Where in the World are the Wheelhouses?

   The next day dawned gloriously.  We were on the edge of a tropical rain forest, reachable only by the endless chain of uneven stone steps that have been trod for centuries.     As we loaded up our packs and got on the road again, we could hear waterfalls down in the gorge below.  Colored prayer flags fluttered in the trees, and many birds sang in the trees around us.  Many groups of hikers passed us, both going and coming.  Regardless of their native language, all of the trekkers greeted one another with “Namaste!” as we passed by on the stone steps.    The second day of trekking was to be five times as difficult as the first day, according to our cheerful guide.  I groaned inwardly, trying to imagine where on Earth I would find the strength to ascend five times as many stone steps, in the ever-increasing altitude.  I was blowing my nose constantly, and st...

    The day of our trek dawned in glorious gold light over the mountains.  This was it!  This was the event I had been training for since September.  There was no turning back now. The next morning we packed up about half our gear for the trek ahead.  Hari’s son, Sajan, would be our porter.  He would carry Rob’s big backpack that we would share, and Rob and I would each wear a 15-20-pound day pack with the rest of the things we felt we needed.  This left my huge suitcase in storage at the Eco Village with the rest of our clothing and stuff we wouldn’t need on the trail.  We would be gone five days.     Water is a scarce and precious commodity in Nepal.  Every effort is made to conserve it, both in the cities and in the mountains. We had to pack clothing that could be worn repeatedly without washing or bathing.  Most people don't bother much with the latter while on the trai...

Day Two at the Annapurna Eco Village:  We took a longer practice hike, this time to a neighboring village across a big valley.  We had seen this village from the highest vantage point of the Eco Village property.  The Village Across the valley  Hari said it had the stone steps that I must practice on, since much of the Himalayan trail system is made up of uneven stone steps set into the mountainside, sometimes almost vertically.    We headed off on the pitted dirt road that led from the Eco Village down into the valley. I was relieved – surely Hari had seen how clumsy I was on the goat path along the steep drop of the top of the mountain, and now put me on a road where I was less likely to fall to my death. But even the steady downhill pace of the road, as it wound past farms and fields, became tedious.  I was tiring after only an hour of easy walking!  This didn’t bode well for the days to come. ...

    Our Indian Land Rover-style vehicle came to pick us up at the Hotel Marigold in Pokhara for the long, bumpy 40-minute ride into the mountains to the Annapurna Eco Village in nearby Astam.      By now our guide realized I wasn’t in top condition due to the illnesses, and made some adjustments to our plans for trekking.  We would spend two nights at the Eco Village, during which we would take two “practice hikes” so he could see what my capabilities were.  I was to rest as much as possible, and enjoy the spectacular view of the Annapurna Himalayas.  The food and people were very enjoyable.  Our room was quite comfortable, with stunning morning views of the sunrise over many layers of mountains stretching forth into the horizon, and the massif of Fishtail, or Machhapuchare, looming ominously over the camp.  There were trekkers there of all ages and nationalities. We all ate ...

  At last, I get to write about Nepal.  India was amazing; Nepal was ethereal.  I have been changed forever because of my experiences there.  But we’ll start with the first two days in Kathmandu…     The only things I knew about Kathmandu came from songs like Cat Stevens’ and Bob Marley’s songs of the same name.  I had a vague idea that the Beatles had spent time there during their Eastern enlightenment phase.  My husband and his buddies spent time here three years ago, and he had shared many photos and stories of this beautiful land.  And of course, the recent Dr. Strange movie features the home of the Ancient One in Kathmandu.  I’ve been a devotee of Dr. Strange for years, so – Kathmandu definitely appealed to me.    We took a shuttle from the airport to the Kathmandu Guest House, a beautiful compound of four or five buildings around a courtyard with gardens and an...