Nepal

In 2005 I traveled to Nepal with two friends, Jay and Maria.  On a relative whim we decided that it would be amazing to trek the Himalayas.  This was my first exotic adventure, a few years before the inspiration for blendingtogether, and having the support of two other Americans made the uncertainty of this far-fetched escapade quite doable.

To be honest, at first I had to find a map of the world to locate Nepal.  It's a relatively small country, sandwiched between India and China/Tibet.  What is staggering is that Nepal contains eight of the worlds ten highest peaks, including Everest, not to mention Kathmandu and a treasure trove of Sacred Sites.  The Buddha was born here !!  We were sure to meet numerous ethnic groups, experience differing religious beliefs, and be awestruck by the natural beauty.

Prayer Flags at Muktinath

We planned a ten day trek in the Annapurna mountain range, hiking long distances each day, up and down the foothill mountains of the great Himalayas. We moved from village to village with our Tibetan guide, and new found friend Wangdu. Wangdu  We stayed in what they call "Tea-Houses", which provided very basic lodging and food.  Showers were rare and our muscles were excruciating, but the view was breathtaking.  We ate a lot of Daal Bhaat (lentils, rice, and curried vegetables), ginger tea, and a few selections they made for the tourists, like pizza, spaghetti, chicken and beer.

Without question, this journey was the most eye-opening, life changing, and physically challenging experiences of my life.  I'm still in awe of how much more we are capable of doing as humans... far beyond that moment when you think you can't possibly go another step.  In some ways the memory of this trip reminds me of marriage.  I'm so very, very glad I did it... but I seriously doubt it'll ever happen again. 

It gives me such pleasure to share my photo album of Nepal with you. You can view the pictures on the carousel, in the gallery, or as a slideshow (my personal favorite).  I hope you enjoy them.