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Update: April 2, 2008 Kathmandu, Nepal
We spent a little over a week in Kathmandu just relaxing. It was finally warm -- winter in China was cold. Food was awesome... and just overall a good feeling to be in Nepal. Our plans for April was going to Pokhara and then trek the Annapurna Circuit, a long 3 wk trek around Annapurna, one of the 14 8000 meter peaks.


Here's Nepal, sandwiched between China and India. 1.3 billion people over here ...and 1.1 billion people over there. Now that's a lot of pressure.



Time to clean up. Here's Tauru doing the laundry on the rooftop of our hotel in the old district of Kathmandu, called Thamel.



Christi catches up on her journalling on the rooftop of the hotel. We call this place our "office."



Here's a video of our "office" and a look down Thamel.



It's good to see the Nepalese are environmentally conscious. Here's a sign in the hotel room to (1) save electricity, (2) don't burn the place down by forgetting the candle (especially in the bathroom when you put it on the cheap plastic shelf), (3) don't waste water, and (4) keep clean!



Yeah, like this, Tauru! Tauru forgot the candle and ...well, luckily Christi heard the crackling of melting plastic and put it out. READ THE SIGN ABOVE, Tauru!! Fine? $5 for damages.



Here's an example of the room. $4 per night in the heart of Kathmandu. Now that's a deal! But at a cost... electricity only from 5pm to 9pm, and hot water? Best chance is between 1pm and 4pm. Probably solar heated. But it was worth... for our "office" on the rooftop.



Good 'ole Thamel.




Update: April 25, 2008 Pokhara, Nepal
The Annapurna Circuit is the second most popular trek in the world, a 100+ mile loop around the Annapurna range in the Himalaya. We spent a little more than two weeks strolling about this loop before returning to Pokhara.


From Pokhara, we rode atop a local bus (yes, on top) to Besisahar, the village where the trek begins. Then we walked the few kilometers to Khudi before nightfall.
Here is Christi enjoying the first breakfast of the trek - not bad, but the menu is exactly the same at every lodge all around the trek...



"Umm, just how long is a hundred miles?"



Tauru playing the "catepillar" game.



"We've walked a whole inch on our map!"



Hmm, a temple in the road...



"Dear Buddha, Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma, Allah, Jesus, Zeus, Cows, Elephants, and The Rain Gods, please get us over that huge 5400 meter pass and don't make us sacrificial lambs to the mountain gods! Thank you!" Tauru later added Lord Pork Chops to this prayer.



Oh yeah, this is why we're doing this crazy hike!



"I am local mountain guide sent by the holy donkeys. I am here to guide you safely over the pass!"



"Wait a minute, this is a ROAD!"



"Oh well, I think we've covered nearly two inches on that map..."



"How many generations does it take to carve terraces into the mountainside?"



"How many new terraces will be finished before we get around this mountain?"



Hey, it's Katja! She and Leroy (Aussie girl and Brit boy) talked us out of a rest day and into walking with them over the pass!
Christi is sporting the new look for Yak Fashion Magazine. Tauru's comment: "I thought leg warmers were popular in the 80's."



Crossing a bridge: Amrit, Leroy, Katja, and Christi.



Tauru's friends! Mmm... they look delicous... cute little yak burgers running around like that...



Um, is there gonna be snow on the pass? I thought we were just going for a little hike...



"What are you lookin' at?"



Video of hike to Thorong Phedi, our last village before hiking over 3000 ft up to the pass and then down more than 5000 ft to the next village.



View on the morning hiking up to "the pass". Beautiful...



"Don't slip!" Here's the "group" delicately working their way to the pass: Leroy, Gideon, Beks, and Max. Katja and Amrit went on ahead - she didn't want to pause until she was on top. Good thinking! This is crazy!



"Yeah, we made it!!" (Wasn't this just supposed to be a hike?)



Video of hike up to Thorong La Pass.



"Hey, I think we're gonna make it!"



Beautiful views...



"Thank you Buddha, Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Cows, Elephants, and Donkeys!!! Perfect weather!" Tauru: "Dear Lord Pork Chops... mmmm... pork chops..."



"Um, are we there yet?"



This trail just keeps going...



And going...



Yaaaay!!!!!! We made it!!! Here comes the gang!



Video: Thorong La Pass.



Boy, here we are - halfway around the loop. This is the highest trekking pass in the world, at 5416 meters (over 17,500 feet!)



"Guys I know we're on top, but we still gotta go ALL THE WAY back down!" It's an over-5000 ft descent to the nearest village.



"Ok," Katja ponders, "let's go before the wind comes!"



"Aww come on," Leroy says, "let's party up here! The highest trance party in the world!!"



We left Leroy and headed dooooowwwwwwwn to Muktinath, nearly a 2000m decent in one afternoon!
Here is a neat looking monastary.



From Muktinath, there's a road... "Guys, that's cheating!" But tempting... we walked though.



Why are we walking?



A beautiful view. Monastery with a view.



Tauru is drooling at Dauligiri, an 8100+ meter peak.
"I wanna cliiiiiiiiiiimb!"



Heading down...



Video: Headin' down.



Another monastery...



Hee-haaww...



Welcome to Marpa, the Apple Capitol of Nepal - and it's 3/4ths of the way around the loop!!! Woohoo!



Tauru is dancing for the mountain gods.
"I will come back and climb you!" he promises.



"Hee-haw, hee-haw!"
This is how things got transported before the jeep invasion.
Out of the loop, and back to Pokhara we go!




Update: April 29, 2008 Kathmandu, Nepal
Just wanted to update with a video below of what a hotel costs in Nepal. For $4 a night for both of us, we got a pretty nice place.


Here's a video of what $4 can get you for a hotel room. Pretty nice.




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