I never would have thought it would be such a relief to get back to Kathmandu, but after 9 challenging days of travelling throughout numerous districts in Nepal, we were ecstatic to return to Kathmandu and the now-luxurious-seeming Hotel Annapurna! I’m still processing most of what we saw in the districts, but I feel that after these 9 days we have taken many important steps towards understanding the ‘real’ Nepal. Kathmandu is fascinating, but life in the districts varies dramatically from life here in the capital, and is in many ways much more gritty and real. From the poverty of the villages of Bara to the smoggy skies of Birgunj, the gorgeous landscapes of Pokhara to the winding roads and high tensions in Rolpa, even these very few days of travel in this country have given us a huge amount of insight into the real challenges that the Nepali people face everyday. What we’ve heard has made me both frustrated and hopeful for the future of this country, but most importantly, our experiences have given me a lot of empathy for the people of Nepal, and enabled me to understand them and their situation much better.

After a day of being typical tourists in Kathmandu, we’re headed out to one last district tomorrow before our final return to Kathmandu. Looking forward to our last adventures!