100th Day!

We arrived in Kathmandu after 7 pm, so it was dark when we drove in from the airport. The colours of our Thamel neighborhood were enticing, and it seemed a never-ending stream of shops, cycling through outdoor equipment, pashminas, knitted clothing, puppets, tea and tiger balm, and back to outdoor equipment. At a first impression, we thought we'd like it here.

We slept well thanks to our exceptionally long travel day, and awoke on Halloween ready to celebrate something different: our 100th day of travelling!

Most of the day was truly spent lounging and napping, but we did manage to get a few key things done - phase 1 of our Indian Visa application, laundry, and book a trek. We decided on Gosaikund in the Langtang area of the Himalayas because it is less busy than the base camp for Everest, and the Anapurna loop, yet it still boasts good views and is great for people without a lot of time. It will be eight days hiking with one day near the beginning for acclimatization.

At the end of the day, we braved the maze of streets and searched for a recommended steakhouse in order to celebrate Albertan style! After a few attempts we settled for our second choice, a cute French restaurant that proved delicious. We were also pleased to celebrate our hundredth day by it being the first day of the whole trip where we didn't have to take our anti-malaria medication!

After 100 days, it actually seems to have gotten easier. We still miss our friends and family, but we have found our stride and are not nearly as phased by uncomfortable circumstances/transportation/accommodation. And more importantly we take great pleasure from the surprise of finding a little luxury here and there; a good piña colada for Erin, and a decent pizza for Craig can go a long way. There are things we look forward to about returning home, but for now we are incredibly content and feel very lucky to have this life!