We're ba-ack!

We're in civilization! My mom's and my three week trek around Mt. Manaslu was amazing. We saw some breathtaking scenery (and the climbs took our breath away, too), made great new friends, trudged through a lot of snow, ate a small mountain of  dahl bhat (rice with lentils), and even managed to play a few (well, more than 20) games of Scrabble.

Although there were some hard hikes, my true challenge was remembering to write down recollections of the fun times we had. For the first time since about sixth grade, I actually kept a daily journal. I'm hoping to get some stories from the trail up on this blog soon, but I have a feeling it's going to take me a few days.

For now, we're safe and sound in Pokhara, Nepal's second largest city and eating as much delicious, non-trail food as we can get our hands on. We'll spend a few days seeing the sights here and in Kathmandu before heading back to San Francisco on April 3!

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.

Seven Things to Remember About India

View Full Size Travel Map at Travellerspoint

India's been a whirlwind and an adventure and a chance to spend some quality time with my dear Dad, but here are some of the things that made me scratch my head:

1) Monkeys: They're all over, running on rooftops and defying gravity. We Americans are missing out.

2) Trains: After using the railways in the US, China, Thailand, and now India, I have to say that the ones here are great. The AC isn't on too high and there are electrical outlets. Swoon. Now, if only the train stations were just a little bit less insane.

Himalayan Traffic Jam (and Other Stories)

Really India? You managed to make all this happen in 24 hours?

It all started in a Jeep bound for Darjeeling, the famous British Himalayan Hill Station. I smelled rain and got excited for MOUNTAINS. Unfortunately, the driver got excited, too. If that was his rain driving, I shutter to think how fast he goes when he isn't being cautious. Luckily, we hit a Himalayan traffic jam: a one lane road with no shoulders and 10 cars trying to go each direction!

Calcutta on Strike

The old name Calcutta brings to mind images of wild times, excitement, and poverty. Possibly that's why the government switched to the more phonetic Kolkata in 2001.

But at Sealdah train station there, finding a cab was exciting enough. There were separate lines for prepaid and metered taxis but some lines were supposedly closed and it was unclear who, if anyone, was actually in line. There was another area for tuk tuks and no matter where I stood, all sort of drivers turned up to offer me overpriced rides.

Girl Talk on the Train

At the train station on the way to Kolkata (Calcutta), I caught myself thinking, "This would be so much more peaceful in China." Ladies and gentlemen, using "peace" and "China" in the same sentence is a symptom of insanity, and I was getting there. I was weary of tuk tuk drivers pretending to get to know me while quoting exorbitant prices, sick of touts sticking around long after the first "No, thank you." After almost 10 weeks on the road, I was also just tired.

It's amazing the difference a little girl talk can make. As soon as I met the women in my train compartment--two Indian engineering students and a German fellow traveler--I teleported to a slumber party. Everyone spoke good English (After years of English-medium education, the Indian girls' English was not only fluent but pretty.) and we spent much of the 20+ hour ride chatting, exchanging photos, and watching Vampire Diaries. I finally made some Indian girlfriends!

The Taj Mahal

"Make sure you marry someone who will build you one of those," my dad advised, looking up at the Taj Mahal. Ok, Dad. I'll get right on that.

I'm pretty sure he wanted me to skip the whole death while giving birth to the 14th child thing (and the polygamy), but Dad had a point. Shah Jahan must have been pretty into Mumtaz Mahal to build her this mausoleum. And had a lot of money and power and a really good architect. If anyone knows a Mughal emperor who needs a wife, send him my way.