Trekking through the Himalayas and seeing Mt. Everest was the most amazing experience Tyler and I have ever had. I would highly recommend to put at least one of the many treks in Nepal on your bucket list. One of our favorite aspects about the trek was the ability to interact with and observe an incredibly strong and happy culture while taking in the scenery of arguably the most incredible place on earth. It is a magical place where time seems to have stood still. Both Tyler and I would describe this as a spiritual experience.
Again, the Nepalese people are what really make this trek special. They are so friendly, always smiling and eager to help. Tyler and I were one of the only people who did not hire a guide or a porter. We didn't realize that hiring a porter was the norm and also helped to give someone in the community a job. However, these porters carry an insane amount of weight--anywhere from a minimum of 66 lbs to 220 lbs! There are also many children (10 and older) and elderly people carrying these loads uphill, at altitude, and over 40 miles. They are doing this back breaking work for a meager ten dollars a day and they do it with a great attitude. Every time you pass a porter they greet you with a friendly "Namaste!" They are the strongest people, inside and out, we have ever met. We realize they do this for a job and need the money, but it still seems very immoral to allow this to happen and it was very difficult for us to witness.
Reaching Kala Pathar (the viewpoint for Mt. Everest at 18,300 ft) was the most incredible feeling of self accomplishment and was such an awesome thing to have achieved together. This is a trip we will never forget and we feel so fortunate to have had this opportunity! Tomorrow we leave for Chitwan National Park for four days where we will be doing some safaris and hope to see a bengal tiger! After that we fly to Thailand on May 4th where we are looking forward to some much needed beach time!
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