I'm finally here! It was a long ride, 20hrs or so from LA but there were no problems. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived in Kathmandu how swiftly & smoothly the Visa and customs process was.

Some differences I noted in both the China and Nepal airports, (1) you wait at a gate, then get on a tram which drops you off next to the plane. The Nepal airport reminded me more of an old high school than an airport. It was all brick and had the look of some of older schools about it.

The people I have encountered have been extremely nice. I lost one of my shoes because I took them off on the plane to sleep and, once people understood what I wanted (most of them were Chinese and spoke very little English so I ended up holding up the shoe I had and pointing to look under seats) they were very kind and helpful.

Another amusing think I noticed - there appear to be very few traffic laws here. It a chaotic, crazy mess! I'm so glad my guide from Himalayan Glacier came to get me at the airport. I would never want to drive here. There were actually some cows in the middle of the street in downtown Kathmandu - it's a big city - I was surprised!

Packed and counting the minutes!

All of my things are packed and I'm trying to calm down enough to go to sleep. I leave at 4:30 am tomorrow for the airport. I'll have a short flight to L.A.  where I'll spend 36 hrs waiting for my flight to China (did this to save money).  I have a short layover in China (3hrs or so) then I'm on to Kathmandu, Nepal where I'll spend two days before I'll meet up with my guides and my group. I don't start hiking until November 10th.

I did buy several more pieces of gear. I felt the need for security measures so I got a money belt and some locks for my luggage. I also got this UV light water purification pen.

We had some fun making lightning storms in our tap water with this. :)

I also have a headlamp and my trekking poles. I'm as ready as I'm going to get.

I received some additional news coverage during the last few weeks.

My granddaughter Kate's preschool teacher happens to write for the Deseret News so I got this great write up from her.

Deseret News Article

KUTV Channel 2 News also interviewed me:

Channel 2 News

I'm still raising funds for Room to Read.  To learn more about this amazing organization visit roomtoread.org.  To support my hike visit http://roomtoread.kintera.org/unitedstates/hopkins.

Almost there! I still need your help.

I'm down to 12 days and I'm really excited but I'm hoping to raise more funds for Room to Read. Literacy is so important; I think we take it for granted here in the United States because so many of us have these skills. Most of our children begin reading at age 5 or 6. It's hard to imagine a society where the reverse situation is true...where many of the adults are not literate. I don't think I even fully appreciate what that looks and feels like.

What I'm hoping to do is provide hope. I want children to have a life full of opportunities. I want them to have choices. I want them to believe that they can make the future any way they want it to be, through hard work, perseverance and study.

The ability to read, write and access information is life-changing!

Please help me make a difference.

Any amount will help ($5).

http://roomtoread.kintera.org/UnitedStates/hopkins

Newspapers, Broadcast News & Unusual Coincidences

Another step I took this week was to hang posters and distribute pocket flyers. Tip: Check your work. I made an error and had to rehang all of the posters. :/

I also had an interview with the Deseret News because of a weird coincidence. My grand-daughter Kate's pre-school teacher saw my interview on my daughter's Facebook post; this lady also writes for the Deseret News and does some work for KSL (Channel 5)! She decided she would also like to cover this story so she sent me a Facebook message to ask if we could work that out. I interviewed with her today, over the phone.

So, I'm raising awareness, because I'm getting lots of attention. However, so far, that hasn't translated into a lot of donations, a few, but not a lot. I'm not sure what else I can do. I went out to lunch today with a friend who does fund-raising for her husband's climbs. She basically re-affirmed my belief that I'm on the right track; I just need to keep trying.

News Coverage

I'm so nervous on camera....it is boosting awareness though, which I'm hoping will translate into donations.

Channel 4 News

What motivated and inspired me....

There are two books that greatly contributed to my decision to hike and to raise funds. The first is The Rent Collector by Camron Wright and the second is Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. Rent Collector is about what literacy means to one woman and her family in Cambodia. Into Thin Air is about hiking Everest.  I read both books within a month of each other, for the first time. The ideas from both of them have really influenced my thinking and my actions.

I believe that books inspire action. I read, now I'm acting. :)

Why Room to Read?

You might be asking why I chose Room to Read over other charitable organizations. I think, in general, people choose to support causes they feel passionate about. Literacy has always been a passion of mine. Reading came easy to me; I have been in love with books my whole life and I believe my life has been changed by the journey they have engaged me in. I want all children to have the magic and wonder that I have found in books! I also want them to have the numerous opportunities that are made available to them by becoming literate.

Education makes all the difference; it empowers, enlightens, motivates and gives hope. That's why I chose Room to Read. Read some of the excerpts from their web site and you will begin to understand why I was drawn to their efforts.

"Over 60 million primary school-aged children around the world do not have access to education and most likely will never learn to read or write. Room to Read believes that all children, regardless of gender or background, have a right to education. By empowering children through this lifelong gift, we see a world in which people are able to realize their full potential.

Room to Read had its humble origins in Nepal in 2000, where we began bringing donated books to rural communities. Today, we are a global organization dedicated to promoting and enabling education through programs focused on literacy and gender equality in education. We achieve this goal by establishing school libraries, building schools, publishing local-language children's books, training teachers on literacy education and supporting girls to complete secondary school with the life skills necessary to succeed in school and beyond."

You'll  notice that the organization began in Nepal, which also seemed appropriate, since that is where I'll be hiking. The pieces of the puzzle all started sliding into place and it began to seem like fate that all of this came together. 

Here are some of the things that Room to Read has accomplished:

Schools Constructed	1,824
Libraries Established	16,549
Books Published	1029
Books Distributed	14,588,494
Girls' Education Participants	27,159
Children Benefited	8.8 million

However, there is still so much to be done. Doesn't every child deserve an education? a book? a place to read? Please join me in my quest to make this happen. You can make a difference. If I could have all of my Facebook friends donate $5, I would exceed my goal of $1000. How much good can that do?

It would give numerous children the opportunity to achieve literacy.

Think about what reading means to you...doesn't everyone deserve the opportunities that literacy makes possible? I think so. :)