May 20, 2013

I am finally back in Kathmandu after an extraordinarily arduous trek. But man, was it worth it! Snow capped mountains, close up encounters with yaks, flowing waterfalls from melting glaciers, the beautiful, warm and generous people of Nepal’s regional areas. Truly a life-changing event for me and a fantastic chance to re-evaluate my priorities and perspective.

I had a moment where my guide Dipak (a gentleman if ever there was one) insisted I rest during a particularly gruelling climb. I had been insisting we continue to get to our destination for the day but he demanded I stop, saying I needed a rest. He handed me some water and a mandarin and said simply: “Angie, look”.
I looked up and was surrounded by majestic mountains, a gushing river, waterfalls, tibetan mountains with their uneven coats of snow. And at that very moment, everything in my life made sense. Had things not happened the way they did, in the order they did and to the magnitude they did, I would never have found myself trekking through the Himalayas doing something which was purely for me. And right then, I was grateful for all which had gone before. And that feeling has not left me a full week later. If anything it has grown.
I love Nepal and find that my needs are diminishing daily. Give me a bed with a mattress an inch or more thick; a pillow which is not stone; a toilet which is indoors (even if it is a very smelly and cold squat toilet during minus five degrees) and I am pretty happy.
The food is astounding. Who the hell would have thought yak’s cheese would be so sensational? I am a convert to Dhal Bhat (lentil soup with rice and vegies on the side cooked with chilli) and have left meat behind me for the duration on this trip after having heard some horror food (meat) poisoning stories.
I leave Kathmandu on Thursday for probably a two week advenure. I am loving not having internet or phone access. It is amazing how that break from technology clears the mind. I like it, a lot.
I don’t know what comes next. Nepal continues to show me very few things happen as you expect. And that is cool. It really is when you are not in a hurry, on deadline and trying to satisfy the demands of 10 people at once.
I am happy. In a way I would not have thought possible a month ago. But things are changing for me and I really reckon I have to be one of the most blessed people in the world.
All the best my friends,
A