Wrap up:

To wrap up a few thoughts on this year's trek, and on comparisons with last time:

(Note to start at the beginning of the blog - go HERE and keep hitting 'Newer Post" to follow the trek in order)

Walking in from Jiri and out to Bhandar was well worth it. Although few people do this (most fly out from Lukla), we enjoyed the feeling of being in great shape and having oxygen to breathe. We had no problem retracing our earlier steps (other than my health problems that is), and it was definitely enjoyable to be back on quiet trails again.

The changes from last time were immense. The quality of accommodation has improved many fold. We were able to have a double room every night, most lodges had facilities for showers if you were so inclined, and I think everyone had some form of electric light, although in some places it was very limited solar. The last time only Namche had electricity and I slept on the floor, or in dining rooms about 25% of the time, with most of the other nights being in dormitories. The food too was of a higher quality, though of course prices have gone up, especially at the higher altitudes.

We rented sleeping bags from Shona's (on Amrit Marg) and these kept us toasty warm the whole way. We also bought down jackets and these were excellent and are now proving their worth in a Canadian winter. I can't say enough about the ease of shopping at Shona's (fixed price and good quality).

Our favourite three lodges were:
- SunSite (Namche Bazaar)
- Sherpa Guide (Junbesi)
- Khumbila (Cheplung)

It was an interesting experience to have a porter/guide this time. I originally only decided to hire a porter/guide as a safety measure (I wanted someone there for Sara should any thing happen to me on the trek), but it was helpful to have someone along (and help this old guy carry some of the weight). You obviously don't need a guide for this trek, but for a little bit of money, you provide someone with some income, and he (or she - as there are a couple of female guides too) can help out in a number of situations. Just make sure you set the ground rules early as one of the biggest disputes can be over where you stay at night - the guide may have his favourite place (or where he gets a deal, or where he has developed a relationship), and you may want to stay somewhere else to be with people you met on the trail.

Kathmandu has changed a lot as well. No more Pie Alley, but still lots of good food. Definitely more crowded, and noisy and.....oh well. Our favourite places to eat were OR2K ( a vegetarian restaurant across from Pumpernickel bakery, and Just Pass Fast Food (On Amrit Marg, just down from the Utse hotel) where they have great Naan.

While in Kathmandu we splurged a bit and stayed at the Tibet Peace Guest House in Paknajol. This is about a 2 minute walk from Thamel, but much much quieter. There are actually 4 guesthouses up this small lane including Kathmandu Peace, and Yellow. We paid $12/night with bathroom, balcony and TV (like I said a bit of a splurge).

All in all a phenomenal time that will give Sara and I many, many memories for years to come. I would not have missed it for anything.

If you are looking for a place to stay in Kathmandu/Nepal, you can try these sites. They are run by a friend who helped us out with our porter/guide while we were there. He knows a lot about the whole trekking business: Hotels in Nepal or Kathmandu

Of course the blog posts are all in backwards chronological order, so the best place to start is to click on October posts and go from there. Or you can start here and just follow "Newer Posts".