What to do? Kathmandu!- Mar 5, 2011

Buddhanath

Durbar Square

Pashupatinath

Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal and was a completely different experience than Pokhara and our trek.  It has the rich history of Durbar Square and the religious epicenters or stupas of Pashupatinath (Hinduism) and Buddhanath (Buddhism).  We spent our quick day hopping from one place to the next and soaking it all in.

Chilling in Pokhara- Mar 4, 2011

The first time through Pokhara we really didn't get the opportunity to enjoy the town as we were busy preparing for our epic trek.  This time around, we took advantage of the cute, small town.  We spent a morning paddling around Lake Phewa, ate a lot of ice cream, and let our blisters heal.

Day 7: Finishing up the Trek- Mar 3, 2011

It was the end of a glorious week of tranquil hiking.  Just climbing and breathing and just focusing on moving forward/up/down in the quiet serenity of the mountains.  While the nights were cold, the days were gorgeous.  We were all a little bummed when we heard the sounds and sights of civilization again.

Celebrating Shivaratri in Hile- Mar 2, 2011

Roasting sugarcane on the bonfire

Shivaratri is the Hindu celebration of the god Shiva's birthday.  We happened to be in the town of Hile for the night and were invited to hang out with the locals for the night.   We started out the night trying out the local Raksi wine, a strong fermented rice wine, then we roasted and "banged" sugar cane on the fire-- firework-like explosions echoing through the valley-- and had a merry time.

Day 6: Poon Hill- Mar 2, 2011

We woke up before dawn and hiked up to the 3210m of Poon Hill to see one of the best panoramic views of the Annapurna Himalayas in the region as the world was waking up.  To one side we saw the blue misty hills melting into the skyline and to the other we saw the giant peaks of the Annapurnas.

Day 5: Tadepani to Ghorepani- Mar 1, 2011

 So this was the first day we experienced the treacherous ice and snow of the mountains.  Don't worry, I only wiped out once. :)

Day 4: Chhomrong to Tadepani- Feb 28, 2011

By day 4, I finally got my altitude legs underneath me and sounded less like a really pregnant lady hyperventilating.  It was another up and down day where we went down one "hill" and up another.  Funny how they are not considered mountains unless they are over 6000m here.  Not so in Kansas.

Cutest little kid in Nepal