Since we have returned home from our round-the-world trip, on quiet evenings we like to play a game where we try to remember what we were doing on the same day one year ago. For example, on March 25, we remembered that one year ago we had left Ko Lanta in Thailand and flown to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. On October 25, we remembered that one year ago we had been exploring ancient Olympia in Greece.
One year ago today is a milestone that we are not soon to forget.
One year ago today, we were in Nepal.
One year ago today, we left the town of Syabru Bensi and started hiking up the Langtang River valley on the first day of our Langtang trek, which we had been looking forward to the entire trip. We chose to take the “low road” path that stayed down in the valley with a more gradual ascent.
One year ago today, on the trail we leapfrogged a few different groups and individuals, making small talk about the scenic canyon and the arduous nature of the elevation gain.
One year ago today, we debated continuing to hike for another hour to our intended first night’s stop of Rimche, but then decided to take a break for tea and chapati in the village of Bamboo.
The view from our table at the teahouse
One year ago today, at 11:56 Nepal time, at 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal about 100 km west of the Langtang valley.
One year ago today, as we were drinking our tea, we felt the ground shaking beneath our chairs. We turned to each other and asked, almost incredulously, “Is this an earthquake?”
One year ago today, we weren’t quite sure what to do in an earthquake. We thought about running into the teahouse, but changed our mind when the workers ran out of it.
One year ago today, we followed everyone up onto the raised terrace that belonged to the teahouse, and sheltered ourselves under wooden tables while boulders as big as cars crashed down from either side of the canyon.
One year ago today, we saw the teahouse we had considered running into flattened by a falling boulder.
Looking south at the teahouses immediately after the quake. Compare to the above picture
One year ago today, we followed the other tourists, guides and villagers up just above the village to an area with two huge boulders that had not moved, with a small depression in between.
This photo was taken by fellow trekker Corey: http://www.gofundme.com/tjssd5h9
One year ago today, we huddled against these boulders as further aftershocks and landslides occurred, praying for moments of calm and pleading with the Earth to stay still.
One year ago today, we stretched out for a night of fitful sleep under an orange tarp thoughtfully put up by others in the group.
One year ago today, our families and friends back in the USA heard the news of an earthquake in Nepal, but did not know exactly where we were or how badly our area had been hit.
One year ago today, we began to make connections with this group that would help us survive until we were rescued five days later.
One year ago today, the village of Langtang, two days walk further up the trek (and where we were planning on spending our second or third night), was wiped off the map when a glacier broke off on the mountain above, triggering a massive landslide.
One year ago today, in Kathmandu, the royal palace and many of the historic temples surrounding Durbar Square (which we had visited three days prior) were destroyed.
One year ago today, the building adjoining the hotel that we had stayed in while in Kathmandu collapsed, killing multiple people inside.
The same view after the quake, with the hotel just beyond in rubble
One year ago today, a villager on the trail just below where we sat was struck in the head and killed by a falling rock.
One year ago today, Or Assaraf, an Israeli trekker who had ridden on the same bus to Syabru Bensi that we did but had started his trek in the direction of the Gosakind Lakes, was killed in a landslide triggered by the earthquakes.
One year ago today, over 8000 people in Nepal lost their lives.
One year ago today, we were truly fortunate.
For more information about our experience, you can read our series on the Nepal earthquake. Many of the organizations that we highlighted in our how to help post have continued to do great work in Nepal as the country continues to rebuild, so please consider donating.
Globe Gazers 
*Our thoughts go out to you on this solemn anniversary, and our prayers for those who were lost and for those still waiting for relief…..*
Wow, amazing series. My husband and I were lucky enough to get out of Nepal 10 days before the earthquake struck, and I always wondered what it had been like if we had stayed. This was very insightful and a great read. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for your kind words!