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Published: December 6th 2012
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In the main lodge/meeting room there are 6 tables down one side of the room, a further 6 tables down the other side of the room, and at the end where the dung-heater is there is another table between the two rows on either side of the room.
I am sitting here reading my book on "History of the Second World War" - a somewhat weighty tome that is drier than the Nepalese air, and I am having trouble getting through it. The sound of german voices catches my attention and I look around the room.
To my left are 3 tables of American trekkers. I sit on the table of Aussie trekkers, and surprisingly to my right are two tables of my British compatriots to whom I have not even spoken to. On the opposite side of the room occupying all 6 tables are a large group of German trekkers - with chiselled jaws, several all dressed in black and fair few of them getting their way through several cans of San Miguel.
Between these two rows of tables - the Germans on one side, and the Americans, Aussies and British on the other, was the single table I mentioned next to the heater - and that table was occupied by the French trekkers. You just couldn't make it up! The "neutrals" by the way (e.g. Nepalese) were at the other end of the room huddled round there own heater, but next to the less attractive door leading out into the cold.
From my observations, it is clear the German trekkers have identified the strategic importance of the heater and have already plotted how to extricate the French trekkers from this valuable asset. In an impressive pincer movement, two Germans maneuver their chairs swiftly around the heater cutting off the French table from the heat. A further two more Germans join up with the advance brigade and the heater is surrounded on 2 sides. The French table, clearly not impressed, retire to bed immediately.
With the heat from the dung-filled heater not penetrating any further than the occupying german contingent, the tables of Americans and Aussies were also quick to retire to bed - leaving only the British contingent to contemplate any kind of response.
In a rearguard action, I notice a small gap between the German chairs, and deftly move my chair, myself and my book on the "History of the Second World War" into it and continue reading. A little while later, the remaining British contingent went off to bed, and at the same time, a breakaway group of the German trekkers made a move for the heater which the neutrals were quietly using - with little protest the current incumbents.
Having done my bit for queen and country - and also nicely warm to boot, I got up from my chair and decided it was time to go to bed also. As I opened the door to exit the lodge, I glanced back to the heater and saw that my chair was now occupied, and another round of San Miguel was being opened by the jubilant trekkers still remaining.
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