Not really, but three days idling in the sleepy town of Pokhara at the foothills of the Annapurna mountain region was just what was needed to recover from the 18 days of trekking.

I’ve just returned to civilization after a 17-day trek in the Himalayas. I know this is civilization because it is replete with cars, horns, internet connections, running water, ATMs and bakeries. Can’t fool me. And I know I went on a real trek because I can’t quite unbend my knees without taking a deep breath of pain.

Twenty-four hours have gone and the plan has changed drastically. Since my last posting, I have decided to do the Annapurna circuit trek rather than the Everest Base Camp trek. It's about the same length and level of difficulty (I hope), but I found a great trekking partner who was set on doing Annapurna. So, I opted for a solid companion for the two week duration rather than seeing the world's tallest mountain.

A little frantic with planning the trek, acquiring all the necessary gear for the trek and then the week beyond the trek when I'd like to go to Bhutan. I'm becoming less interested in figuring out this city and more interested in getting on the trek.

Arrived Kathmandu, Nepal. I am on sensory overload. This place is like nothing I've ever seen, nothing that I could ever have imagined. I checked into my guesthouse, showered and walked out into a darkening city. I walked through the narrow streets of old town, feeling my way to Thamel area, where the tourists dwell and where I planned to meet a Canadian girl I met on the plane for dinner.

Back in Bangkok. While I was away, it seems that someone turned up the heat, bigtime. The sun drenched days of Pai are but a luxurious memory in comparison. The sun is the least of the problems. When the sun isn't shining, the air is still heavy with heat, humidity and pollution. It's more like wading than walking in Bangkok.

I hear there are tons of things to do and see around Pai, but who has the energy to do them in this intense heat? From 10am to 5pm the sun blares, burns the dusty pavement into a glowing white, makes it unsafe to go out without a bottle of water in hand, beats down its intensity into a small ache in the center of my brain and saps my energy completely within a ten minute walk. So I go to the pool.