.::. Nepal 2012 .::.

We went to Nepal in February 2012.  I have been wanting to write about it, for it may be our most memorable trip together.  It was the only trip I kept a diary and wrote daily.  The only trip which was so much pain and a very great challenge.  But before I wrote anything, almost a year has past.

I've no clue what went over me.  I'm not that adventurous, especially physically.  Yet one fine day, while watching Discovery channel, I decided that I wanted to climb Mount Everest.  Obviously there's no way I could really do that, but I set my sights on trekking around that region.  It seemed doable, but I really never expected it to be this bad.

The lack of oxygen at high altitude brought us down.  Either that or the food.  I started vomiting and having diarrhea during the 2nd day of the trek.  It got so bad that water was coming out from my butt and it's no joke getting out of the warm bed again and again into the freezing wooden cubicle with a squatting toilet. After I got better, the husband came down worse.  He even puke into his food while eating and made a mess of the whole toilet.  I still remember the smell of our puke.

Anyway, we didn't make it to Gokyo Lake and only reached Namche.  The climb to Namche was the hardest, yet so satisfying.

It was a trip which changed something in me (more than other trips).  We trekked for 5-6 hours a day and rested in the afternoon.  I read when I was well, slept when I wasn't.  It was grueling getting up every morning, knowing that it'll be another uphill climb literally.

I still remember, the day we made it to Namche.  We were half dead, barely had any strength left and haven't had a bath for days.

The lodge we stayed at Namche had quotes, which really made an impact.  Dalai Lama makes so much sense.

NEVER GIVE UP
No matter what is going on
Never give up
Develop the heart
Too much energy in your country
Is spent developing the mind
Instead of the heart
Be compassionate
Not just to your friends
But to everyone
Be compassionate
Work for peace
In your heart and in the world
Work for peace
And I say again
Never give up
No matter what is going on around you
Never give up.

THE PARADOX OF OUR AGE

We have bigger houses but smaller families;
more conveniences, but less time;
We have more degrees, but less sense;
more knowledge, but less judgement;
more experts, but more problems;
more medicines, but less healthiness;
We've been all the way to the moon and back,
but have trouble crossing the street to meet
the new neighbor.
We build more computers to hold more
information to produce more copies then ever,
but have less communication;
We have become long on quantity,
but short on quality.
These are times of fast foods
but slow digestion;
Tall men but short character;
Steep profits but shallow relationships.
It's a time when there is much in the window,
but nothing in the room.

It was really an experience, but both of us have agreed that we're not going to do something like that again!  It was our first trip as a couple, and the worst state the husband has even been in his lifetime. These are memories we share, that nobody can take away and only we would remember these moments in the years to come.  That's why I hate tours - you never ever have nearly as much fun.

Totally looking forward to our next trip together!