Today was our first real day of trekking. We walked from about 8a until 3:30p, with an hour stop for lunch. (I realized Joylani already covered these details in her post, but this is what we’re thinking about all day: how long we’ve walked, how much longer we’ll walk, and of course the 1 meter ahead of us We increased about 500 meters in altitude, but there was much more up and down than that figure indicates. Its kind of frustrating to hike up a steep path for a half hour and then down for a half hour and then up for an hour and then down for twenty minutes. Why they didn’t build their paths flat, I don’t know- I guess that’s why they call it Nepali flat. Anyways, I was drenched in sweat by the time we reached Jagat.

We walked 6 hours today, leaving at 8am and stopping for lunch just after 12. We started walking again at 1:30 and reached our guesthouse at 3:30, still falling and hour and a half short of our original stopping point, Chamche. It was harder today, not just because it was longer, but it was also steeper. There are lots of stairs and rocky paths—kind of like walking on a rocky riverbed. We crossed many streams and saw many waterfalls. Tall waterfalls, dropping down steep inclines, similar to Bridal Veil falls in Yosemite only not gaining as much recognition because there are so many of them. There was a lot of mule poo on the path today as there were many pack mules we passed along the way. Hazard: walking on the cliff side of a mule train. Always stay on the mountain side. Our guide once saw a mule knock a woman over the edge. In addition to big packs on either side of their bellies, the mules have big metal bells around their necks. Each one is a slightly different size and as they walk it sounds like a wind chime. The temperature is already starting to get cold. Granted, the sun is down and we’re not moving anymore, but I’m a little worried about the higher elevations and the pass. Did we bring enough warm clothes? Will we get soaked from the snow? At least colder temperatures will mean less bugs. Last night we saw the return of the Godzilla spider in the outhouse (two of them!)…it was a little unnerving deciding which was worse—keeping an eye on them or turning my back as I went (I chose the latter…they’re just too freaky to look at). There was another on in our room tonight, but it escaped to the next room through a crack in the plywood wall before Matt could work up the nerve to squish it (he said it’s just too big). Only 16 more days to go…

Crops and goods are often carried in these big baskets, carried with a large strap along one’s forehead.

An old man we met along the way.

More terraced fields.