Nepal Disaster

This past week I have felt so bad hearing about all the trekkers and Nepalese people who were killed in a horrific snow storm in Nepal around the Annapurna Circuit. Thus far they have recovered 43 people, 21 foreigners and 22 Nepalese. This is the exact time we were there last year, but did a different route (we were going to do that one). After spending over six weeks there the past two years we really feel for all those involved! Our first concern was for the guides and porters we had had, but after emailing them have learned they are fine. This is such a devastating event for the people of this country. They are such a poor country and events like this really effect their economy. We learned first hand how humble and how hard working they are, especially along the trails in the Himalayas. I wanted to include a few pictures of some of these people and how they have touched our lives.

The Nepalese are very religious people with Hinduism being about 90%. However, members of the Buddhist faith are often so closely linked to those of the Hindu faith that it can be difficult to tell them apart. Here is a young girl praying close to one of the large Stupas (temples).

Around the Stupas you see many youth that are Monks. These two below are girls.

All of them shave their heads.

This person is throwing paint onto the Stupa in remembrance of a beloved ancestor.

There are lots of open markets in Kathmandu. It amazes me how they can squat like that for hours!

These are our faithful porters and guide.

Amrit, Ram (guide), Kumar & Min

Behind them is Dhaulagiri 26,795 Ft. 

We would trek right through these small villages and stop and eat at one of the local tea houses.

Makes you appreciate your stove!

Dal Bhat is pretty much what all the locals eat. It is basically rice and lentils with some kind of sauce. They mix it all together and eat it with their hands. They will eat 2 or 3 plates of this.

We were surprised when we arrived here to spend the night and they were cutting up a yak they had killed that day. Guess what we had for dinner? Yak momo's.

These were carried by porters who would be delivering food or other things to the locals in various villages, not for trekkers.

They were fluffing up the cotton for bedding here.

Ram was our guide and normally didn't carry a pack, but sometimes he would relieve one of the other porters to keep in shape.

Amrit and Min washing their clothes.

We saw soooo many women harvesting crops in the fields.

I could never make it to places like this without those faithful guides and porters.

Annapurna Base Camp

I just want to say God bless all those humble, happy Nepalese who lost their lives the past week.

We have grown to love Nepal, the people and the mountains.  That's what keeps calling us back and why Russ and I keep talking about going again! We love you!!