“On a Mish” #421 Changing Lives – Mine Most of All. Ganesh Himal Charity Trek (Part Six). Dhaling Besi. 7.11.2024. Final morning this morning and I think we all have very mixed emotions. While it will be lovely to sleep in a proper bed and we’re all dreaming about a hot shower, we are really going to miss the trek in so many ways…
* The peace and quiet
* The wonderful people we’ve met
* Being the only westerners around and for some of the kids the only westerners they’ve ever seen in their lives
* The amazing care and attention we’ve received
* The food
* And most of all the incredible team around us and all the beautiful people of Nepal. We packed up and put together packs for all the guys.
There were speeches including an incredible one from Mark which reduced me to tears. He said “last time I came here I was strong and could climb mountains. This time I was broken and weak. But by the time I finished the hike I had the strength of all of you.” What a massive journey this has been for him. We could not be prouder. If he can complete this walk under such tough physical and emotional circumstances he can do anything.
Up very early again to catch a cab up to the lookout at the top of the hill for sunrise. After life in our bubble it was a bit of a shock to have to share the spot with lots of other tourists. Last time we climbed a hill to see a sunrise there was just us and a monk brought us coffee! It was worth the crowds to see the sun start to catch the face of Annapurna. Back in time for breakfast and then off for a wander around Pokhara which is very touristy and a far cry from where we’ve been. Bumped into Arjun by the lake and he came by later to take Mark to catch up with some of the guides he knew.
Nice to have a cruisy day and just wander. We’re feeling like the nine days in a row of walking are catching up with us. Later in the day we had a massage at the hotel. Jeremy had a bit of a wardrobe malfunction with the ‘one size fits all’ disposable pants, much to the masseuse’s amusement. Had dinner at a very cool restaurant called Busy Bees which looked like a bit of a hippie hang out. Live music from eight but none of the three of us could manage to wait that long!
Caught the plane to Kathmandu this morning. Weather has got a bit colder and there was limited visibility on the flight. Very odd to be checked back into the Beautiful Hotel again after all that’s happened since we left here less than two weeks ago. All had lunch together at the Roadhouse which is famous for its pizzas – can feel the weight starting to creep back on!
Had to sort all our gear and get organized for Jeremy’s flight tonight to the cricket tournament in Perth. The plan was for him to leave from our farewell dinner at a restaurant with Arjun Adhikari and Gokul Adhikari‘s families. Unfortunately, he got really sick just as he got there and spent the night throwing up. Had the shivers and sweats and looked white as a sheet. He managed a quick nap back at the hotel then had to stand in a queue for over two hours waiting for the flight. Would have been a nightmare. Bit of a shame also that we didn’t get much time to talk to the families or say proper farewells.
