Eat, Love, Pray, & Trek

So not the most original title but there is a lot of purpose and truth about my life on the trek in it. I just returned to Pokhara this morning after a 15 day trek around the Annapurna Circuit. Wow! What an experience, amazing doesn't begin to describe the personal growth, the physical challenge, or the majestic views of the journey. My intention was to blog along the way, however internet access was very few and far between. I didn't mind though, and because of a great idea of a close friend, I journaled every day. So I'll start from the end, that is the end of the trek but surely not the end of my journey. I've always liked stories that start at the end. You're still left wondering what is to come next.

June 05, 2011 we arrived in Jomson, what we thought was our second to last stop. The day started bright and early in Muktinah,which is the next district after the pass.. but we'll talk about that climb we get there ;) Muktinah is a holy city, attracting many Israelis, Tibetans, and Indians to come and visit the many beautiful temples. It's a place where both people of Hindu and Buddhist faith can come, practice, and celebrate their religion freely with an understanding and together without objection from either side. It's a great picture of how we can believe in different ideas but still have peace.. what a concept. As per usual, we started the day with Tsampa porridge, coffee, and some reading at the guest house. After our breakfast routine, we went to the safe drinking station, filled our bottles with fresh water, checked in at the police station and then headed on down the road for a five hour trek to Jomson, where we would book a plane ticket back to Pokhara, and then planned on continuing on to Marpha which the Lonely Planet (and our personal guide) describes as the trekkers favorite on the other side of the pass.

After going through the pass, it was an easy stroll down a wide road to Jomson. The sun was hot and instead of being in the middle of the jungle or the mountains we were now in the middle of a beautiful canyon that seemed to continue on forever in every direction. The rolling hills and dusty roads reminded me much of Canon City in Colorado.. only twice the size. It was hard to keep up a good pace when my eyes kept looking straight up at the enormous white peaks that rose and shined above the red and purple rocks. Five hours to trek left a lot of time for thinking. Most of the time I would talk to myself (no shame in it) to God, or make mental notes of what to blog about. I often too thought about this idea of community, of being a body, and of each having their own part to support and contribute. What was the truth in it, why should it be shared, and how did it connect with Women Change Makers and Empowering Women of Nepal?

About noon time we stopped in the little town of Kagbeni to have lunch, reload on carbs which is all we have eaten for the past 15 days! It was about noon or so when we stopped. As we were waiting for our meal this huge gust of wind started throwing rocks at the restaurant windows just about the time I was reading in Lonely Planet that you should be out of the area we were in by 11 a.m. because of the strong head winds.. 11:00 huh.. we still had over an hour or so to get to Jomson, and about two hours or so to Marpha. Well we hurried up and ate our meal and I threw back some Seabuckthorn juice, which is from a plant in the mountains that is chalked full of vitamins and nutrients. Makes the body strong! Looking out the window we could see the dust, silt, and rocks of the trail flying in the wind. We put bandanas over our faces and headed out into the wild unknown.

If it wasn't for the heavy pack on my back I would have surely been flying to Jomson. There is no exaggeration for how strong these winds were. Being in the middle of the dessert surrounded by mountains, the wind is trapped and you could tell it doesn't like to be caged in this valley. I put my head forward and picked up the pace so not to get knocked around. It was always something, there was hardly a time when it was just easy breezy trekking. If it wasn't the hot jungles, bugs, and big hills then it was the high altitude, wild yaks, and big hills. Now it was the beaming sun and the forceful winds that helped pass the time and make our bodies work very hard. At one point when Jomson was clearly in sight I began to almost run against the wind over the dried up river. I gained speed on some porter horses and ran along side of them, shouting encouraging words to them with hopes I too would believe this soon would be over.

We reached Jomson which is a fairly large city especially compared to the little villages we had been in. The airport was on the whole other side of the city so still in the craziness of the wind we passed shops, guest houses, restaurants, and schools over the bridge to the airport. When we reached the travel agent we were relieved, out of breathe, and bright red in the face from sunburn and from being pummeled by rocks. We asked for flights out on Tuesday as we had planned to head further to Marpha for a day then back track to Jomson. Unfortunately however the only day open to fly was the next morning, Monday, canceling our plans to visit Marpha. Well that is life.

We stayed the night in Jomson at a little guest house/German bakery. I spent the evening eating apple momos and gazing up at the beautiful white and grey mountain that is Nilgiri. She is wonderful in all her glory! Monday morning we boarded a small plane and took a half hour plan ride through the roaring hills, over the green farmlands, passing the Annapurnas heading back to Pokhara. And here is where I sit and write to you.

Each day was new. Each day has its own story. Each day was full of wonderful surprises, unforgettable views, new friends, challenges of all sorts, and a warm meal at the end of the day. For 15 days I began to understand how simple our lives can be and yet how wonderful and fulfilling. For 15 days I trekked through the jungles, the mountains, and the valleys. I ate some of the most satisfying food I have ever tasted. With limited resources they sure do know how to work with what they have! I loved and befriended the guest house keepers, the warm faces of the villagers, the interesting and wonderful fellow trekkers I shared meals and card games with. I spent time praying over the communities I passed, the workers in the fields, the amazing people in the stone villages. I also spent time praying and mediating on what these people and how their lives could influence and teach me.

So here I am from the starting point, Lakeside Pokhara, Nepal and it doesn't quite feel like I've been roughing it in the mountains for over two weeks yet. I am anxious to take you through my journey so I too can keep it fresh in my mind all the moments of the days spent trekking, eating, loving, and praying. There's a quote that really explains my feelings post-trek, that I will talk more about when I get to that day in my blogging. But it really does hold value that its not about the beginning or reaching the end, but it's about the moments and steps in between that we are here, now, with the people we are with, doing what we're doing. No matter how far we get, there is still more, and for that I'm glad that this isn't the end, especially in Nepal. Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb." - Churchill