I finished my book so I went to the bookstore to see if I could find something to read.
At night it was dinner and bed. While I was reading in bed I heard someone outside and it sounded like someone was trying to get someone on a walkie talkie or something. The person was trying for a long time. Then I heard something that made me look out my window. There was a person doing a TV news item on the 50th Anniversary Climb. Today when we went to see Everest in the morning a quard told us that people were summitting today, so I am sure that was what the news was. The news was in English, but sounded Indian. Well, that was my excitment for the might.
May 23, 2003
Laurie and I were awake early so we got an early start. Nar told us the hike would be about 7 hours and it would be up and down. We started at 11,319 feet in Namche and we were climbing up right away. I hate when I first start off because I am huffing and puffing and my legs feel weak. It eventually goes away. After going uphill we then went down hill. At the bottom we were lower than we started. I felt all that uphill was for nothing. We were at 10,663 feet and we had to hike up 2,000 feet to get to our destination. The total elevation gain was about 2,500 feet and the elevation loss was about 1150 feet. It certainly is a good days work.
The day was absolutely beautiful. Clear skies with terrific views of the mountains and a cool breeze.
The last climb up was steep. I was being chased up the mountain by a team of yak. Thankfully they walk pretty slow. I ended up catching up to another team of yak. The yak herder and I talked. He was 42, but looked like 50 or more. He was bring the yak and supplies to Everest Base Camp.
The hike didn't take as long as Nar said. It was only about five hours which was nice. We are in Tengboche. It is known for the monastery here. There are 30 young boys who live here and study Buddhism. Most of the boys are orphans.
We went to the visitor center and watched a film about the monastery. Afterwards we were going to watch the prayer ceremony, but it started an hour earlier. Fortunately we can go tomorrow morning at 6:00.
It is a beautiful setting here surrounded by high peaks. Our room is only about 60 cents a night and it isn't very nice, but we have a million dollar view. Hopefully it will be clear in the morning. We had some cloud cover so we couldn't see everything.
Laurie and I met a couple of real nice young men from the US at the lodge. They stayed here last night. They went to school in Williamstown, MA. They were traveling for awhile before they go back to graduate school.
I mentioned earlier how much our room is for the night, but I didn't tell you how much it was for the last two nights. When Laurie and I got our bill we were shocked. So far the most we paid for a room was (outside Pokhara and Kathmandu) 200 rupees, which is less than three dollars. The room was 1125 rupees per night and we stayed there two nights. Okay so it was only $15. US, but it was a shock to us.
I had my dinner of fried potato mumos which was OK, I had a taste of Laurie's vegetable mumos and they were horrible. Luckily, Laurie liked them enough to eat them.
I have a cold right now, passed on from Laurie. Hopefully it won't interfer with my hiking in the altitude.
May 24, 2003
Laurie and I were up early hoping to get some good morning views. Unfortunately it was cloudy. We went back to bed and then got up about 5:45 so we could go to the monastery for their morning prayers. We thought it started at 6:00, but when we got there no one was around. It didn't start til 6:30. At 6:00 they started blowing the horns to wake for prayers. We went in for the prayer service. There were about four benches filled with monks. Most of then looked to be in their 20s. They sat on the benches cross legged. They all pray aloud, like a chant, but it was different. It seemed very fast. They then stopped and drank hot water which a boy would come and fill their cups. Then they started again. This time besides saying their prayers they used drums, horns, cymbal, and a bell.
Laurie, Nar, and I were the only ones there. We stayed for just about the whole thing which lasted an hour. We had our breakfast, packed up, and were on the trail at 8:30. It was later for us but we had a short day.
We had to go straight down the mountain that we climbed yesterday. All the way down to the river and up all they way to the top of the next mountain. The down was steep. It was pretty with rhododendron trees with white and yellow flowers.
The village that we are in is Phortse. It is a quiet village on a hillside with lots of farm plots separated by stone walls. Singa's cousin was there, working. I was there by 10:30. I spent the day reading and relaxing. I started to get a headache. I don't know if it is because of my cold or the altitude. We are actually at lower altitude than we were last night.
I talked a little bit to Singa while hiking. I asked where he slept last night. The guesthouses don't like the porters so they have to sleep somewhere else. Laurie and I saw a building that was built for the porters, but it basically was a stone shell building. There was only a dirt floor. It was worse than any shelter I stayed in on the AT. I felt bad that they have to stay there. Nar could stay at the guesthouse because he is a guide. I think I would have paid to have Singa stay with us. He also had to cook his food, rice, over an open fire.
Before dinner, Nar took us on a little nature walk. We were looking for musk deer and we saw one. Musk deer look like our deer back home, but have short legs. They are sometimes killed illegally for musk to make perfume.
