Written in retrospect (though present tense) due to extreme shock and terror.

Well there was an earthquake. A big one. And it shook us to the core. We are alive and safe, and now stuck in Nepal for an unknown length of time.

Yesterday we took a rest day and relaxed, knowing that today (our final day of EBC trek) would be a long hike of 8-9 hours.

We set off before 7am, anxious to get the day started. We went solidly for four and a half hours with only one ten minute break. Then around 11:30am we stopped for lunch.

Then all hell broke loose. The room starts shaking, lightly at first. We look around and it took a few seconds before I calmly said, "um, is this an earthquake?" People started screaming and told us to run outside. Everyone was gathering in the streets and buildings were coming apart with rocks falling all around. The old women gathered in a big field, which looked like a pretty good idea so I went there too. It seemed to last forever but probably was only 30 seconds to a minute.

We hung around outside for several minutes after. No one appeared to be hurt, but buildings heavily damaged. We were most scared of landslides as we were on the side of a mountain.

Then we went inside to have lunch but further earthquakes kept coming and we would sprint back outside into the field.

We hurried the following three hours, anxious to get back to Lukla,the town in which we began our trek at the time we had no idea the severity of the earthquake closer to Kathmandu and Pokhora.

Over the next three hours we saw many fallen down and destroyed houses, as well as several landslides. I was anxious to get off the narrow mountain path, which in my mind, was about to landslide down the mountain, me with it.

We made it to Lukla and began learning the severity of what had transpired. We were so lucky. Only three days ago we were at Everest Base Camp, where a massive Avalanche hit. Had we decided to continue up the mountain we may have been involved in an avalanche ourselves. Who knows what could have happened. We are just lucky to be alive.

We spent the evening freezing in our unheated hostel. But we enjoyed a warm dinner and were in bed by 7:30.

Unfortunately we woke at 11:30 to another earthquake. For gosh sakes when will this end??!!

We were meant to fly out to join our new America friends, Erin and Maggie, for some pool and spa time in Kathmandu, at the Hyatt. Instead I'll continue into day 5 without a shower. No dramas, I've gone longer.

At the moment we are trapped in Lukla and the airports are closed aside from rescue missions.

Will keep you posted.