Gavin was so good at encouraging me that he kept saying go Mal. This is when I was glad we had our own guide. Because our guide was able to stay with us and we could go at whatever pace we wanted. And we didn’t have to wait for other people in our group. after about eight hours of hiking, we made it to Namche Bazaar!
This tiny village is one of the biggest before you get to Basecamp. There is a five-star hotel, the highest Irish pub in the world, and the highest tattoo parlor in the world all here. In this villiage, you can see Everest for the first time! We stayed in teahouse 8848. 8848 stands for the elevation of Everest in meters! I will always remember how tall Everest is now. This teahouse had the most amazing food! I guess the cook was actually a chef for a really nice place in Katmandu. I had the most amazing veggie burger pizza and macaroni! Who knew you could order all this on the mountain?
Depending on how fast you hiked determined how much free time you had at the next tea house/village. Walk slowly, but continue advice from our guide was perfect. Because we weren't going very fast we didn't really need to take breaks. So we had lots of time to nap and rest before the next day. We got close to the people we rode in the jeep with and ended up playing Butt Clown with them in the evenings. We were laughing and having so much fun. We got Alexis to join us! I had brought him some skittles from America and he loved them! Nothing like American candy I’m telling you when you’re in the mountains.
Day 6
Today was our rest day. In order to not get elevation sickness, it's important that you take rest days while hiking up. During the rest day, you do a little day hike to acclimate and get used to the higher elevation. After breakfast went on a little hike to see the view of Everest. The clouds cleared and so we were able to see it! It was seriously so beautiful! I couldn’t believe that I was actually seeing Everest. We also saw tons of other beautiful peaks and mountains. The snowcapped mountains really just took my breath away. This world is so beautiful! We took some time to do yoga while taking in the fresh air. We ended up spending the rest of the day sleeping and relaxing. Gavin was feeling pretty sick so it was perfect that we were able to rest. We took our last shower before heading up the mountain the next day. We had our favorite TV show downloaded so we just stayed inside and watched it. After a morning hike, it ended up pouring rain so it was nice just to be inside a cozy tea house relaxing.
Day 7
Today the hike was almost just as long as yesterday's. We were only gaining 200 feet of elevation. So I thought it was going to be a pretty chill day. Little did I know we were going to walk all the way back down to the river and then up a bigger hill that is a little higher than Namche to make it to the next village. I just kept saying the words slowly but continue in my head as we walked along.
It was so fun to pass little kids running to school. Do they know they live in the Himalayas? How cool is that? We saw women weaving baskets and people gathering rice as we hiked. We also passed the highest Buddha Monastery in the world on our way to our teahouse. This is considered one of the holiest places in the Khumbu Valley. It was super beautiful to walk around there. We also saw our first Yak on our way inside.
I was sure glad that we had a guide. Who could take care of all the permits, food, water, and where we were going to stay each night. This helped really just be able to enjoy the trip and each other. Our next tea house was Good Luck hotel located in Tengboche. I liked this because I believe in good luck. We arrived just before lunch which was perfect because we had tons of time to relax. I ordered a big bowl of mashed potatoes for lunch. We fell asleep for a couple hours before coming down to find that Zultan was staying with us in the teahouse. He is a fun guy so we decided to teach him how to play butt clown. He was always the Butt Clown. And we could not stop laughing about that. All night.
Day 8
Today we are walking to Dingboche! Which is just a little over 14,000 feet. It was definitely all uphill. I think I underestimated how much the elevation could affect you. I really felt like I had to walk super slow. I’m sure I wasn’t walking that slow but to me, it felt like I was crawling. Gavin and I kind of had the just get there attitude. We didn’t take many breaks. we wanted to walk slow enough to where our heart rate wouldn’t get up super high. So that we wouldn’t have to stop to catch our breath. I like this because we were able to walk slowly to enjoy the views and talk. We passed more beautiful mountains along our way. It also started raining. So we were in a cloud most of the time. I didn’t mind for the most part. We just threw on our ponchos and kept on walking. There really isn’t anything you can do but just keep moving. I did not like the teahouse we stayed in because it smelt like bo. I think they thought it was a good-smelling spray. Because they sprayed it in all the rooms before letting us in. When in reality it smelled so bad. I was dying it was hard to even be in the bedroom. I had to be right by the open window to breathe in the fresh air. This teahouse was definitely a lot more full There were several groups that were on their way up. This was the second rest place for our trek. But because we spent too long in the jeep. We couldn’t afford another rest day. So we ended the night with more games and said goodbye to the people we had been hiking with for the past couple of days.
Day 9
Today it was just Gavin, our guide, and I as we hike up the mountain. I don’t remember even seeing anyone on the trail. We came during the off-season. Which has its pros and cons. The good thing is that it’s not very busy. The bad thing is that it could be rainy and cloudy every single day and you might not be able to see Everest. This kind of happened to us. It was super clear in the morning but then by afternoon, it was cloudy and overcast. And it definitely rained every day. The rain made the weather nice because it wasn’t super hot. We could always see the mountains in the morning but not in the afternoon. I think I would prefer this though. Because our guide was telling us that sometimes it is so crowded people are at a standstill on the trail. waiting for others to pass or donkeys and mules etc. so I would take rain and overcast over any of that any day!
We were pretty much in the rain all day today! We had our ponchos on and we were just honestly trekking to get to the next tea house. We went up what seemed to be the biggest hill of my life I swear. It was cloudy and so it was impossible to even see where the top was. I think it took a couple of hours to walk to the top. We also didn’t see anyone as we were hiking. This is when I was really glad we had a Alexis, because he knew where the trail was.
Along the trail they had some memorials for Sherpas that have hiked Everest. One of the guys hiked to the top of Everest in 17 hours. Another guy stayed at the top for 21 hours! I swear these people can’t be human. As the air got thinner it definitely made it harder. I couldn't believe that our guide has done Everest Base camp over 100 times. I couldn’t believe how many times he has walked this mountain.
Finally at last we made it to Labuche. The higher you get the less nice the tea houses are. This one in particular was not very nice. For one thing, they have wood-burning fires in the dining hall. But they never even light them! So it was cold at night. Second, the bathrooms were absolutely horrible. And they don’t really wash the sheets or pillows on the beds because they won’t ever dry. So all of them had a funky smell and are pretty dirty. It's definitely been an experience I won't ever forget. It feels nice to rough it for a while. It makes me appreciate all my many blessings so much more.
Also, the food also gets more basic the higher you get. At this point, I had to get almost noodles, bread, or rice for every meal. Which totally constipated me. I haven’t ever had stomach problems before but man this added to the experience of the trek. It is not glamorous that is for sure. You can pay for Wi-Fi at all the tea houses. But we heard from other people staying there that is very slow and not worth it. Also we loved not being by our phones. During evenings and after our naps we would play cards. Since it was just Gavin and me we played the three different kinds of solitaire. We ended up winning each of them a couple of times! Our nights end pretty early because we liked to be up and hiking when the rise was rising.
Day 9
Today is the day that we make it to Everest Base Camp! By this point, we were hiking above the tree line. We saw snow-capped mountains and walked across rocks. We were climbing higher and higher and it was so exciting! This was very motivating to me and I was so excited to be at the base of Everest. We did see a lot of porters carrying the heaviest things on their backs. These porters have got to be some of the strongest people I know. They are little in size but have strength like no other. They can carry up to 100 KG‘s on their back. We saw people carrying eight 2x8's, a mattress, a fridge, doors, eggs, 50 bottles of water, and all sorts of things. Every single thing that is on that mountain was carried up by someone. It’s just mind-blowing that someone can actually do that. The sad thing is that these people hardly even get paid. Gavin and I decided that we wanted to carry our backpacks up for the experience. Pretty much everyone else on the trail paid for a porter to carry up their stuff. But I honestly would feel so bad making someone do that. It would’ve made the trek a lot easier but I am glad I was able to push myself and do something a little harder.
I could definitely feel the elevation gain today. We didn’t say much as we walked because we were just focusing on breathing. but in just a few hours after breakfast, we made it to the last stop Gorak Shep! We stopped here to leave our bags before Trekking the last 2 1/2 hours to Everest base camp.
We filled our stomachs up before leaving our bags and making our way to the base camp. I was definitely walking very slowly. I could see Everest Base Camp off in the distance sometimes as we came around some corners. That is why I kept myself going. Gavin, Alexis, and I all trekked the last two hours to the base camp! We are basically walking on glaciers at this point. As we were walking we could hear avalanches close by. One thing I didn’t know about Basecamp is that you actually can’t see Everest from Basecamp, because it is too tall!
BUT WE FINALLY MADE IT! I felt so accomplished standing at the Everest base camp sign! I couldn’t believe how high we had come and how many miles we had hiked. we calculated it out and it was about 55 miles up with our detour. Honestly, it’s just hard to explain what it was like standing at the base camp. It is no easy thing walking for seven or eight hours every day uphill for 8 days. I am very proud of myself and Gavin! Victory!
Also, there was a dog at the top. I am so mad I didn’t get a picture of him. I wish I would have. He looked absolutely dead and tired up there. No idea how he managed to walk all the way there. I’m guessing someone who was hiking was a dog lover. They must have felt bad the dog was hungry and fed it the whole way up, then got too tired to walk down with them. Sure hope the little guy makes it. After enjoying the view of the Basecamp and the glaciers. We headed back to the teahouse. Where we crashed and went to bed early because we were getting up at 4 AM to hike a little bit above base camp to get a better view Mtn. Everest.
Day 10:
To get the best view of Everest you have to hike a little bit above base camp on a nearby peak called Kala Patthar. Gavin woke up with a huge headache due to a lack of oxygen and his head cold. But he got up like a champion and encouraged me all the way to the top. Honestly, I had no idea what to expect when I heard we were going to hike up a Kala Patthar. I was excited and ready for the journey but I had no idea how hard it was actually going to be.
We walked with our headlamps on and saw we were standing on snow! Or Guide said he had never seen snow in September ever and he has been a guide for 10 years. Nonetheless, we pressed on! It was hard to tell where we were going because it was completely dark. I could see where my headlamp was shining and when I put my head up I could see other headlamps way up on the hill ahead of us. This was by far the steepest thing I have ever claimed. Also, the highest mountain I have ever climbed! We were going to climb over 18,000 feet that morning. At the top, the oxygen level was going to be 50%. I actually had to take some breaks and catch my breath.
Just when I thought we were almost to the top I would look up and see headlamps even higher than the ones I thought were at the top. We kept walking so that we could get up by sunrise to see the mountains. Again we walked slowly but continued. Before I knew it had been 2 hours and slowly the sun came over the tips of the frosted mountains. It was breathtaking. I couldn’t believe how tall and beautiful the mountains looked. Finally, we made it!
At the top, we had the best view of Everest! The top of Kala Patthar is very tiny, and since it was snowing we trying hard not to slip around. When we saw Everest we kept saying Everest that’s Mtn Everest with a lisp in honor of our cute waitress from Katmandu.
I think it took Gavin and me along to walk down the mountain because of the view. We kept stopping to take pictures and soak in the view. I could see our guide waiting for us way below. I think he’s used to people taking a lot of pictures. He was not that good at taking pictures though. All of the pictures he took of us were from a bad angle and he missed what we were standing in front of.
And just like that our trek was halfway over.
We ate a quick meal at the tea house before heading back down the mountain. I couldn't believe that we were only halfway and had to walk down everything we just came up. At this point, I just wanted to have a nice shower and bed so I was ready to walk as far as I needed to, to get that.
We walked pretty much all day. It was snowing/raining the whole way down that day. But we didn't stop. We passed a ton of people coming up. I was glad that we had pretty much the mountain to ourselves. We walked about 20 miles before stopping for the night. We were the only ones at our tea house we so enjoyed the quietness. Gavin and I wanted to walk down further but our guide was exhausted and wanted to rest. I guess I can't complain that someone wants to rest after walking 20 miles.
Day 11
We were about halfway down the mountain and we were ready to be done. Gavin and I wanted to walk the last 20 miles to Lukla so that we could just rest and not have to pack our big packs for an extra day. Our guide said we could try and see how far we could get.
I enjoyed walking down so much. I felt like we were running. I definitely was made aware of all the huge hills because coming down was a piece of cake. We basically walked another 15 miles and rested in the same tea house where we stayed 7 nights before. They had free showers and yummy food. We spent the night watching Netflix and just resting and talking about all the things we just experienced.
Day 12
We started hiking at 6 am to trek the last 6 miles to Lukla. We had to hike pretty fast because we wanted to get on the last flight of the day that was going to Katmandu. I was so excited to see Lukla and ride the plane. Gavin and I were basically running there. Our poor guide looked so beat he was behind us. He said he had never hiked down the mountain as fast as we did. He said this trek was pretty much a first time for everything.
When we got to Lukla we made it just in time to see the tiny planes landing on the runway. It was seriously so incredible. I can't believe someone made an airport here. The planes were so loud when they took off and landed we had to scream at each other when we were speaking.
And just like we were lucky enough to get on the last plane to Katmandu that day. We were the only ones on the plane probably because we were the only ones crazy enough to hike down so fast. We passed a ton of people getting off the planes but nobody was going back. Seeing all the crowds coming in I was sure glad that we didn't have to hike with that many people.
Our guide told us that about 1,000 people land a day and start hiking the trail. That is a ton of people on the mountain.
When we got back to Kathmandu we took a nice shower and enjoyed some ice cream and boba in Thaamel celebrating our victory. We spent the rest of the night eating more food and walking around the crowded dirty streets. Everyone kept offering Gavin cocaine it was hilarious. Another guy kept offering a flute. And it was the same guy he was everywhere. Finally, I had to just say STOP ASKING ME. I ALREADY TOLD YOU NO.. And he still didn't stop. So many people try to get you to go to their shop and buy things.
Day 13
Today was our relaxing day in the city. We spent most of the days shopping and eating. We tried a YAK stake and enjoyed more of the crazy town.
The night ended with a Napali Traditional dinner and show complimentary with our tour booking. We made our way to the designated spot and were kinda surprised that we were the only people there. It looked like maybe a couple hundred people could attend.
As we walked in they gave us bindi right on our forehead. I forgot mine was there and smeared it 20 minutes later.
They had music playing and servers came serving one dish at a time. The man from the company that took was totally drunk so we were listening to him ramble on about who knows what the whole time. We were given momos, gundruk (green pickled veggies), lamb, juju dhau (curdled yogurt), cholia (buffalo meat), and of course Del Bhaat! While we ate a man and woman danced traditional dances on the stage. They didn't seem very happy to be doing this for just a couple of people. When the show ended we were invited up to dance with them. I was to follow the girl and Gavin was to follow the guy. He didn't know that till about halfway through the song. We were cracking ourselves up. I'm sure that's not how the traditional dance is supposed to go.
And that's it! Our last night in Katmandu was over. We were pretty excited to get back to our clean island. We will always treasure and remember our experiences in Nepal. Our guide told us before we met him that he was going to make it the most memorable experience in Nepal for us and that was true.
The first man to ever climb Everest was Sir Edmund Hillary and he said "It's not the mountain we conquer by ourselves"
