Within 10 minutes Tej, the man behind this company, came racing to our hotel. We told him what we wanted – a good 5 day Trek and then another 5 days sightseeing in Kathmandu valley with a homestay. He was a very efficient and cheerful man. He wrote down a thorough plan, punched all the calculations into his calculator and offered us a quote (roughly $800 US each) for 9 days, 5 days trekking with a guide and porter, 3 meals a day included, tea included, sleeping bags, homestay in Pathan, buses, return flights between Kathmandu and Pokhara, drivers for sightseeing days…
The guide and porter were good fun. We ended up chatting with them all long the way, learnt great things about Nepal and its people. On our own we would have been merely observers unable to immerse ourselves, as the locals in the villages spoke little English. We learnt some Nepali through these guys. They were very hospitable, made sure we were well fed, checking if we wanted anything, informing us of the height of each range, showing us their photographs of previous climbs. We came away from the experience with two new friends and a great sense of Nepal, its friendly people, and the way of life there.
