Heading off to Nepal

It's hard to believe that the day is finally here. I leave Phoenix at 5pm and board my long flight (17.5 hours) tonight at 11:10PM. I arrive in Bangkok early on Sunday. There I have a four hour layover before boarding a relatively short (3.5 hours) flight to Kathmandu. I arrive there in the early afternoon. I will try to get my permits and errands done in one day and leave the following day but it is likely that I will stay two nights to recover from the jet lag. This is the likely route I will take. I am hoping to do the Annapurna Circuit plus the Annapurna Sanctuary.

Today I have gone over my gear to try and get it just right. I don't want to take too much as I have to carry it on my back but I don't want to forget that one thing that might make my trip significantly more comfortable. Below is a list of what I am taking on this trip - including what I am wearing on the plane. I thought it might amuse you.

• 3 pairs of underwear
• 4 pairs of socks
• 2 pairs of hiking pants (one pair convertible to shorts - however, it is not culturally appropriate for me to wear shorts)
• rain jacket and rain pants
• thermal underwear bottom and top (merino wool poly mix)
• two short sleeve merino wool tops
• one light-weight poly short sleeve top
• one long sleeve merino wool top
• another long sleeve top (either cotton or poly - not yet sure - as I am wearing it on the plane I have about another hour to decide)
• fleece
• down vest
  
• hat
• gloves
• backpack cover
• three water bottles
• water purification tablets
• ipod nano (with various music and audio books)
• camera plus three extra batteries and four extra memory cards
• lots of toilet paper (not available in most places on the trek)
• Dr Bonners soap (18 uses including shampoo and clothes detergent)
• toothbrush and toothpaste
• medical kit (to be supplemented with antibiotic and giardia treatment in Nepal)
• guidebook
• composition book (for my manual blog)
• Biology study book (to study for the next teacher exam I have to take)
• pens
• flip flops
• water proof Keen hiking boots
  

It will be very warm humid jungle at the start of the trek and then freezing as I go over the high point. Apparently the lodges can be quite cold (no heating). You may have noticed that I have included lots of merino wool. It apparently doesn't hold smell. We will see how this holds up. I am not sure how many showers/ baths there are along the way. Not much else to say but wish me luck (no altitude sickness, no injury, no other sickness).