Nepal 2023 Blog
Animal Kingdom
By Jenna McCarthy
March 20, 2023
It was a relatively flat start as we trekked along a ridge line that had views of a valley. We stopped for tea and biscuits. The biscuits here are Oreos and digestives.
After our brief stop, we hit more uphill climbs until we broke for lunch. The place we got lunch was my favorite place yet because they had animals and a heater! One cat cuddled up next to Eric Jamous, and the other cat took a nap next to Andrew Jillings.
Some of us went out behind the tea house and saw four puppies. Three of the puppies took a nap on top of each other which was adorable. Abigail Moone was also petting a puppy that fell asleep in her lap. The lodge also had chickens, which gathered under the table when it started to rain. One of the chickens had black feathers with gold streaks - very cool!
Then, we went uphill again through a forest, except this time there was a goat intermission! There was a dog with a bell and a person herding the goats - there were at least one hundred of them in the middle of the forest! We also saw monkeys there, and Dawa was not a fan! (Dawa is one of our guides - he tried to teach me how to count to 10 in Nepali, but that's still a work in progress)
When we got to our destination, we were surrounded by the prettiest pink flowers (rhododendrons) that grow in multiples atop the trees. We also saw views of Fishtail through the clouds which was a breathtakingly beautiful sight. It looked like something out of a painting. As I read my book, I watched as the valley was slowly engulfed by fog, and the view was concealed.
We ate dinner in another lodge that had a heater! We used the clothesline inside to hang some of our wet gear from the day and left it to dry overnight. We also had warm chocolate pudding for dessert which was welcomed with hoots and hollers! Some of the boys also bought Fanta which tastes different here since it’s made with cane sugar (fun fact)!
Writing this blog again in the morning, and the weather looks good so far!
Jenna (“Elizabeth Siminitus told me that I look like a middle school boy”) McCarthy '23
