It’s the last day of the year and I am at this incredible place in the himalaya at the Annapurna Base Camp! I get up early to enjoy the mountains at night with all the stars you never get to see in towns. There is no better place to put things into perspective, reflecting on the past year and everything I want to change in 2016.

Suddenly I feel dizzy and sick so I head back to my room to have another short rest before taking my breakfast and starting to hike down, back to Chomrong. I don’t take many pictures and am just focused on hiking, trying to ignore my painful knee. I am happy to have been at ABC, but why did I do this to myself knowing that my knee couldn’t take it anylonger? It seems I can never stop myself if I really want to do something, but I have to look after myself more carefully… next time 🙂

Climbing up the stairs in Chomrong is even more painful than expected after having hiked so much the last days. I am unsure where to stay, its New Year’s eve and I would like to stay somewhere with plenty of people. But Chomrong is very big and all the guesthouses look empty. In the end I just stop somewhere, ask if they have hot water for a shower and take the room. I enjoy the warm shower to start at least clean into the New Year. In the Dining Hall is a family from Tasmania, parents with 4 children, guides and porters and I really enjoy talking with them. They stayed in Germany a while ago and we share travel tips. I can also talk to the guide to get advice on how I can best “escape” from here without walking too much further. He recommends that I hike to Siwar and get a Jeep there, it should only be 4h to hike next morning.

The family and I have dinner together and wish ourselves a Happy New Year for Tasmanian’s new year, at 6:45pm Nepali time. Perfect for me, I am cold again and tired and just want to sleep into the New Year!

The next day, I skip Jhinu Hot Springs (although I was adviced that its a must!) – but I cannot face more stairs up and down with my knee. The first hour I can handle but then its only a painful hike until I finally reach Siwar. I am very lucky to run into a small group who  also want to take a jeep. Their guide already ordered one and with me it’s only 1,000NR per person. 10$ is nothing for a couple of hours or road into the center of Pokhara, especially as I cannot walk anylonger.

Sometimes when you most need it, the luck is on your side!