Ama Dablam, No Problem!

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{Pictures Added}
Haven't had a chance to catch everyone up for a few days now. Since I last left off, I spent a day in kathmandu, enjoying the company of my wonderful guide, Milan, and seeing some really incredible things. So I'll give a brief update on that day, then catch everyone up to where I am now! (Ive been writing in a little notebook so I made sure not to forget anything that caught my attention.

FIRST, I have to apologize. The internet connection here is dial up. I would be waiting for at least 3.5 years to be able to upload even a few pictures. So, when i return to kathmandu, i will be able to give you the pictoral update. I'm a bit dissappointed, but just don't have the time to wait around (or the money, its EXPENSIVE for dial up). On that note, enjoy.....


12.19 Thonka for the Curry, Don't Worry
Tour of KTM was like nothing I've experienced before. Everything was happening so quick, but there was also a feel that the pace wasn't too much for the nepali working there. First stop was a little outside the city, at Bhaktapur. This is where they filmed part of Little Buddha. Me and the guide stepped out of the car, and walked past the water buffalo field to Durbar Square, one of three palacial squares made by three separate kings at the time. The square was especially interesting because the combination of Buddhist, hindu, and even some English buildings. You would see a pagoda next to a temple next to a building with lots of windows. My favorite part here was the hindi tower which was coverd in kama sutra positions. The thought was that this would keep the moguls away, and it worked! Another cool area was pottery square. A good size square with generations upon generations who take the clay, mould it, dry it, and sell it within the same 20 feet.
I also had the urge to buy two Tibetan thonkas, made by Buddhist for meditation…that story may have to wait…
For lunch, Milan took me to the largest Buddhist stupor in the world. The atmosphere was energized. As I walked under the entry towards the stairs leading to the first level of the stupor, my ears were bombarded by Tibetan Buddhists in prayer. My eyes were half filled with burning insence and with seeing people frantically praying towards the center of the stupor (which was a pair of golden eyes staring down at you, with a long drape over the top of his eyebrows, and a long unicorn hat soaring into the sky), and my nose was dowsed with insense as well. But it was all nice, and as I allowed by body to be consumed by it, it was something close to an out of body experience.
As if this experience wasn't enough, Milan took me to one of the most sacred Hindu sights, where Indians make their way year round as a pilgrimage to visit the area, called Pashupatinath. Here, as well as many other important buildings, they have a crematorium along the river. This river meets up with the Ganges, and so the ashes move down and cycle along with the water. There are about 9 piers jutting out into the river, and when I was there, 4 were lit; 1 was just finished, so the family (sons), wearing all white and shaved heads, pushed the remaining ashes into the river. I was looking forward to seeing this for some time, and was not sure how I was going to react. But thankfully, as psychology sometimes dictates, the crowds were watching quite peacefully, and so I thought itd do the same. Not with a reaction really. Just observing.
In all, I feel powerless to react here. And maybe there is no need to react to anything, so its no problem. In vast contrast to the way I felt in Japan, in Nepal, I can relax, and take in each moment, which is as unexpected and a bit overwhelming as the last moment was.

12.20 Landing in Lukla. No pollution, just alititude.
After a 5.30 wake up call, which is starting to feel familiar on my vacations, I took a 18 seater plane from KTM to Lukla; about 25 minutes. In many ways, I had anticipated this flight, reading other peoples stories about the angled runway and unforgiving turbulence. Comparing this to the flight I took over the great barrier reef, which was in fact the exact same type of plane, this was a tame flight. A few bumps, a rough landing, but nothing else of note (except for I was one of 6 passengers, the rest of the plane, the FRONT, was filled with food supplies for porters to carry to the various villages in the area.
As I stepped off the plane, the mountains immediately hit me. They were immediately breathtaking, and mostly below 6,000m (about 20,000ft or so) which for this area is just a hill. It was hard to imagine in a week and a half, I would be near that level, looking up another 2,850m (about 10,000 feet) to the top of everest.
Me and my hilarious guide, Buddhi, jumped into Paradise lodge for a quick breakfast. It was absolute serenity, ex cept for the occasionally airplane leaving the runway at full throttle, then release the break, for its roller coaster downhill take off; which was immediately outside the window of the lodge.
The streets of lukla were dirt. The sidewalks were large enough for one Sherpa (which is a descendant of the Tibetan people from about 400 years ago; ie. small), and in the middle, the street (better named a ditch) was big enough for 1 hen to fall into; which I saw, and happily then witness it fly its way back out onto the sidewalk.
At this elevation (trek from 9,200ft---8,200—9,200), the big rigs are replaced with joeys, a version of the yak, but meant for lower elevations. We wouldn't see the real Yak until Namche Bazaar (11,200ft) where they climb upwards to the villages above 12,000 with about 160 kilos on their backs.
By big rig, I mean this in every sense. When you get caught behind a herd of joeys, you are going to have to wait for the right opportunity to pass. But they aren't going THAT slow, considering you don't wait to overextend your own energy just to get past some cow bells. Also, you need to be careful. While they aren't vicious, they just might accidentally walk you off the side of the trail, where you will have to survive the fall before considering your further options. In fact, beside this possibility, and that they have long bull horns, their eyes are friendly, and the blink softly, so they appear to have anice personality.

I gave Buddhi my small camera. So, hopefully, he can offer his perspective through the lens (although he's never used one before I figured if my cousins Reba and Billie could use it, he could give it a whirl too), and also take some shots of me along the way.

The biggest peak I've come across so far is about 7,000 meters, but still looks really huge. Also, the trail offers some fun bridge river crossings. Many times, you can look through the cracks of the bridge all the way down to the strong flowing glacial river….just trying not to have any imaginative thoughts.

As for the weather, it isn't as cold as I excpected…in the day time. Usually, once I get moving, its just a shirt with my pants, and a hat to protect from the sun as well as elevation sickness. But at nighttime, my watch read 38 degrees in my ROOM! I woke up cold a few times, and lost my breath trying to get covered up again. But I started getting the hang, and my 700 down north face tent booties help keep my feetsies warm (along with a sleeping bag rated below freezing, a flannel liner, and a blanket!).

Me and Buddhit have been making lots of good conversation and laughs. I;'ve been asking lots of questions, and we've been talking about everything from his village east of here, to my village east or west of here.


(OKAY, TIME RUNNING OUT SO I HAVE TO TYPE UP MY BORING NOTES FOR NOW: WILL HAVE TO MAKE BETTER LATER, SORRY!)

trail not difficult if pace self, I have some awesome tomato soup and fried rice for lunch. Noodles and potatoe soup and apple pie for dinner. Good cake, lots of water, and surprised at how nice and big the private hotel room in monjo was, with quaint views from window. But no heater or how water. so no shower.

Small porter, prouba, carrying lots of my stuff. Nice guy too. Easily carring more than his weight.

After lunch in Phakding, we decided to push for 1 more hour to Monjo. So, 2 hours after lunch puts us in monjo. This shaves of a hard day to Namche Bazaar tomorrow.

12.21. Trek to Namche 9k to 11.2k
Beautiful walk along river
BIG bridges
busy trail (jeys and tourists and porters)
long uphill 2hrs
Everest viewed in two different locations along the way.
Delicious orangers
At namche, arricing back in a town, sort of.

12.21 Relax Day, Climb to 12,500 feet
Tret to museum with inspiring everest and ama dablam view (no clouds)
uphill climb to old landing strip
we saw Russian helicopter, with russuian pilot, land on the runway with supplies and create a mini hurricane, with debris flying up into the sky
Fun walk downhill, reminded me of skiing.

ALTHOUGH I'VE SEEN EVEREST, I DON’T WANT TO POST THOSE PICTURES UNTIL LATER. MAYBE YOU CAN HAVE A BIT OF ANTICIPATION AS I MAKE MY WAY TO THE BASE OF EVEREST, WHERE I WILL REALLY BE THERE, AND THEN YOU CAN BE THERE WITH ME!
I'll make a special everest blog when I get back from there!


Having a blast, wish you ALL were here!
LOVE!!!!!

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Comments

[Mom]

Woke up this morning in anticipation of reading your journal. Not quite sure what the thonkas are but as I am starting to meditate I might just need to have one... As always, your writing makes me feel like I'm with you on the journey. Looking forward to the next stop. XOXO Mom