So, I woke up this morning with a very angry ankle. As I unwrapped it, Brian was like, please dont be black and blue, please dont be black and blue. I, of course thought it was too early for it to be black and blue. So, of course, it was black and blue.....awesome. And, of course, I just wrapped it back up and shoved it in my boot. It only had to make it three hours.
Our last day of hiking was a lot of fun. It was relatively flat, I'm finally feeling close to normal (of course), and my foot held up ok. We also enjoyed seeing everyone come through from Lukla at the start of their trek. Some looking prepared, some with guides, some without. One without any warm clothes or a sleeping bag...how are you going to trek without a sleeping bag? One rather large gentleman who walked by and said, 'I thought I'd give this a go'.....I dont think he had any gear. And my favorite, a girl in full make-up, short shorts, and a strappy tank top..... good luck with that as you go up the mountain....
As we walked, I tried to take in as much as possible from all of the little towns we passed. I felt like I missed so much the first time we came through. The school children, the porters hauling up the latest load (food, candy, beer, etc.), and the people in the village going about their business. It made me wonder how long the Himalayas will stay as I remember. Will these somewhat hidden villages stay hidden except to those to trek to them? Or will the modernization continue? Cell phones are already everywhere, even at the highest elevations. And, apparently for the right price, you can helicopter to Gorak Shep (the highest place we slept) and take photos. How long before the nearest road isnt more than two days walk and there really is a gondola to the top of Everest.
Once we got back to Lukla, we took a bunch of photos - group shots, us with our guide, etc. Then we had the final meal cooked by our kitchen staff - cinnamon rolls, french fries, and yak cheese...haha...I will miss these healthy lunches. It's great to be back to civilization...and have the opportunity for a (not) warm shower, but I really cant believe we're already back...and we head back to Kathmandu tomorrow. I'm sad it's over, but so glad I had the adventure.
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