Bahrain

A could be disaster turned out for the best in an over-night layover in Bahrain. Arriving in the international airport at 10pm, I thought surely I would be sleeping in the lobby. The guards were pushy and short-tempered, something I was relatively unprepared for after travelling Asia. However, after speaking to the information desk, I discovered room and board is included in over-night layovers. Still, what can you expect with "free" services?
When we arrived at the hotel, I was surprised to discover a 3 star hotel with a pool, finely furnished lobby with bar and restaurant, and a room with hardwood floor, king-sized bed and cable tv. Just what I needed. I fell asleep at 2am after watching the Fast and the Furious 2 (I don't recommend it).
Breakfast, also included in the free service, was buffet style with all the fixings.

So, the best part of the ordeal? The Bahrain stamp in my passport! Thanks Gulfair!

Himalaya trek-Annapurna 1

Annapurna, in the Himalayas, is among the highest mountains in the world, just under Everest at 8091 meters. Our 18 day, 200 kilometer trek took us around the mountain and most of its subsidiary peaks as well.

We slept in tea houses or mini-hotels at night. They also had small restaurants that served everything from pizza to spaghetti to Mexican food, but it all tasted like Dahl baht, the national staple meal. Our journey was incredible and we were able to network with other trekkers from all over the world. Next time, I need to pack lighter!

Around Tibet-Everest Base Camp

After spending a week in Lhasa (Mostly recovering from severe altitude sickness!), we took a jeep tour of the outlying areas of Tibet, ending at the Nepalese border. Along the way we were able to see some amazing things, the pinnacle being Everest Base Camp. We stayed at the camp for two days in a tent hotel. Our host was a very large, jolly Tibetan man who couldn't speak much English but made a mean lunch. During our two days, we were blessed with blue skies and the world's highest peak was clearly visible in front of us.

Our journey after Everest Base Camp was hell however. We left at noon and didn't arrive at the border until around 10 or 11 pm. Most of our time was spent waiting for the road workers to dynamite landslide areas. Unfortunately, we were on a sheer cliff overlooking a steep ravine that dropped into a rushing river so our choices were limited. I never knew Scrabble could be so fun!

Tibet

Tibet!