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November 11, 2008
I lie awake trying not to listen to the romance that seems to be budding in the next room of our tea house. Separated by only one sheet of very thin plywood the two trekkers paired in the next room apparently have no idea that we can hear every giggle and flirtation.
I chuckle to myself as I zip up my sleeping bag, put in my earplugs, don my trusty headlamp and continue to read "The Art of Happiness" by the Dalai Lama, hoping that I will somehow be overcome with sleepiness since I have not slept much in the last two nights after starting our two week trek through the Annapurna Sanctuary. In the absence of sleep, however, maybe I will become spiritually enlightened in the next 8 hours.
Reading becomes a bit difficult as I am incredibly itchy from the combination of my dry, unshaven legs and the baby powder that Johnson and Johnson promised would keep my skin "silky soft, fresh and comfortable".
Every couple of seconds I have to scratch my knee or thigh or somewhere incredibly inconvenient like my calf while within my sleeping bag and sleep sack. Making the prospect of sleeping even more dire is the fact that with each movement I make, the noises of my shuffling about sound exponentially louder since there is no electricity and everyone is trying to get to sleep. Except of course for Paula and Andrew who are still giggling and flirting in the next room.
I turn off my headlamp, kiss James goodnight and repeat the melodic Tibetan chant that is so commonly heard on the streets of Nepal, "Omni mani padmi hum, Omni mani padmi hum" It works. I drift off to sleep.
November 12, 2008
4am. The morning air is crisp and cold. I shiver as I put on every single layer of clothing that I brought. Tank top, short sleeve shirt, 2 long sleeve shirts, fleece sweatshirt, a fleece vest, Woollen hat and mittens and my borrowed, Kathmandu faux northface down jacket that makes me look like a green and black Michelin man. We begin our trek to Poon Hill.
It is dark as we climb along the narrow rocky track passing some trekkers huffing and puffing in the thinning morning air. Breathlessness is understandable given we have now reached over 3200 meters. We continue on and arrive to get prime seating for the sunrise.
We can just see the faint orange glow starting to permeate the Annapurnas to the East. The moon had yet to set behind the Dhaulagiri range as thick cotton ball clouds covered the valleys below us. We are on top of the clouds! Each breath steams right in front of me. James returns with a hot lemon tea, puts my hand in his and we wish each other a Happy Second Anniversary.
The changing colors of the mountains announces the pending arrival of the sun. The first rays of the morning sun stream across the top of the clouds. Despite the crowd, it is silent. We seem to be alone watching this magical, almost heavenly sunrise. There is no other place I would rather be.
November 17, 2008 Annapurna Base Camp
6:30am After getting over my initial bout of insomnia the first several days of our trek, I am now sleeping like a champion. I am seriously considering sleeping in a sleeping bag when we return home. Still warm from the thermos that I filled with boiling water to keep my sleeping bag warm through the night, I get ready quickly trying to change within the confines of my sleeping bag so as not to get too cold. Today we have a short trek to Annapurna Base camp. It seems longer than a week ago that we started on this journey.
As I set off, scenes from the past week flash through my mind. The many different Nepali villages, women working in the millet and barley fields armed with machetes and dokos. Porters, almost defying physics, carrying huge loads up and down the mountain and most only wearing flip flops. Walking through rice paddies, crop fields, temperate jungle and dense rhododendron forests. Having to negotiate many water crossings and seeing countless waterfalls. It is amazing the different landscapes & people we have encountered in a short time.
Suddenly aware of my shortness of breath I stopped and took a look around me. We were surrounded by the immense Annapurnas. We made it.
A small celebration was in order so after dinner James had an 'Everest Beer' and I stuck to the hot cocoa. Despite the freezing cold we stargazed that night before bed as the night sky here seems to have 100 times the amount of stars. Maybe its the lack of electricity or just the fact that we are 4000 meters closer to them.
November 23, 2008
I sink into the seat of the taxi, my knee resting on James' as I tilt my head back on the head rest behind me. It is the first time we have heard or seen a motorized vehicle in two weeks. I instantly wish we were back in the mountains. There is definitely a mystique to this Alpine region of Nepal. It is a world so far removed from what I am used to and so I am sad to leave, however, I know I'll soon be excited to begin another adventure.
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