[singlepic=851,200,,,right]Nepal was one of the countries I visited during my 2001 career break. Following is an overview of our trek on the Annapurna Circuit.

I just finished my trek through the Annapurna Circuit of Nepal and it was an incredible three-week experience.  It seems like it lasted a lifetime, yet also went by so fast.  This is one of the most beautiful countries and the quiet and peacefulness of being in the middle of nowhere at this time was a welcome opportunity.  I loved the fact that for the past three weeks we were cut off from everything.  The only things we needed to know each day was what time wake up call was and how long we should expect to walk.

[singlepic=847,150,,,left]Our trek led us through so many diverse settings — rice paddies, rain forests, waterfalls, rivers, dry-desert like villages, and of course the absolute beauty of the Annapurna Range, which consists of 8 of the 14 largest mountains in the world.  Words and photos would never do this place justice. We shared the trails and campsites with donkeys, goats, sheep, water buffalo, yaks, and chickens as we climbed to nearly 18,000 feet and trekked for almost 120 miles.  And as we passed through the small villages, we were always greeted by excited children and beautiful smiles.  The Nepalese people are so beautiful and friendly and just their presence made us all feel at peace.

Our group consisted of 14 people, mostly Brits, a couple of Canadians, an Aussie and 3 of us Americans.  Considering the number of people and the extreme conditions, we managed to all get along fabulously and shared lots of laughs every day.  They are all very special people and we were so fortunate to be able to share this experience with them.  And the trekking staff (porters, sherpas, and kitchen boys) were all so sweet, and we shared many laughs, singing, and dancing with them as well.  It is sad when it has to all end, but the memories will definitely last a lifetime.

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