making mountains out of deserts

I made it to Doha, Qatar, four nights ago--27 hours, many cancelled and delayed flights late--but I made it. Mandy and Eric have continued the undeserved hospitality I have received throughout my travels. We've already eaten great food, shopped at H&M, drank coffee and tea, admired the Muslim women clothed head to toe in respect of their tradition (all the while toting outrageous purses, shoes and sunglasses...you accessorize when at all possible, I guess), cried watching 'Atonement', chosen some fine fabric, been puzzled by the Islamic men's fascination with their vehicles, and I am adjusting to the sudden shift: a land of tropics and mountains to the desert of the Middle East; a Hindu/Buddhist dominated culture to that of Islam. What an honor to be a learning drifter.

But such change did not come until after Britta and I made a surprise visit to our cuties at Harka, went on trek number two with Guru outside of Pokhara, observed Nepalis choose a new government for themselves, and spent a last day in Kathmandu with Oz and friends.

The kiddos were completely ecstatic, especially Jamuna (a much lovier, hole in her achilles tendon, child [apparently she was riding on the back of the bicycle with Prim, the house father who Britta and I cannot stand, and she got her foot caught in the back wheel spokes to the point that we're pretty sure she'll have nerve damage for the rest of her life]), Tulie, Ashish, Budi, and Manish. 'Fender' (Manish's nickname) whispered "Geeraph" from behind the door and five minutes later presented us both with works of art. My mom, dad, and sisters sent clothes for each one of the children which could not have been a bigger hit. The boys proudly displayed their WWE wrestling shirts and the girls looked beautiful in all their colorful, cute outfits.

Britta and I played Santa Claus

Tulie Bulie

The youngsters with their new outfits...pockets were popular

those girls LOVED their new style!

We spent time in the fields, helped cook, slept the night away as rain thundered on the tin roof and quieted the jungle fires that had stormed through earlier in the evening. Our goodbyes the next day were less emotional with a fulfilled promise that we would, in fact, return. Minus the fact that Secil, Sarswati, Radika, Samjana, and Ishwor were absent (visiting grandparents), our visit couldn't have been better.

Day one of trek two took us on several local buses from Lakeside (including our mountain village rooftop adventure), and climbed our way to Chiso Pani (cold water) where we saw instantly rewarding sites of the Annapurna Range (the crystal clear view was similar to what took 12 days to see in Everest) and arrived after dark to a family of 9 who took us in for the night. As Guru chatted away and made friends with everyone he met, we realized that our position as observer had escalated to literal and figurative new heights. And we definitely had our first taste of Roxy, mountain-made local liquor...could have been better.

After this first day, we quickly learned that Guru's 4-5 hour estimates were more accurately 8 hours and that it was the "Nepali way" to stop and chitchat with strangers for an average of 45 minutes. And then there was the heat...oh, the heat...it made us finished with trekking. But we pressed on, and found moments of absolute joy: when we stopped on the side of the road for a break and 3 children ran from their house to happily pick fistfuls of their wildest berries; the fact that we didn't see another foreigner for 4 of the 5 days we hiked; the hospitality of Guru's friend and his family as we acted as their unexpected guests; gnawing at sugarcane; the night sky so filled with stars that it looked as though God pricked a million holes in a black-clothed sun; the nature of walking through villages, alongside river basins, and next to the Himalayas.

A sunburn, calloused feet, hot showers, a little internet (when gloom entered my heart as I realized my Memphis Tigers had lost while I was in the mountains), and good food later, Britta and I had left Pokhara and given a last hoorah to Kathmandu. We feasted with Oz and his friends Greg, James, Alice, Kylie, Tim & Mai (who were the cutest couple/hosts that had been working for USAid since the Kennedy administration)--couldn't imagine a better send-off.

Britta is in England having an hilarious time, I'm sure, with our friend, Hayley, and I will be spoiled for the next few days here in Qatar, and enter the United States of America Saturday night. We are both so excited to see family and friends and to soon start the next chapter of this life. Thank you all for participating in our story--one that has inevitably shaped my character, passion, and family--who knew the youngest of 3 girls would ever have so many younger siblings herself!

More photos will come stateside. Until then, peace, grace and love to all, Becca.