I was so excited to get to Nepal, especially after being stuck in
India for an extra week after the squad left. The airplane ride was
glorious, and I got to sit next to the window and watch the most
breathtaking views. I saw a sea of clouds that I just wanted to jump
in…some of the clouds even looked like mountain peaks. Well once
the plane got a little closer, I realized they were mountain
peaks…the peaks of the Himalayas!! My face was glued to the window
and I could not stop staring at their beauty. Once we descended
beneath the clouds, Nepal was the most amazing place of rolling green
foothills and bright colored buildings. This country was like nothing
I had ever seen.
India for an extra week after the squad left. The airplane ride was
glorious, and I got to sit next to the window and watch the most
breathtaking views. I saw a sea of clouds that I just wanted to jump
in…some of the clouds even looked like mountain peaks. Well once
the plane got a little closer, I realized they were mountain
peaks…the peaks of the Himalayas!! My face was glued to the window
and I could not stop staring at their beauty. Once we descended
beneath the clouds, Nepal was the most amazing place of rolling green
foothills and bright colored buildings. This country was like nothing
I had ever seen.
I got to rest for about half a day and
then found myself on a 16 hour bus ride to a village that was only 16
miles from the border of India. Kathmandu has very cool temperatures
because it is surrounded by foothills, but this village was the
hottest place I had ever been to. The place we were staying in was
literally a tree house, and we were greeted by a huge display of food
and a tv to watch the Olympics on : ) I was extremely thankful!
then found myself on a 16 hour bus ride to a village that was only 16
miles from the border of India. Kathmandu has very cool temperatures
because it is surrounded by foothills, but this village was the
hottest place I had ever been to. The place we were staying in was
literally a tree house, and we were greeted by a huge display of food
and a tv to watch the Olympics on : ) I was extremely thankful!
We woke up at 4am and were on our way
to hike a mountain and visit the village that our contact grew up in.
I heard this hike would take about 4 hours so I was trying to prepare
myself mentally. After a yummy breakfast of eggs, cucumber, tomato,
and chai we were on our way. Nothing and I mean nothing, could
prepare me for what was ahead.
to hike a mountain and visit the village that our contact grew up in.
I heard this hike would take about 4 hours so I was trying to prepare
myself mentally. After a yummy breakfast of eggs, cucumber, tomato,
and chai we were on our way. Nothing and I mean nothing, could
prepare me for what was ahead.
This hike was the hardest thing I have
ever done in my life. We basically hiked straight up a mountain for 5
hours with our packs on. We heard previous racers who have done
this hike have cried. I could totally see why and I almost lost it a
few times. The view was absolutely spectacular and I had to pinch
myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. Here I am complaining to
myself and maybe whispering a few profanities in my head, when some locals
passed us by. These villagers not only did this hike back and forth
daily, they hiked it in their bare feet. And they carried a sher pa
on their head full of heavy items. Even children were making this
hike. This is a part of their daily life, so what room did I have to
complain or feel sorry for myself?
ever done in my life. We basically hiked straight up a mountain for 5
hours with our packs on. We heard previous racers who have done
this hike have cried. I could totally see why and I almost lost it a
few times. The view was absolutely spectacular and I had to pinch
myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. Here I am complaining to
myself and maybe whispering a few profanities in my head, when some locals
passed us by. These villagers not only did this hike back and forth
daily, they hiked it in their bare feet. And they carried a sher pa
on their head full of heavy items. Even children were making this
hike. This is a part of their daily life, so what room did I have to
complain or feel sorry for myself?
The thought crossed my mind, how did
this village even get here? Why would someone decide to hike this
deep into the mountains to live? Our contact, Reuben, told us these
people were poor and could not afford to own their own land. So they
hiked into the mountains 25 years ago and started life literally from
scratch.
this village even get here? Why would someone decide to hike this
deep into the mountains to live? Our contact, Reuben, told us these
people were poor and could not afford to own their own land. So they
hiked into the mountains 25 years ago and started life literally from
scratch.
We finally made it to the village and
were greeted by our contact’s parents who were the sweetest, most
generous, most hospitable people I have ever met. The view was like
something out of a movie. We all kept saying we felt like the Swiss
Family Robinson. I even had a little puppy to play with that I knew
wouldn’t give me rabies.
were greeted by our contact’s parents who were the sweetest, most
generous, most hospitable people I have ever met. The view was like
something out of a movie. We all kept saying we felt like the Swiss
Family Robinson. I even had a little puppy to play with that I knew
wouldn’t give me rabies.
Looking back on the hike, I really
appreciated it, because it made me get over myself. Or so I
thought….until the girls were woken up at 5am because a snake had
fallen on one of their heads. Then slithered underneath the sleeping
pad right next to her. Which just so happened to be right next to me.
We woke up to “Get up! Get up! Get up!” I have never gotten up so
fast, and that’s that I didn’t even know what it was. Once we found
out it was a snake, the entire house was woken up.
appreciated it, because it made me get over myself. Or so I
thought….until the girls were woken up at 5am because a snake had
fallen on one of their heads. Then slithered underneath the sleeping
pad right next to her. Which just so happened to be right next to me.
We woke up to “Get up! Get up! Get up!” I have never gotten up so
fast, and that’s that I didn’t even know what it was. Once we found
out it was a snake, the entire house was woken up.
After being left
in India, getting on a 16 hour bus ride, scaling a mountain for 5
hours and then being woken up by a snake….I thought the worst was
over. However, it was followed by hiking down the mountain for 3
hours, getting on another hot bus for the rest of the day which
eventually got a flat tire, and waking up at 4am to get on another bus
for the rest of that day, where there was zero air flow on a 25
passenger bus with about 50 people on it. I had a man sitting on my
shoulder, a young boy sitting on my lap, a young woman sitting on one
of my legs, and Joel on the other side of me. Then the young woman
crawled over our lap to throw up out of the window. We made it in
time for dinner and then got on another bus the next morning to
finally make it back to Kathmandu.
in India, getting on a 16 hour bus ride, scaling a mountain for 5
hours and then being woken up by a snake….I thought the worst was
over. However, it was followed by hiking down the mountain for 3
hours, getting on another hot bus for the rest of the day which
eventually got a flat tire, and waking up at 4am to get on another bus
for the rest of that day, where there was zero air flow on a 25
passenger bus with about 50 people on it. I had a man sitting on my
shoulder, a young boy sitting on my lap, a young woman sitting on one
of my legs, and Joel on the other side of me. Then the young woman
crawled over our lap to throw up out of the window. We made it in
time for dinner and then got on another bus the next morning to
finally make it back to Kathmandu.
I tried so hard to have a positive
attitude, but by the time we got on the bus after our hike down the
mountain….I couldn’t pretend anymore that I was okay.
attitude, but by the time we got on the bus after our hike down the
mountain….I couldn’t pretend anymore that I was okay.
