Hello friends and other special people! This post is going to be about part two of our pilgrimage. Later I will fill you in on the adventures of our Spring break, but for now this will just have to do. Enjoy!

First, I’m going to tell you about one of the more intense hikes that I have done, mostly using photos because I think those pretty much tell you what you need to know. Then, I’m going to share a few things I have learned about travelling—the good and the bad.

For the last couple days of the trip we were staying in Tso Pema, Rewalsar. This is the location of a semi-famous but completely gigantic statue of Guru Rinpoche. Here are photos of him from really close and really far away:

I wanted to share those two perspectives to emphasize the extent to which this portion of the trip involved walking adventures, which is to say a lot. Our first day we wanted to hike up to a cave where the previously mentioned guru is said to have meditated and taught. I’m not going to go into detail describing what it’s like to go on an intense walk, because I am sure each of you can related to feeling like your heart is about to explode out of your chest. But here’s a view of the halfway point. Our hotel was by that lake you see:

And here is us stringing up a massive line of lung-ta (also known as wind horses/prayer flags) that we put together all the way at the top. You can’t see the lake anymore because it’s all the way down at the bottom to the left, but the height we’ve gotten to should give you an idea of our progress:

While we are on the subject, I should mentioned that the wind horses/prayer flags are said to carry good karma out as long as the wind keeps moving them. So you write the names of your friends and family on them, and then those people accumulate merit as long as the wind keeps blowing. So some of you owe me a thank you because good things are coming your way from the foothills of the Himalayas.

Here is our group finishing up that massive chain you saw in the last photo:

Speaking of groups, here are the things I have learned about traveling in the span of just these few days, in no particular order:

1. Waiting is ok. Waiting is inevitable. Waiting is an opportunity to take a few deep breaths and realize that you’re living in a place that you can’t see on the globe at the same time you could see your house.
2. Car rides can either be miserably boring or excellent bonding experiences. Luckily for me, my compatriot travelers make excellent company as long as they stick to subjects that are not musical theater (I’m talking about you Tyler and Briana).
3. Strangers on the street and in the restaurants have some of the most interesting stories you will ever hear—whether you want to hear them or not.
4. Keeping your eyes open really means keeping your legs moving, because sometimes you have to go well off the beaten path to find the really cool stuff.
5. Take lots of photos, because it makes writing blog posts after the fact a whole lot easier. Speaking of which, here are a few more for your viewing pleasure. That's all for now friends!