Trekking

      After my grant officially ended, two other Fulbrighters and I spent two weeks trekking through the mountains of Langtang. Two weeks well spent. 

     It felt great to spend the day with no other focus or worry than simply hiking our way to the next village on our route. It was both mentally and physically refreshing. In addition, I encountered an almostly completely new culture (that of the Buddhism-influenced Nepal) and many new wonderful people. 

      Though I also have many of words to share about this experience exclusively, I'm limiting this to a post of photos. They capture the feeling, the awe-inspiring views and wonder, best. Long story short? If you ever find yourself asking the question, "Should I spend two weeks or more dedicating the entirety of my day to hiking through breath-taking mountains," know that the answer should always be yes. 

With the Mountains of Tibet in the Background

Skirting the Edge of the Mountains

Ellen with one of our trusted guides

A Buddhist Wedding

Forests and River Trails

Taking It All In

Here especially - Beauty is Everywhere

Bridge Crossing

Langtang Mountains

Kyanjin-Ri: The Day We Became "Real" Mt. Climbers

A Buddhist Gompa

A Bridge Along the Trail

Memories of a Lifetime

Other Note-worthy Travels in Nepal:

A Lake Near Pokhara

View over Pokhara

Kushma Bridge
(the longest and highest suspension bridge in Nepal)

*Unfortunately, the Langtang area in which we trekked was one of the areas hardest hit with destruction by the recent earthquake. If you are interested in donating, here is the link to an organization getting aid specifically to those communities. It is affiliated with people I knew while in Nepal and trust it will make good use of any donations. (You can donate through the little blue button in the top right corner of their page).

http://langtangdisaster.org/en/

Another local relief effort:  https://life.indiegogo.com/fundraisers/relief-for-ramche/x/10975577
                            
Thanks!