From the cold, grey underworld of high altitude, we had now descended over three days from 17,000 ft to the sunny and relatively balmy Phakding at under 10,000 ft. In an inverse Oz sort of way, we went from a bizarre world in black and white to a comforting one in living color. Loved the vibrant prayer wheel set in the orange flowers.

We picked up something else in Phakding…Maya. A four year old orphan, Maya had a tragic start to life when her unwed mother committed suicide in light of beatings from her alcoholic father, but with the help of a local family and Deana, Maya was heading to a school in Kathmandu supported by an American foundation. Maya was a testament to human resilience.