Our last day on the trek. I’m sad as we start out. I’ve grown accustomed to the pattern of waking up at sunrise, having porridge and milk tea, trekking for hours, eating lunch overlooking a beautiful mountain, continuing to walk, stopping in a small village for the evening, eating rice or noodles for dinner, and laying down to rest at sunset. There are more people on the trail today. Lots of one- or two-day trekkers who have come in from Pokhara. I smile and greet them and they stare. There isn’t the sense of camaraderie as on the earlier days, the days when everyone had trekked long distances to be where they were.