Yes, it's been a long time since we've posted so there is a lot to catch up on. The rush of the school year seems to be a sprint from day one. We returned to Dubai in late august to find our apartment all ready set up and ready to go...which was a relief compared to our first year here when we had to start from scratch with an empty apartment.
As usual the school year has been fast and furious for Jenn in Kindergarten and me in the high school counseling office. It was great to reunite with our teacher friends again who did loads of traveling of their own during the summer break. It's always interesting to hear the places have gone on their way to or from Dubai.
Eid Holiday Nepal!!
Over the summer a small contingent of teachers decided to start planning for our first long break of the school year. This year the second Eid holiday was set for the last week of October providing the perfect timing for a trek in Nepal. Our friends Ryan and Kathleen had been to Nepal a year or so ago when they visited the Pokhara area. So this time around we decided to go somewhere that would be new for everyone and opted to book a trek in the Everest region.
This was my second trip to Nepal- the first trip was exactly 10 years ago. So I spent my 24th birthday in the mountains of Nepal, and now my 34th birthday in Nepal. It was so great to spend the birthday with great friends in an amazing place. Here are some of our best pics from the journey...
The trek was set up for us by VistaTreks. We had several porters that carried our big packs so during the day we only had to carry our day packs. Each day we trekked for about 5-8 hours stopping for lots of photos, and then had tea and played lots of cards (and dice) games in the warmth of the lodges where we stayed. Getting higher in elevation we got colder and colder, sometimes sleeping in multiple layers along with our sleeping bags. The views of the Himalayas were unbelievable. The photos really don't do it justice. It's incredible to think that we were sleeping at 13,000feet, which would be the tops of the mountains in Colorado. And from our highest point, there was still several days of trekking to get to the Everest base camp. The entire network of lodges is supported by sherpas and yaks that carry everything from rice to beer to candy bars up the mountains for the the trekkers. Throughout the trip we found the Nepalese people to be kind and very welcoming.
After several days trekking back down the valley we reemerged in Lukla where we stayed the night before flying back to Kathmandu. Here are some pics from the end of the trip and our time in Kathmandu.
Overall, Nepal remains one of my favorite places in the world. Trekking in the mountains is amazing because you get to meet the people and experience the culture up close and while moving through it. The people are incredibly welcoming and open about sharing their traditions. And also, after 8 days of trekking it is really nice to return to Kathmandu to eat good food and relax after all the hard work. I hope we can go back at some point and do the treks in the Pokhara region.
As usual the school year has been fast and furious for Jenn in Kindergarten and me in the high school counseling office. It was great to reunite with our teacher friends again who did loads of traveling of their own during the summer break. It's always interesting to hear the places have gone on their way to or from Dubai.
Eid Holiday Nepal!!
Over the summer a small contingent of teachers decided to start planning for our first long break of the school year. This year the second Eid holiday was set for the last week of October providing the perfect timing for a trek in Nepal. Our friends Ryan and Kathleen had been to Nepal a year or so ago when they visited the Pokhara area. So this time around we decided to go somewhere that would be new for everyone and opted to book a trek in the Everest region.
This was my second trip to Nepal- the first trip was exactly 10 years ago. So I spent my 24th birthday in the mountains of Nepal, and now my 34th birthday in Nepal. It was so great to spend the birthday with great friends in an amazing place. Here are some of our best pics from the journey...
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| A few of the ladies preparing for the flight to Lukla- about 30 minutes but very nerve racking. |
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| The streets of Lukla- launching point for all treks to Everest region |
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| The trek begins |
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| Our first big bridge crossing on the way up to Namche Bazaar |
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| Arriving in Namche. It was a 5 hour slog up the hill so we were happy to arrive. Obviously it was a bit colder up here. |
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| The view from our hotel in Namche Bazaar- about half way during our trek. |
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| Our fearless guides - Ghani and Kissour |
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| Robbie, Ryan, and Jimmy |
The trek was set up for us by VistaTreks. We had several porters that carried our big packs so during the day we only had to carry our day packs. Each day we trekked for about 5-8 hours stopping for lots of photos, and then had tea and played lots of cards (and dice) games in the warmth of the lodges where we stayed. Getting higher in elevation we got colder and colder, sometimes sleeping in multiple layers along with our sleeping bags. The views of the Himalayas were unbelievable. The photos really don't do it justice. It's incredible to think that we were sleeping at 13,000feet, which would be the tops of the mountains in Colorado. And from our highest point, there was still several days of trekking to get to the Everest base camp. The entire network of lodges is supported by sherpas and yaks that carry everything from rice to beer to candy bars up the mountains for the the trekkers. Throughout the trip we found the Nepalese people to be kind and very welcoming.
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| This trekker is powered by Tang! |
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| One of the many prayer wheels we came upon during the trek |
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| On the way up |
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| Two tall dudes and two smaller dudes- Maurice and Ryan with our guides. |
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| Me and the wifee |
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| Encountering yaks was a regular occurrence. Although gentle animals they do have big horns so we tried to stay out of their | way. |
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| The DAA trekkers- with a view of Everest in the background |
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| This is the monastery in Tengboche which is one of the oldest in the region. |
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| Panoramic View of Tengboche looking back down the valley we had walked up. |
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| At the Monastery we saw the monks putting on several ceremonial dances. |
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| A birthday treat- Jenn found a bakery in town and I was lucky to have birthday cake with a lodge full of trekkers singing. |
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| Ten wonderful years later- I found myself back in the mountains of Nepal for a birthday. |
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| All the Lads |
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| Heading back down the Mountain. |
After several days trekking back down the valley we reemerged in Lukla where we stayed the night before flying back to Kathmandu. Here are some pics from the end of the trip and our time in Kathmandu.
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| Arriving in Lukla- tired, dusty, and sweaty. |
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| This picture is out of order, but this was the view of Everest in the morning at Tengboche. |
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| Finishing the Trek in Lukla |
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| Maurice looks thrilled to be done! |
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| The flight back to KTM |
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| The Monkey Temple in Kathmandu sits high above the city with great views of the valley |
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| This is the monkey that jumped on Jimmy and stole his cotton candy. Probably one of the funniest and scariest moments of the trip. |
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| At the Temples of Durbar Square |
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| At Boudhanth, just outside Kathmandu, this temple is a pilgrimage site for Buddhist monks from all over. |
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| Durbar Square |
Overall, Nepal remains one of my favorite places in the world. Trekking in the mountains is amazing because you get to meet the people and experience the culture up close and while moving through it. The people are incredibly welcoming and open about sharing their traditions. And also, after 8 days of trekking it is really nice to return to Kathmandu to eat good food and relax after all the hard work. I hope we can go back at some point and do the treks in the Pokhara region.
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