On Safari

Our entourage is certainly not what I'm used to.

There are 10 clients, 5 guides including a head guide (manager or sirdar and a cook), and 7 porters.

Each morning, we pack any unneeded gear in large duffel bags, carrying our warm clothing, cameras and such.  The porters tie 2 Duffles together and carry them to the next stop.  The guides lead and follow us along, guide's pace all the way.

Late morning we stop at a tea hut and have a hot lunch and tea.  Then we continue until we reach our destination.  Cookies and tea , give our orders for supper.  After we're fed and watered, most of us go to bed, after giving our orders for breakfast. Many of these places don't have electricity so there's little to do once supper is over.  Going to sleep at 7:30 had the expected consequences.  I just can't sleep for 10 hours.

Anyhow, it's not my usual way of hiking, but as our trip leader put it... When you hire a trekking company in Nepal, you're going on safari.

I will say that I'd never get into a trip like this again .. It's way too controlling, too much time standing around waiting for people to catch up...  And I hate being "guided" down a trail like a bunch of children.

The scenery, however helps to make up for some of the annoyance.  And two of us will have two weeks on our own once the trek is over.