Manaslu with Mom

I'm in Kathmandu! We're talking about a town that has three main types of business: gear stores, book stores, and bakeries. What could possibly make this better?! Well, my mom arrived last night with a scrabble board and a box of chocolate chip cookies. Oh right. That. And then there's the small matter of trekking in the Himalayas...

We leave tomorrow morning for the 21-day hike around Mt. Manaslu, the world's eighth highest peak. I'm beyond excited to trek with my mom, even if it is going to mean losing a lot of Scrabble games. The government requires all foreign Trekkers in the Manaslu area to have a guide, so we'll also hike with a young Nepali guy named Kapil.



Beyond last-minute gear shopping, my goal for Kathmandu was to eat well, because we're probably not going to see anything but dahl bhat for awhile. I've had three burritos in the last three days. And yes, this is still Asia.

Food isn't the only thing we're leaving behind. None of the tea houses, monasteries, or homes we'll stay in are likely to have internet. Although I'm excited to get away from it all, I'm not sure what I'll do without this blog. It's possible that I won't remember anything about this trip because I won't have written it down...

So, have a great few weeks! And look for more posts from me sometime around March 27.

PS: I would have been happy even without the gear stores (that's saying something) because being here reminds me of good times with my friend Alison and cousin Katherine. I miss those ladies!