Conquering Everest!!! .....(base camp in a jeep).....and hunting for Michael Palin's toilet!

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Having braved countless Tibetan toilets, 14 inedible meals, and at least 1000 near misses with oncoming traffic/yaks/locals, we finally made it to Everest!
The sky was perfectly clear, so we were vvvv lucky. You can look at the photos to see how good the view was. Anyway, I was very impressed - definitely the best mountain I've seen and worth the effort.

However, there was ONE BIG DISAPPOINTMENT. Not that I'm obsessed with Michael Palin's Himalaya or I'd try to do the same journey or anything, but once we'd got to Rongbuk monastery (where he stays), the one thing we really wanted to do was visit "the number one toilet" - it's the open air toilet he uses on the program and it has a perfect view of Everest. Anyway, my mother particularly wanted to see this (I think it's a Geordie thing), so I was commanded to "gan ower there and ask the guide where the numbah one lavvy is". So off I went, thinking I could subtly explain the situation that we wanted to see the toilet, but not necessarily use it, so it had to be this particular toilet and not another one. I suggested maybe he could just pretend to the monks we wanted to use the toilet, not that we were sightseeing and wanted to take pictures of us posing on it.

Anyway, the next thing I know, the guide and driver are conferring at the tops of their voices about where the toilet is. Then a nun joins in, then 10 giggling monks join in, then a bunch of yakl herders join in. I'm sure the conversation was along the lines of "you see this crazy big fat Westerner who looks like Buddha. She's been making me stop driving all day to take photos of stupid yaks and cows, and now she wants to pose on the monastery toilet. She is crazy, but maybe she'll give us some money if we humour her."

Anyway, after a wide ranging conference and much embarrassment for me (Geordie mother has conveniently wandered off as soon as I've been sent to ask the question), a nun suddenly remembers the Michael Palin show and says the toilet has since been removed.
The disappointment was bitter. I broke the news to Geordie mother and it was with heavy hearts that we had to make do with just the views of Everest in the photos and no toilet with a view.

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Photos

Yaks at Everest
... not that I'm obsessed with yaks or anything.

expedition at base camp
...maybe next time!