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Gary Longfellow’s Travel Journal |
Mt. Everest Trek November 9 – December 3, 2000
Sat Nov 11 12:00 noon Thai time
Am on THAI flight 319 about 3 hrs from Kathmandu. The
long flights from SFO to NRT (Narita, Tokyo, 11 hrs) and
NRT to BKK Bangkok (7 hrs) went smoothly but were way
too long. Spent a lot of time standing in the back of
the airplane drinking beers. Helping ourselves to the
drink cabinet in the back end until a stewardess tersely
put padlocks on the cabinet with a numbered seal. Oh,
well, we’d had enough by then. We got to Tokyo late so
just had a few minutes to get to the next flight. We
tried to take a shortcut but the guards steered us away
and to a long line waiting to go through another metal
detector, even though we had just come off another
plane... wondering if we were going to make the flight.
NRT-BKK flight was crowded and I found myself stuck in a
small window seat next to 2 men from Seattle who were
going to trek in Nepal also, only at Jomsom, out of
Pokhara. Larry and I were at opposite ends of the plane.
So much for the job our travel agent did. Got to Rama
Garden Hotel in Bangkok after a lively taxi ride of 10
minutes...for 250 Baht or about $6.00 US, (40
baht/dollar). We could have negotiated a cheaper fare
but didn’t want the hassle. Rama Gardens ($58) is very
nice, pretty much the same as any nice Western hotel.
Got to bed about 12:30am after watching some election
coverage on CNN. Didn’t sleep much as my body clock was
telling me not too. But after about 6 hrs I seemed
refreshed enough and taking a shower woke me up. Had a
nice breakfast buffet with many western foods, scrambled
eggs, cereal & milk...for$6.00. The food was good and we
have had plenty to eat on the airlines. Left Rama
Gardens about 8:00am in a cramped taxi, not sure we’d
get all our bags in. Speeds up to 90mph and the way the
Thai driver tended to ignore white lines made for an
exhilarating ride. Had some hassles checking in as they
pointed out we were only allowed to check 20kg.....we
each had about 40kg. We were steered to another agent
who let us through without question for some reason.
Also, had to buy a departure ticket (tax) from a vending
machine for 500 Baht ($11.62 US). Once through passport
control we entered the Gate area where there were a lot
of shops and paid $2.50 to use the Internet and send an
email home. (100 Baht for 2 hrs use). Flight to KTM was
very nice on a Boeing 777. Larry and I sat together in
the middle section but got up when we could see Mt.
Everest off the right side of the plane. Still a ways
off but I could recognize it and could see many
snowcapped peaks of the Himalayas. Everyone was trying
to see and take pictures. One lady was nice to keep
giving up her seat so we could look and take pictures.
Landed in Kathmandu on time at 12:00 noon and had to
stand in line to get passport and visa stamped. Then
went to the conveyor belt and pulled our luggage off.
Some guys loaded up our bags on a cart and pushed
through the “green line” for “nothing to declare”. I was
wondering if I needed to go to the “red line” to declare
having more than one camera as signs indicated, but they
took us through the green line with no questions asked.
I will find there are many times in Nepal when rules
don’t always seem to be adhered to. Then we headed
outside only to be greeted by hundreds of “hungry”
trekking agency reps and taxi drivers across the street,
ready to pounce on the unsuspecting tourists . It was
quite a lively scene for our first introduction to
Nepal. The road we took from the airport in a taxi was
bumpy and narrow and I don’t know how anyone can find
their way around this maze of streets. Not too much of
an organized structure, that I could tell. What is
amazing is how the streets are so crowded with people,
cars, motorbikes, tuk tuks, dogs, street vendors, etc.,
and the motorized vehicles get through it all, going as
fast as they can, missing everything by inches. MUCH
horn blowing. There doesn’t appear to be any stop signs.
They never really stop unless there is absolutely no
place to go. Everyone gives way at their own pace. No
one seems to get mad or road rage.
Checked into the Kathmandu Guest House into a decent
room overlooking the nice courtyard. . Went then to the
Rum Doodle for dinner. It is a famous restaurant where
all the big time mountaineers hang out at one time or
another. If you summit Everest you sign your name on the
wall and then you get free drinks for life there.
Everyone summiting Everest so far has signed the wall
(700+ climbers). We had steak (Indian beef) potatoes,
salad and beer for $4.
12 Nov 00 Sunday
Got up and went to an outdoor cafe upstairs, next door,
and had sweet rolls and coffee. Got a taxi and went to
the 3 major temples of Kathmandu. 1st went to
Swayambunath, or the Monkey temple. It is set on a hill
on the West side of town, not too far from the Kathmandu
Guest House (KG House). From the bottom of the hill you
walk up about 300 steps to the top. Monkeys are running
all over and eagles are flying about. Of course, many
vendors have their goods set out. The view from the top
was great but Kathmandu is very smoggy, so you couldn’t
see too far and could not see the Himalayas on this day.
Swayambu is about 1,400 years old and they say it hasn’t
changed much in that time. Very warm out and therefore I
had a constant sweat most of the time. We came down the
steps and had lunch at an outdoor terrace across the
street. I saw a large monkey on top of the restaurant
building and shortly he was walking on the railing about
2 feet behind our table. I didn’t know if he was going
to jump onto our table but he jumped off the terrace for
a limb of a tree. Had a nice lunch and wasn’t sure how
much to tip when we paid the bill.
Got another taxi and we headed to NE KTM to Boudnath,
the main Buddhist temple. The taxi dropped us off a
block or so away and we walked up an alleyway toward
Boudnath. We were directed to a Thangka shop and we saw
how they are made. Thangka’s are very detailed religious
paintings that can take weeks or months to complete.
Usually 4 people work on them, for many days, weeks, or
months, depending on size. Very intricate. The shop and
school was about 6 ft wide by 25 ft deep and 4 stories
high.
From there we walked around the Boudnath Temple and then
up onto the upper level. We could see a view of the city
and we were told it is good to walk completely around
the temple an odd number of times, the more the better,
so we walked three times, I think.. We were told it is
best to walk 1,3,5,9,11, or 99 times around. I never
quite understood the jump to 99. Boudnath seemed like a
nice area, with some nice shops in the immediate area.
We left soon and walked down a dirt road toward the
Hindu temple, Pashupatinath. The road went past houses
and fields for farming. Cows wander freely all over
Kathmandu, as do dogs. Along the dirt road there were
many small shops, but can’t imagine they ever really
sold too much, sounds like they largely just sell to
their friends and family. It seems like there are way
too many shops in Kathmandu....so that they each
couldn’t make enough, but maybe a small profit ?
Walking through Pashupati temple grounds was somewhat
eerie, like the feeling I got from certain scenes in
Apocalypse Now. It borders the sacred Bagmati River
where the Hindu often (daily) burn the bodies of the
dead on a large pile of wood. We saw 2 fires going on
platforms (ghats) on the rivers edge. (The fires go for
about 3 hours and ashes are pushed into the river).
Also, lots of garbage in river and see people wading and
probably washing clothes also. And of course we were
constantly hounded by street vendors. Took a taxi and we
headed home back to the west side of the city in the
Thamel district where all the tourist hotels are. The
taxi ride was very interesting as we went through many
areas of KTM, away from the tourists, so got a good
glimpse of daily life. I don’t know how to describe it,
but it is just incredible. Went to dinner at a nice
Italian restaurant and had spaghetti for $2.00. Came
back to the hotel and sorted and packed our bags for the
trip to the mountains the next day.
Monday 13 Nov 00
Up at 4:30am to get ready as our guide Binod Mahat took
us to the domestic terminal of the airport for our
flight to Lukla. This place is someplace else...chaos.
They x-rayed our duffel bags but never checked our
25-lb. backpacks. To get to the boarding gate we walked
through the check-in desk by stepping over one of the
numerous old, round dial scales. Then we walked through
a metal detector that beeped as each person went through
with his or her backpack. No one seemed to care about
the beeps. Then into a small 4’ x 6’ room with curtains
on each end and an official who stamped our boarding
pass and let us proceed. Also, to get to the airport
restaurant, you just step through the check-in desk
scale and walk upstairs. After waiting around until
2:00pm, we left, as no flights went to Lukla that day
due to too many clouds in the mtns. Very disappointed!
Binod got us a taxi and took us to a different hotel ,
the Kathmandu Prince GuestHouse. This hotel was fairly
new with nice green marble floors and stairways. The
room was nice with a small balcony (4th floor)
overlooking the varied rooftops of Kathmandu. The hotel
was on the outskirts of the tourist section, Thamel, so
was quieter and had to walk a few blocks further to get
to restaurants and shops. Binod came to the hotel at
6:00pm to take us out to dinner, as this was supposed to
be our first night on the trail. We went to another
outdoor cafe one story up with a nice view of the busy
Thamel street below. The Thamel area has lots of lights
and activity, so is a fun atmosphere. After dinner
stopped at an Internet place to read and send e-mail – 1
rupee per minute. I told Kathy we were at a different
hotel and by the time I walked home, she had called, but
she evidently asked for a couple of Americans and the
front desk told her no American couple there. He was
thinking man and wife. So I called Kathy back. Most
calls are about 180 rupees/min or $2.60/min.
Tues Nov14, 2000
Binod came to pick us up at 7:15am but we had ordered
breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast so he joined us.
Another fun taxi ride to the airport. Got there about
8:15a and stood around as no flights had left for Lukla
yet. We went up to a restaurant to wait. Seems like 2
hrs went by and we were feeling uncertain, but finally
Binod came up and gave the thumbs up. We were confirmed
for the 2nd YETI Airlines flight and the first had
already left, so we were excited to get going! Chandra,
our porter, would have to go on another flight. We found
that we had to take a large plane (30 seat) to
Biratnagar in the very south eastern corner of Nepal and
change to the smaller (12 seat) Twin Otter STOL (Short
Take Off & Landing) plane there. Needed the small plane
to land on the short airstrip in the mountains. From the
1st flight we had a nice view of the Himalayas and Mt.
Everest. The airstrip in Biratnagar was in a very green
setting and isolated, as we did not see any town,
although Binod said Biratnagar was the 2nd largest city
in Nepal. We jumped in the 2nd plane and I was 2 seats
behind the pilot and could see out the front window some
of the time. The second flight, into the mountains, was
bumpy at times, flying in and out of clouds, making me
wonder if we would be able to land. We did a couple
steep banking turns downward and the dirt Lukla airstrip
came into view. It was quite a sight and an exciting
ride down steeply to the airstrip. I remember seeing
people working at the end of the runway that drops off.
We had a nice landing and stopped just in time before a
big wall. The airstrip is quite a slanted piece of dirt
and gravel, so it helps us slow down when landing and
speed up when taking off. We hopped off the plane and
within a few minutes it was loaded again with outbound
passengers and took off. We had trouble finding Larry’s
bag, but eventually found it 100 feet away for some
reason. Binod then took us to a restaurant at the
Himalayan Lodge for lunch before hiking to Phakding. He
always seems to take us to the nicest places. We hiked
about 2 hours to Phakding and stayed in the fairly
decent Namaste Lodge with 2 beds to a room with doors
locked by the provided padlock. The bathroom was little
better than an outhouse but with porcelain footsteps and
hole. A bucket of water and a scoop was available for
“flushing” or washing I guess. I had a good dinner in
the warm lodge dining room and we played a couple new
card games into the evening. We had apple pie for
dessert and a large bottle of imported Tuborg beer. We
slept pretty good, from about 9:15pm to 4:00am and the
Germans next door were quite loud from then on, but I
felt rested.
Wed Nov 15, 2000
Had a good breakfast. Binod is very good to us. He
brings us hot tea to our room and hot water to wash our
faces. The rooms in these lodges are not heated so can
be quite brisk outside of my sleeping bag. So you want
to move quickly from down bag to down coat when getting
up, and as there is no warm shower, a glass of hot tea
does the trick to wake up. A lot of people and yaks
along the trail today, heading to Namche Bazaar at
11,300 feet. We are following the Dudh Kosi (Dudh “milk”
Kosi “river”), a real pretty milky, green color. Many
porters are carrying huge loads and several looked to be
pretty young boys. Looks like very hard work.. We often
have to climb off the side of the trail to let yaks go
by. They aren’t particularly friendly and might butt you
or knock you off the trail. We have heard that a
Frenchman was knocked off the trail to his death by a
yak just a few days earlier. We hiked for 2 hours and
stopped for a long lunch at the Vegetable Restaurant and
Lodge. Was a pretty nice, glassed in dining area, right
along the trail. Weather was sunny and relatively warm,
especially out of the wind. Larry and I had Dal Baht for
the first time and was really very good, but a little
bland. Dal Baht is the Nepali staple of lentil soup
poured over white rice. They often have it almost daily.
Back on the trail and after crossing the Dudh Kosi again
on a very high cable bridge, we started up the notorious
NAMCHE HILL! 2 hours of steep uphill and steps. Very
dusty and got quite sweaty as it was warm. I zipped off
my pant legs and hiked in shorts and T-shirt. I think I
am going to like these pants. After many rest stops, we
finally made it into Namche as the clouds were coming in
and the temperature seemed to cool quite quickly. It’s
amazing to see this village that I have read about for
so long. We continued going up through the village on a
long, uphill road, to the top of the village, coming out
at the Panorama Lodge. Looks quite nice with good
western style toilets! and a nice heated dining room
with large windows overlooking the Namche “bowl”. Also,
the view of 20,000 plus foot mountains Kongdi Ri and
Thamserku were out the other side. We rested some and
then took a walk through the village shops and the
Tibetan market in the town center. There are many
interesting shops on narrow cobblestone like streets.
Tibetans in the open space at village center have
clothing and blankets laid out for sale. They are very
interesting looking and appear to have a very hard life.
Apparently the Tibetans come to Namche and camp out here
for 2-3 weeks at a time, living in the cold in tents,
bringing their goods for sale. They then leave to fetch
more goods and then return again. I had Binod ask a
group of 4 Tibetans sitting by their tent if I could
take their picture and they said, Yes, for 100 rupees.
Binod was disgusted that they would charge for a
picture. I said I really wanted the picture, so after
several minutes of negotiating by Binod, they came down
to 20 rupees or about 25 cents. Afterward, I felt guilty
about haggling over a few cents. Walked back up the hill
to the Panorama Lodge and had another good dinner of
mixed chowmein and apple pie. Then played cards with
Binod, Larry and a German sitting next to us who was on
his way down. Binod also showed us more card tricks. He
is really helpful and entertaining. Next, up to our 3rd
floor room and Binod filtered water for us, then to bed
about 9:30pm
Thurs, Nov 16, 2000
Didn’t sleep too well as my throat was really irritated,
maybe from the dust, dry air and mostly from the smoke
at our lunch stop and other places along the trail. Woke
up and could barely talk. Binod again brought hot tea
and water to our room. We got dressed and went for a
short hike up to a beautiful viewpoint where we could
see Everest, AmaDablam, Lhotse, Nuptse, Thamserku,
Kongdi Ri. Very beautiful, Everest being about 20,000ft
above us. I was really wheezing going up the short hill,
so had to take it very slow. Came back for breakfast and
then planned for an acclimatization hike up to
Syangboche and the Everest View Hotel at about
12,800-ft. It was sunny but a little cold and windy, but
went anyway. The hike started out going very steeply up
the hillside above Namche and quite difficult due to the
altitude. We eventually made it to the Everest View
Hotel where we had lunch. The hotel was a very nice
place composed mainly of stonework, placed on a ridgetop
at 12,783 feet, with unobstructed views of Everest and
AmaDablam from our dining table. The picnic tables
outside, below us, looked inviting in the sun, but it
was too cold and windy. All stone work and slate floors.
Supposedly about $200 per night to stay there but lunch
was very reasonable, not much different than anyplace
else. Had spaghetti, soup and French fries and was
plenty full. The hike back was tiring so I spent the
afternoon resting in the room while Larry went for a
walk downtown. About 5 p.m. I went down the hill to
Namche shops and bought a few things. A lot of trinkets
are the same you see everywhere. Most everyone we’ve run
into speaks some English. All Nepali children are taught
English in school. I came back slowly up the hill to the
Panorama and had another nice diner. Once again stuffed
myself. Had another water filtering party and retired
early. Been taking 125mg of Diamox each night to help
acclimatize but it is also a diuretic so usually get up
at night. Had a pretty good sleep so felt rested. Larry
awoke at midnight with diarrhea, so didn’t sleep well at
all. Mild case but his queasy stomach lingers on.
Friday Nov 17, 2000 Mom Longfellow’s birthday
The trail from Namche to Tengboche starts out very nice.
Very enjoyable hiking with beautiful scenery. Starting
to feel like we are really getting into the high
mountains today. I could see Everest/Lhotse/AmaDablam
much of the day. Very nice, sunny weather, hiking in
shorts and long sleeve polypro T-shirt. Had an early
lunch at Phunki Tenga along the Dudh Kosi river. From
there, the trail switchbacks steeply and then continues
uphill, relentlessly for about 2 hours to Tengboche.
Didn’t go up the hill too fast, but I think it was
plenty fast for Larry, since he wasn’t yet feeling100%,
although he did very well. It seemed as hard as the
Namche hill, but no one told us about this one. The
clouds came in so it was foggy and chilly when we
reached Tengboche. Very neat to finally see the
monastery that I had read about and had as wallpaper on
my computer at home. Binod checked one lodge but the
room was very dark, even with the light on. Not too
inviting. So went down the hill 100 yards and got a nice
room in the Gomba Lodge, probably the best lodge in
town. Not many lodges here or much else for that matter,
other than Monastery related buildings. Binod managed to
get us a room for 3 so we moved and had much more room.
Rooms for 2 were quite small, about 7x9. Larry was still
not feeling perfect so he rested the afternoon. I walked
to the visitor center that was just completed 3 weeks
earlier and talked to the young English girl running the
place as part of a 1 year development project. As Larry
was resting the afternoon, I took Binod and Chandra to
the Visitor Center and saw a video about the monastery.
Then at 4:00pm got Larry and we all went to a ceremony
in the monastery. Lots of Tibetan chanting and playing
of horns, etc., as they ate different food. We stayed 1
½ hours while most people left. Some of the children
monks were laughing with each other when not playing
their horns or chanting. Funny to see them behave as
normal kids in the solemn religious ceremony. Went back
for dinner in warm lodge, filtered water and to bed.
General Observations so far :
1. Monks wearing North Face fleece and Nike tennis
shoes.
2. Fluorescent lights in Tengboche monastery
3. Satellite phone at Tengboche, 400 rupee per minute
($5.50)
4. Lots more yak dung and yaks on trail from Lukla to
Namche than above Namche
5. Child monks at monastery ceremony were goofing off.
6. Yaks in Namche tried to enter shops and had to be
shoo’d away by shopkeepers
7. Guides and porters often sleep in the dining area on
benches with blankets lodge provides. Sometimes they
sleep in a dormitory separate from paying guests
8. Nearly all locals have tennis shoes, many appear to
be real Nike, also a lot of North Face gear, usually
fake, some NBA, one Blazer and one Oregon Duck hat.
9. Guides and porter usually eat after paying guests and
in separate room (maybe kitchen) or at least at separate
table.
10. Guides and porters often sit close to the dung stove
and eat or talk, while trekkers usually sit at tables
around the edge of dining room. But also, trekkers move
closer to stove to get warmer.
Saturday, November 18 2000
Woke up around 4:00am with a slight headache. Gradually
got worse so decided to stay another day in Tengboche.
Stayed in bed and finally took an aspirin about 11am.
Was feeling good by noon. Should have taken aspirin
sooner. Larry brought an Israeli doctor we had met,
named Shy, in to check on me. He said to rest and drink
plenty of warm liquids. The lodge owner wanted us to
move into a smaller, 2 bed room, as he had a group of 3
to put in our room. I asked Binod about paying more to
keep this room, but he indicated they made the money off
food and drinks so the room cost was small, and they
needed it for a group of 3. So we moved. Sat around the
lodge some and then took a walk around Tengboche with
Larry and Chandra. Not many lodges or shops here.
Watched some monks playing volleyball. When clouds gone,
many high mountains, snow capped, surrounding. Large
group came to stay at Gomba Lodge, some in lodge, some
in tents. Was to be 45 people in the small dining room
for dinner. Amazing they could handle. Took our dinner
order about 5pm and they said it would be ready at
6:30pm. It was, right on the money. Had spaghetti and
meat sauce, except meat sauce was not red as I had
expected, but brown, as in YAK. But it was very good.
Spent much of the evening playing games with Binod, like
tic/tac/toe that they hadn’t seen before. Larry was
sitting next to 3 Frenchmen so he showed them my picture
book of Oregon. A strong looking Italian came in for a
few minutes and he had come back from climbing 22,480ft
AmaDablam. Very warm in lodge and lots of activity with
all the people. Skies clear and very cold at night. Many
bright stars. Stopped taking Diamox at advice of Israeli
doctor. At least should have to pee less at nighttime.
Didn’t sleep real well but seemed to get some good rest.
Sunday Nov 19, 2000
Awake at 5:00am, up at 6:30am and feeling good. Had
early breakfast of french toast and jam. Very good.
Also, canned pineapple that Binod brought. Been trying
to drink alot more hot tea. Got pretty cold last night
as the windows iced up and white frost everywhere
outside. Left about 7:45am with wool hat and gloves on.
Quite brisk but not too bad. Trail not too bad, some up,
some down, some level. Any uphill is slow...very slow.
Worked our way up very close to AmaDablam,great views.
Lunch at small tea house in Shomarre of tomato soup and
fried egg on fried rice. Was feeling alittle weak and
not too hungry, normal (1st) symptoms of high altitude.
Also, ate PowerBar. Probably weak from bad sleep. Forced
myself to eat all the rice. Put on warmer clothes as the
clouds were coming in. Had alot more strength after
lunch and felt good. Had to go to bathroom and went out
back to outhouse, but it was about 30 yrds from lodge
and there were 6 fiesty Yaks between me and it . A young
girl was trying to herd them to a different field and
they weren’t cooperating alot. So I just walked back a
ways, out of view and pee’d on a rockpile, staying out
of their way. Yaks can move pretty fast and you don’t
want to be in their way. Very nice hiking with nice
views of Ama Dablam, Everest, Lhotse Wall. Hiking
through brown dry looking area with no tree around, just
small scrub brushes. Eventually walked downhill to the
Imja Khola river and crossed on a wooden bridge. Then
headed back uphill toward Dingboche. Not too much longer
and we could see Dingboche in the distance, a welcome
sight. We walked into “town” and Binod led us to about
the first building there, the Snow Lion Lodge. Looked
like a pretty nice place. I think it was about 1:30pm,
so got in quite early in the afternoon. Nice dining room
with bright floor covering. Got our bags into a nice
room and came back into the warm dining room to write,
listen to music and talk with the few other guests
there. We were told that there were other Oregonians
staying at the lodge and the tent group in the next lot
over were all from Oregon also. Small world! Larry
checked out the shower and thought it looked pretty
good, so after he tested it, I ordered a shower from the
kitchen staff. They need about 15 mintues notice so they
can boil up 5 gallons of water. They then climb up a
ladder to the top of the “outhouse” looking structure,
just outside of the kitchen, and pour it into a bucket
afixed to the top. The shower had a separate changing
area and the shower had clean lookin gravel on the
bottom, with some opaque plexiglass to let some light
in. There was a showerhead of sorts and a faucet handle
to turn to let to water above flow down. They said they
is enough for a 7 minute shower, so I checked my watch
and it was exactly so. The water was quite hot at first
but felt good in the otherwise cool air. Had plenty of
time to lather up twice and rinse off. Then quickly
grabbed my towel to dry off and get my clothes on before
getting too chilled. Felt good and refeshed as I walked
back through the kitchen and into the warm dining area.
Six days without a shower isn’t too bad. I’d recommend
staying at this place for the shower and nice dining
area. Back in the dining room, the couple from Oregon
returned from a day hike....Ray and Patty, about 50 yrs
old or so and full of talk. They seem to have low key
jobs and spend alot of time traveling, like 6 mths out
of the year. We spent much of the afteroon playing cards
and talking with Ray and Patty and others, talking about
Blazers and Oregon Ducks...trying to find out who won
the Civil War football game. Sleeping rooms and hallway
were quite cold so tried not to go there too often. Our
room was at end of hall next to the exit door leading
outside to the bathrooms. Someone was continually
leaving that outside door open, as if it weren’t cold
enough in the hallway. The 2 restrooms/outhouses were
pretty nice, especially since it was cold enough to
freeze over anything that didn’t quite make the hole.
Ordered up a dinner of cheese and Potato momos and
garlic soup. Both very good and would recommend this
dinner anytime. Really liked the Momos and garlic is
said to help you acclimatize. Quite cold in rooms going
to bed...getting from my down jacket to cold sleeping
bag, so takes a few minutes to get it warmed up and
seems like about 15 minutes before I settle down and
breathe easier (slower). For some reason, didn’t sleep
very well at all, but woke up feeling good enough and no
headache.
Monday, Nov 20, 2000
Had breakfast of French toast and jam, and canned mangos
from Binod. The canned fruit that Binod brought along
was so nice to have. It seemed to be very easy to eat
when your appetite isn’t what it normally would be. I
didn’t really notice other trekkers with this fruit, so
it was very welcome. Tried to leave early for an
acclimtization hike up to Chukhung , 1-2 hours uphill to
the east. Was quite foggy and cold. Clouds were quite
thick so I was worried we would not have much of a view.
Was hoping to get closeup views of Island Peak and Ama
Dablam. We started out feeling pretty good, but didn’t
seem to take too long and we slowed down quite abit. Was
becoming pretty hard to keep going up hill...or even on
the level, due to altitude. Ice and some snow along the
river we followed up the valley. Some other hikers along
the way, but not too many. Binod and Chandra could get
ahead of us quite easily. I felt like we were really
going slow and wondered what they were thinking of us.
Well, we finally made it to the village of Chukhung and
Binod found us a nice lodge for lunch. Larry and I were
quite exhausted and were glad to sit down in the
relative warmth of the lodge dining room. Didn’t take
too long and I was feeling OK, and walked around the
dining room to look out the windows and talked with
another couple who got there earlier. They were waiting
for the clouds to clear up and it seemed like there were
beginning to be patches of blue sky and small glimpses
of the big, snowy mountains close by. We ate lunch , but
Larry didn’t seem to have much appetite, so I ate some
of his springroll. After about an hour and the food, I
was feeling much better and stronger. Funny how I can
feel very exhausted and have no more energy, but with
alittle rest and food I am revived. Larry was not
revived too much this time and was reclined on the
dining bench with eyes closed. I knew what he was
feeling like. The clouds were really breaking up now so
I was getting very excited at the views. The mountains
seemed so close, so I was getting antsy to climb higher.
I finally told Larry that I was going to climb the hill
above Chukhung for a better view. Binod came with me and
Chandra stayed back with Larry. The hill looked very
imposing and I was not sure how high up I could go, but
it looked like any elevation gain would bring a nice
view. We walked through some of the village and then
headed up the eastern side of the mtn. The other couple
who was in the dining room decided to go up also, but
they headed up the steeper, western side. It didn’t take
too long and I was feeling pretty strong, so kept going
at a steady, if slow, pace, with Binod leading, as
usual. The altitude didn’t seem to phase him much...but
maybe it was just my pace was always so slow. We made it
up to a nice viewpoint at about 16,000 feet and had a
nice view of Island Peak and all the mountains
surrounding us, capped off by the back side of Ama
Dablam. It was a great view and I was quite excited. I
told Binod that this is what I came to see and I think
he really loved hiking up there also. We took several
pictures and as there was still mountain above us, we
decided to go up to the next “hilltop”. We made it up
there without too much trouble and I was still feeling
pretty strong. We topped out at about 17,000 feet and
ran into the couple from the dining room. It was an
excellent view and I would recommend this side-trip to
anyone coming to the area. If you don’t come here, you
are truly missing out! We took some more pictures and
thought we ought to get back down to see what Larry was
up to. We got down the steep hill fairly quickly and met
Larry and Chandra. He had been walking around the
village with Chandra. We then started the 1-2 hour hike
back down the valley to Dingboche. It seemed very long
and once again I was getting very tired. Clouds were
coming in again and getting colder. By the time we got
back I was really dragging and wanting to sit down.
Binod was a ways ahead and Larry and Chandra were a ways
behind. Nice to rest up in the dining room. Just as they
were getting the dung fire started, the dung somehow
blew out of the stove, filling the room with smoke. I
hated breathing the smoke but no one moved to go outside
or to their cold rooms. It eventually dissapated some
and we ordered dinner. Also, as it got dark , they only
had 2 small lights so was quite dim in the dining area.
So played some cards in the semi-dark, breathing the not
so clean air. Wasn’t too bad though. Soon retired to our
cold, dark rooms to jump into the warm sleeping bag.
Tues Nov 21, 2000
Got up early for our hike up to Lobuche at 16,000 ft.
Wanting to try something different I had some Muesli
with milk (powdered?) and some jam toast, but found I
didn’t have too much appetite. Binod and Chandra
gathered up our dufflebags and Chandra took off ahead.
We put on our packs and headed up the hill right behind
the lodge. It was fairly cold out as we were in the
shade of the mtns. The sun was out and the sky blue and
we had a good view up to Island Peak and Lhotse. It
didn’t take long going up the hill and I could really
feel the altitude (I guess) as I didn’t seem to have
much strength. I felt pretty good, but just didn’t seem
to have the energy and wanted to sit down. I went along
slowly and it was a challenge to keep moving....and we
had just started out. We were on an open ridge above the
village of Pheriche and could see the Terminal moraine
of the Khumbu Glacier in the distance....an imposing
1,000ft high pile of rocks pushed out at the end of the
Glacier...that we would have to climb up. Going up a
hill Binod offered to carry my 25 lb pack and it made
quite a difference. I just had no strength going uphill.
By the time we got to the base of the moriane I was
pretty tired. At that point is a village of Thukla (Dughla),
consisting of 2 lodges, often used for a lunch stop. We
went in to get something to eat and after ordering, I
laid down on the bench a rested, pretty exhausted and
with a headache coming on. I took an Excedrin and in 30
minutes was feeling much better and ate some tomato
soup. I was debating whether to go on or stay the night
here, so Larry and Binod were looking at me with
wondering eyes. I was thinking of staying pretty
strongly, but as more time passed I thought, I can just
keep going slow. It seems I can go a ways and then I
just run out of gas. So I felt good enough to head out
and hope for the best...with Binod carrying my pack on
his front, with his own on his back. He was very
gracious to keep offering to carry my pack , so I
obliged. Going up the moriane was slow but not too bad.
Getting to the top of the moraine we came to the eerie
setting of the numerous rock memorials for various dead
climbers, sherpas, etc. Saw one large one for Scott
Fisher. Several trekkers were sitting around to catch
their breath and the coulds were coming in some. We
headed out from there fairly quickly and the clouds were
low, almost fog-like in places, creating a wierd
atmosphere, probably cause I was already walking in a
fog. Was pretty cold but the sun was still out pretty
good. Eventually we arrived in Lobuche, a village of
maybe 4-5 lodges near a shallow river of sorts. Lobuche
seemed to be a little nicer than I had read about. The
lodge we stayed in seemed OK but had a dormitory with
about 24 beds....actually four 3 wide bunk beds. Somehow
Binod got Larry and I one top 3 person section for the 2
of us, while other trekkers had to share with someone
they didn’t know. I think Binod commanded some influence
or respect somehow as he usually seemed to get the best
of a situation for us. I lay down in the dormitory to
rest, not having much appetite and some headache. I took
a Diamox at 4pm but it didn’t seem to do anything. Got
up and into the dining area and Binod ordered me some
tomato soup...the only thing that seemed good to me.
Binod got me a chair next to the stove as it was quite
chilly outside and the door didn’t close too good. I
read my John Grisham book some to pass the time as I
didn’t feel like talking alot. Just seemed pretty tired
and some headache so went to bed and did not sleep much,
if any. Kept hoping the headache would go away and
worried it would get worse. Binod checked on me a few
times. Feeling this way I knew I wouldn’t be going
higher tomorrow. I was wanting to take an Excedrin but
people were saying you should not take aspirin at the
same time as Diamox. I figured the Diamox had worn off
by midnight so popped a couple Excedrin, my wonder drug,
and was feeling pretty good quite quickly. But still no
sleep. Although it was quiet in the dormitory, I
imagined 22 others lying awake like me, struggling to
get to sleep, fighting with their own thoughts.
Wed Nov 22, 2000
Larry was up at 3:00am to go with a goup of others up to
Kala Pattar. I felt good so said I would go also. I
wondered why they were leaving so early as I didn’t see
any reason to, especially since none of us had any
sleep. They say it’s best to get to Kala Pattar early,
as by late morning the sun is directly over Everest and
shining right into your camera lens, so more difficult
to get a good picture. (I later found this to be true.)
I stayed in bed until 3:30am and as I could see Binod
and Chandra up also, I figured I better get moving also.
So quickly grabbed a few necessities and stuffed them in
my pockets as we weren’t going to take a pack. This was
the big day, as Lobuche is the highest point where we
would sleep. We planned to hike about 4 hours up to
Gorak Shep and Kala Pattar and come back the same day. I
didn’t have any water left so Binod found some boiled
water in a pot and I filled a water bottle and put in my
pocket. Outside at 4:00am and was cold and clear. I was
the only one with a working headlamp as Binod’s and
Larry’s lights were dim and quickly went out. Somehow
Binod was able to find our way thru the rocky terrain in
the dark. I felt pretty good in the cold air but was
mentally difficult hiking as nothing to focus on but the
small patch of light from my headlamp, and alot of time
I couldn’t see Binod and Chandra ahead in the dark.
Light starting coming to the sky about 6:00am and we
were entering large mound after large mound of rocks ,
that seemed never ending, going up and down, up and
down. The up part was particularly difficult at this
elevation, mentally defeating, and having little
strength to go up hill. I was moving very slowly up
hill, at a snail’s pace, so Binod came up to help me. I
put my arm over his shoulder and was able to move along
much quicker and soon left Larry in the dust. It wasn’t
too much longer and we could see the lodges at Gorak
Shep at 17,000 ft. From there we have great views of
Pumori, Nuptse, Lhotse, and also the tip of Everest and
the Khumbu Icefall. Binod and I go into the lodge and
find the dining room very smoky and all the windows
open, making it quite cold. So Binod takes me into the
kitchen and sits me down on a bench and orders tea.
Larry comes in shortly and we are both just completely
exhausted. Soon we ask Binod if we can lie down
somewhere...we really feel the need to lie down and
sleep. We go into the room section of the lodge and
Binod finds us an empty room and gets us some wool
blankets. I already have my down parka and gortex shell
on but it seemed pretty cold in there. About an hour
later Binod comes in and says it is not good to sleep
much now, at that altitude, that we would just get
weaker. So we go into the dining room and I have some
tomato soup and a piece of chocolate, resting some more.
Once again, I start to feel better so begin to think
about going up Kala Pattar. Larry is fatigued and
wonders if he goes up Kala Pattar, can he make it all
the way back to Lobuche? He decides to stay behind and
rest up for the return. Binod and I walk outside ready
to go on and Binod asks about Larry, so we wait some,
but he doesn’t come out. From Gorak Shep, Kala Pattar
looks huge, but in the pictures it doesn’t look that
bad. I guess it is from the perspective of altitude that
makes it look so imposing...and the thought of climing
another 1,500 ft when I already feel like I just
finished a marathon. It was difficult to get started
walking the 200 flat yards across a white sand beach out
the back of the lodge. I look back and expect to see
Larry and Chandra, but they are in the lodge. Binod and
I go on. It is sunny, bright, windy, and cold. Slow
going on a dusty, well marked trail. Get up to viewpoint
and take lots of pictures. Feel pretty good but quite
windy and cold. I change film in the camera and wind
blows dust everywhere and into my camera. Take more
pictures and take in the spectacular view. A great view
of Everest but I have a feeling like I want to be closer
than the 5 miles away that I am. It would be great to
actually be climbing on a ridge of Everest, but there
are none, without going through the dreaded and deadly
Khumbu Icefall. Kala Pattar is a great place to go, but
in some respects it seems kind of anti-climatic, hiking
all this way, going through all the hardships, to come
to this point for the view, and then fairly quickly,
feeling the need to turn back, since we have a long way
to go back to Lobuche. Its like, “Here we are , there’s
Mt Everest, great view, now what?, I guess we head
down.” But I was very reluctant to leave, wanting to
stay longer but decide to go and see what Larry is up
to. Would be good to plan to stay overnight for a day or
two at Gorak Shep. Very tiring as we head down and take
it very slowly going up the small hill at the back of
the lodge. Go into lodge for some more soup. Talk with
an Aussie lady and husband who got dizzy and had a bad
headache. Another guy was sitting there with a bad
headache also, while their groups went up Kala Pattar.
Walked outside and ran into Ray and Patty from Oregon
again. They stayed at the other Gorak Shep lodge and
were just heading down. Took a couple pictures of our
group outside and headed out. At some point we ran into
Shy, the Israeli doctor again. He had hired a porter to
help carry his load up to Lobuche, but now he was
carrying his 50 lb pack by himself. Even at our slow
speed we leap frog him a time or two as we both stopped
to rest. It was a long, hard trip out over the rock
hills. Pure torture getting back to Lobuche as I was
very exhausted. I had to stop many times to rest and
just wanted to go to sleep. Finally made it back to
Lobuche around 2pm and go straight into dormitory to lie
down. { 2 pm? Why did we have to come back so early? I
guess we saw the view and were just ready to get down
from the altitude, so we could start feeling better. }
Larry comes in and talks about getting out of Lobuche
soon to a lower altitude at Pheriche. I say No Way could
I make it, so is just fine with me to spend the 2nd
night at Lobuche. I feel pretty good by dinner and eat
alittle more and play cards with Larry, Binod, and a
French couple. The French guy had a bad cough, like
after about every 3rd word. They spoke pretty good
English and told us about their house in the mountains
that they spent most weekends at. At 7:45pm the lodge
owners said, Time to go to bed, so we all headed into
the dormitory. I seemed to sleep very well and only woke
up once.
Thurs Nov 23, 2000
Had breakfast with Larry next to the French couple. Felt
pretty good and ate some, but still not too much of an
appetite. Fairly soon went to the bathroom and found I
had a touch of diarrhea, probably from the “boiled”
water I got from the lodge the morning before. Others
got it also and thought the same thing. Took some Pepto
Bismol. Started off hiking and still felt weak when
going uphill even slightly. It seemed a hard hike going
downward to Pheriche and down the steep Terminal
moraine, but took the time to take in the mountain
views. Going down the moraine, we saw a helicopter going
up, so figured someone must be in trouble. And before
long it came down and then another one went up also.
Continued down the moraine and stopped at Thukla lodge
again for a break. I headed straight through the dining
room and out the back door to the outhouse. Took some
more Pepto Bismol. Went back out front where the boys
were sitting outside and having a Coke and some cookies.
Rested for a bit and then back on the trail. We planned
to go quite aways today down to Pangboche. Before long,
we made it down to the valley floor where Pheriche lay,
although the village was still a long way off. It seemed
to take a long time to get there, even thought it was
flat. Walked through some yak pastures and along a
meandering creek with lots of muddy yak footprints.
Stopped at one of the first lodges in Pheriche for
lunch. I sat down pretty tired and was content to just
rest up and not move. Had noodle soup and jam toast at
the warm lodge... in a glass enclosed sunroom-like
dining area, separate from the rest of the lodge.
Generally felt OK, but when having to go uphill or exert
myself much, I just didn’t have the energy, so took it
slow. Left Pheriche and soon had to go uphill, again,
not to my liking. The trail seems to go on and on to
Pangboche, but many great views and stop to take
pictures. Finally getting into Pangboche, I was ready to
stop, but we kept going through the village to about the
last lodge. Turns out Binod was taking us to the Tara
Guest House because he says it is the best and also
because of my daughter having the same name. They took
us down to a cold room in the basement. I layed down in
the room to rest up and Larry went upstairs to the
dining area. I asked Larry to get me a Toblerone
chocolate bar and he brought it back and said “Happy
Thanksgiving”. Eventually got up to head upstairs for
dinner. Just sat up and didn’t exude much energy as I
didn’t have much to put out. Still not much appetite so
had only a few sips of soup and 1 slice of dry toast.
This is Thanksgiving dinner. Thinking of how nice Turkey
dinner at home would be.... Dining room was fairly quiet
and dimly lit. Didn’t stay up too late.
Friday, Nov 24, 2000
At breakfast the table next to us had 3 Nepali guys
heading up to Gorak Shep to run the Everest Marathon in
2 days. I tried to talk with them through Binod. They
seemed very nice and one guy had finished 6th in a prior
year. I think he was 28. The 3 of them carried a sack of
some type of flour (tsampa?) that they would mix with
water and eat for breakfast. One of them made a large
round dough ball, mixing it well with his hands. Did not
look good at all, but they were running marathons and I
wasn’t. Got our packs ready and headed out, hoping to
see the runners finish well in Namche. The hike back
toward Tengboche seemed long so took it slow...I didn’t
really have a choice. Larry started talking with a
longhaired unkempt fellow from Canada as we walked along
and I just took it slow going up the numerous hills. I
thought we were supposed to be going down! There was a
pretty steep uphill section right before Tengboche, so
was ready to sit down once we got there. Got an outside
table at the same lodge we stayed at previously and had
a Coke and some crackers. Again very tired so we debated
about going further. Would like to get to Namche today,
so we could rest tomorrow and see the Saturday Market.
So, with my never say die attitude, we headed on,
against my better judgment. Oh well, we were just
walking. Took some pictures around the monastery, as the
sky was very clear and sunny. Then headed down the big
hill out of Tengboche to a lunch stop at Phunki Tenga,
where we had eaten before. Watched a group of Korean men
of varying (older) ages have lunch at our same table.
Was really quite interesting as they had quite an
entourage catering to the 6 men at the table, judged in
age from 45 to 70. They ate what looked like normal
Korean food on their own dishes, etc., while others ran
down the trail from behind the lodge to bring more rice.
It was getting later in the afternoon, so I wondered if
they knew what was ahead of them....the steep 2-hour
hill to Tengboche that no one tells you about. As we
headed out, I quickly remember that we had to go up
quite a steep hill ourselves, probably as bad as the
Tengboche hill. Great! I pulled out my Walkman and
listened to my Dave Grusin/ Spiro Gyra tape and it
really helped to keep me energized to tackle the hill.
Only problem is that we never seemed to get to the top.
It would level off for a short distance and then go up
some more. Can’t they make a level trail! The rest of
the day was a very long series of ups and downs, going
around ridge after ridge, thinking it would be the last
one, but always finding another. I kept thinking if we
see the Everest View Hotel, it won’t be too much
further...no more than an hour, but it never seemed to
come. The clouds started coming in and it was getting
chilly and somewhat foggy. On this stretch of trail we
saw lots of wildlife. Many Himalayan Thar (dark brown,
long hair, mountain goats) on the hillsides, in some
pretty steep places, and some close to the trail. Saw 14
in one group. Also, some deer and pheasant and other
large birds. We were beginning to wonder if we would
make it back to Namche before dark.. We passed a lady
walking with 2 young kids so I figured if she was going
to be hiking in the dark, we could. After what seemed
like a very long day, we made it back to the Panorama
Lodge at about 4:30-5:00pm. Binod checked with the lodge
owner lady (her husband was gone trekking...we had seen
him on the trail above Tengboche) and she did not have
any available rooms. Binod talked with her for a few
minutes and he translated that she had some place to put
us if it was acceptable to us. So we followed her
upstairs thankful we wouldn’t have to go further, plus
we liked and felt comfortable at the Panorama. She took
us up to the 3rd floor and unlocked a huge padlock
behind a curtain. The door opened into the family “Puja”
room. Puja is a religious ceremony. So this room was
about 25 feet square and very colorfully decorated with
many religious objects and candles and incense, etc. We
thought, “this is great!” We had the best room in the
lodge. The lady and her daughter got us some pads and
bedspreads to lay out on the floor. Looked pretty
comfortable. They asked that we take off our shoes when
entering. Went down for dinner in the crowded dining
room but the owner lady found a spot for us. We felt
like we were getting special treatment. Had a good
dinner and talked with an Israeli who had been trekking
for 6 weeks. He was ready to go home. Slept in the puja
room with a butter candle burning and Larry lit some
incense. It was still quite cold in the room and
breathing in the cold air and incense, I couldn’t get to
sleep, so I got up and put the incense out. Eventually
got to sleep but didn’t sleep all that well.
Saturday Nov 25, 2000
Rest day in Namche. Had breakfast of fried egg on hash
brown potatoes. Not exactly like home, but pretty good.
Walked down to see the Saturday market. Very crowded
with lots of people. The market is spread out over
several levels in a terraced area and not much room to
walk. Can find about anything there (that you would
normally find in the mountains), from toilet paper to
rice and grains, to whiskey to fruits and vegetables, to
clothing and shoes. Got there too late to see the raw
meat and chickens, etc. Headed away toward downtown and
to the Namche shopping street. Wanted to find a place to
email, but they all seemed to be down. Went back to the
Panorama for lunch and rest. Wrote a few postcards and
in journal. Eventually went back downtown for more
shopping and to find a place to call home. Stopped in to
a bakery for coffee (instant Nescafe) and chocolate
covered donuts. Went into the Cyber Cafe and Lounge
where they had a pool table and well stocked bar. The
ceiling was covered with many T-Shirts autographed by
various mountaineering expeditions. Their email was down
so we left. Came back to a shop we had been to before
run by 2 young Tibetan sisters, maybe 20 yrs old. They
spoke good English and gave us a hard time about being
rich Americans and to buy more of their stuff. I asked
if they knew where a phone was and she said, yes, we
have one inside. So the other sister tried several times
to dial through and finally made a connection. Talked to
Kathy for 5 minutes at $3 per minute. When I came out of
the store the other sister asked if I got through and I
said yes. She said how many minutes did you talk. I told
her 5 and she said “ Oh yes, you are a rich American to
talk that long.” Little does she know. We walked up to
the Everest viewpoint behind the army base to watch the
sun set. Went back to the room and talked with Larry for
awhile. Had a late dinner in the crowded dining room. We
ate next to a German group of 8 on their way up. It was
fun to fill them in some of what to expect. I told them
to take a pee bottle. Played cards with Larry and Binod.
Binod played his flute and the whole place applauded.
Bed at 10:00pm in the puja room. Didn’t sleep well,
maybe too much caffeine.
Sunday Nov 26, 20000
Packed our bags by 7:30am so Chandra could go a head and
get a room for us in Phakding, as we didn’t plan to
leave Namche until after the Marathon finish at noon or
so. We had a nice breakfast of hash browns, cheese and
egg. Hike up to the viewpoint and took my pictures of
the CF flag with Everest and AmaDablam in background.
Then checked out of the hotel and next down to the
ending spot for the Everest Marathon. Waited ½ hour and
the winner came in after 3hr 45 minutes on the trail. 3
time winner Hari Roka. Was a fairly large local crowd.
Top 10-11 finishers were Nepali. Quite exciting to see
finish and crowd clapped loudly as finishers came in.
Went to the bookstore to send a quick email for 240
rupees. Then to the post office to send a postcard with
the Namche postmark...hopefully. Post office was in an
upstairs room. Had to enter 1st floor of dirt floor and
firewood, then walk up dark, rickety stairs to one room,
one desk, one man. We’ll see if it makes it home. 22
rupees/postcard. Then back to an upstairs outdoor cafe
for lunch. Could see additional marathoners coming by
and crowd cheering. Headed out at 12:30pm and got to
Phakding at 4:15pm. Seemed to take longer than I
thought. Chandra had a room for us in busy Namaste
Lodge. Hike was fairly long but nice scenery along the
Dudh Kosi and we took a leisurely pace. Lots of small
farm plots, house, lodges, etc. Nice dinner in lodge and
we played cards until 9:00pm Sat next to a French group
of 3 guys and a girl who played UNO all evening. Had
apple pie for dessert. Not too cold out for a change.
Saw several porters walking by outside with their heavy
loads about 8:30pm so don’t know where they were going
at that late hour, but much nicer being inside. Slept
very good.
Monday Nov 27, 20000
Leisurely breakfast of roasted potatoes, cheese and egg,
jam toast, tea. Clear skies. Met Japanese-American girl
going up to Gokyo by herself, with guide, she from Bay
Area. Took easy hike back to Lukla, stopping often along
the way to look at village life lower down. Seems very
peaceful but still they put in lots of hard work tilling
the fields by hand, chipping stone blocks square out of
rock, carrying huge loads in baskets. Was pretty tired
out by the time we got to Lukla. I was once again ready
to sit down....maybe the diarrhea weakened me more than
I thought. Had a nice lunch at the Himalayan Lodge where
we have a nice room with 3 beds and view of the Lukla
Airstrip. Had a more expensive chicken lunch so told
Binod I would pay for any extra cost, but he just
laughed, and said no, no, he would pay, no problem.
Walked through town to look at shops but not much here.
Many Tibetans in street selling their goods. Always
interesting to see them.
Tues Nov 28, 2000
Fly out of Lukla back to Kathmandu after 15 days in the
mountains. Had to get up early and take our bags over to
a small Quonset hut, which was the “air terminal”. Very
chaotic inside with not much organization, so very glad
Binod took care of it, saying we were on the 1st flight
out. He just walked up to the front of the line and
started talking and pretty soon they took our bags and
we walked out to the airstrip. Piece of cake. Felt sorry
for those Westerners who had to get through this
themselves. Was quite cold out by the airstrip waiting
for our plane to come in. We were standing right near
the runway to get a good view but pretty soon an
official blew a whistle and made us move quite a ways
back. Our bags were brought over to the staging area on
a cart. Soon the plane landed. We hurried over to the
plane and as soon as others deplaned, we hopped on and I
got a seat up front on the right side. The Twin Otter
had one seat on left side and 2 seats on right, but I
took up 2, as my knees wouldn’t fit straight. The seats
might fit someone 5’5” tall but not much bigger. So
flight was out on time as good, clear weather. Nice
flight back and had good view of countryside. Landed at
Domestic Terminal and took a shuttle back to Terminal
building. Got our bags fairly quickly and Binod got us a
taxi back to KG House and checked in about 10:00am. Saw
Chandra at airport as he came back on another flight,
but taxi driver wouldn’t let us squeeze him in as too
much weight for his small car. Took shower and cleaned
up. Felt great to take a good shower for a change, after
only one in 15 days. Spent the afternoon walking and
shopping. Walked to Durbar Square with Binod. Went
through non-tourist area, very interesting with all the
local shops, alleys, etc. Went to Yak and Yeti to look
for a T-shirt, but none. Nice hotel, but I prefer
staying in heart of Thamel at KGHouse. Walked back to
our hotel and relief from smog of traffic. Can be very
bad and choking at times, especially at street level
with all the Tuk Tuks spewing out thick blue/black
smoke. Went to Everest Steak House for dinner and steak.
About $3.50 for thick filet mignon. Looked at shops on
way back to hotel.
Wed Nov 29 , 2000
Met Binod at 7:30am and got taxi to go to Nagarkot for
view and breakfast. Long, winding drive up through the
mountains. Saw lots along the way. Came out to Peaceful
Guest House and Cafe after about 1 hour and beautiful
view of Himalayas from patio. Had nice breakfast on
patio in the sun. Then left for Bhaktapur on the way
back. Very interesting, old city. Walked to Durbar
Square and looked at shops. Bought Thangkas for gifts.
Had lunch in Naroyan Cafe in an old temple building.
Walked through streets and out to a main road to get a
taxi but none coming by. So decided to take public bus
back. Not too excited about that and for good reason.
Sat in very back end of bus, as Binod got us seats.
Aisle totally full of people standing. Seemed to take
quite awhile getting back and glad to get off. Still had
quite a walk to hotel and tons of people on street. This
city is so packed! Back to hotel for rest and then to
dinner (just Larry & I) at an outdoor cafe off the main
street, down a short alley. About the only ones there,
but had a decent meal of chicken sizzler and soup,
coffee (Nescafe) and dessert. Had a fire going in a
barrel by our table to keep off the chill air.
Thurs Nov 30, 2000
Binod picked us up at 9:30am for the trip to PATAN. Took
cab and walked through Patan Durbar Square and Museums,
then cab to Kathmandu Zoo (in Patan) and then to Tibetan
Refugee Camp to look at the hand made carpets, all
Tibetan wool and didn’t see anything I had to have, so
not worth shipping anything. Back to hotel for awhile
and then met Binod for dinner. Went to rooftop cafe
across from KGHouse. Had a birthday cake for Binod. Then
went across the street to Paddy’s Irish Bar for Irish
coffee. Ray and Patty walked in so we talked with them a
bit about our treks. Went to Pilgrims bookstore and
bought Binod “INTO THIN AIR” for his birthday present.
Fri Dec 01, 2000
Up at 7:30am and packed up. Had breakfast outside at
KGHouse. Checked out at 10:30am and Binod came to get
us. Binod rode with us in taxi. Binod gave us a kata
scarf and we said our good-byes. Sad to leave him as he
had quickly become a good friend. Flight was late but
very nice going Business Class to Bangkok. Great food
and drinks and lots of legroom. Arrived in BKK about
6:30pm and to hotel Rama Garden at about 8:00pm. Got
taxi to go downtown. Taxi driver, Pol, took us to a
seafood restaurant with fish tanks containing all the
live fish. Had lobster, but not that good and whole
dinner was very expensive, more than in US. Rip! We were
about the only ones in the restaurant. This was not what
I had in mind. Went to Patpong and walked among all the
vendors and tourists. Bought T-shirt for Brian and fake
Oakley’s for Tara. Patpong is thick with vendors selling
all sorts of goods, T-shirts, knives, pens, watches,
paintings, etc., and so thick with people was difficult
to get through. Came upon a McDonalds so thought I would
give it a try and got just one plain hamburger and
tasted exactly the same. Walked round some more and back
to hotel by 1:00am 300 Baht from downtown to hotel near
airport, about 30 minutes. 40 Baht per dollar.
Sat Dec 02, 2000
Taxi driver, Pol, got us at 9:00am to take us around
city. We needed something to eat so he eventually
dropped us off at a donut type place and we had a couple
with coffee, while Pol waited. 1st to canal boat ride.
Very good way to see Bangkok from river and canals. Boat
was about 30 feet long and 5 feet wide and taxi driver
came along free, I assume for bringing us there. Had a
large, loud, diesel engine mounted on a swivel and a
10-ft direct drive shaft to the propeller. Boats moved
out pretty good. Came up to Thornburi Snake Farm and got
out for a walk around and the snake show and watched
some young guys play with the Cobras. Also stopped at
Wat Arun, a large famous temple. Was blessed by a
Buddhist Monk, bought a small tea set for Tara and
Kathy. Very hot and humid, sweating all day long. Took
cab to nice restaurant with many Thai dishes, but all of
the sudden I didn’t have any appetite so couldn’t eat
anything much. Then Pol suggested to take us to the Rose
Garden Cultural show so we said OK, not knowing it was a
1 hour taxi ride out into the country. But was actually
a nice ride and we got to see a lot of the city and
country. Lots of tourist buses at Rose Garden. We got
there late for the show but paid our $12 and ran in
anyway. Had to pay for Pol also. Show was nice and then
outside to an elephant show...pretty good, but short.
Seemed like about one hour and that’s all so back in the
cab to head to Grand Palace, but closed by the time we
got there at 5:30pm. Guards did let us on to the grounds
to take a few photos. On way back form Rose Garden, Pol
ran out of gas (or propane) but had a safety tank and we
made it to a station. While he fueled, Larry and I
walked a few blocks to a 7-11 type store and got a
Drumstick ice cream. After Grand Palace, went to a
golden temple nearby and walked around several
buildings. Then the lights came on. Vendor was selling
fresh fruit so we got some watermelon and pineapple. Was
getting dark and we left to go to a downtown area for
shopping. Drove in terrible traffic but city was very
lit up with Christmas type lights everywhere for the
President’s birthday on Dec 4. Numerous big pictures of
the King and lights everywhere. Amazing that they would
spend so much for one King’s birthday. Finally made it
to a shopping area. Pol dropped us off at Robinson’s
Dept store and would pick us up in same spot in 2 hours
at 9:30pm Larry and I walked down the street and came
upon a large beer garden taking up a side street. They
had a lot of food on the menu and pretty good live band
playing US pop songs. Walked on and street stall vendors
all along the sidewalk selling T-shirts, watches,
sunglasses, clothing, small radios, pens, knives, etc.
Larry was looking at a small watercolor and the vendor
would barely let him go. Pol picked us up on time and
took us to the hotel. He offered to pick us up and take
us to the airport in the morning. Got to bed about
midnight and up at 3:00am to take shower. Poll got us at
3:30am and to airport by 4:00am for our 6:30am flight.
Checked in easily and had Kentucky Fried Chicken
sandwich in airport for breakfast. Had good flight to
Tokyo and slept quite a bit. Had bulkhead seat with good
legroom. Got off in Tokyo and into airport bldg. Larry
had a $8 beer and some Japanese momos but I wasn’t
hungry. Flight to San Francisco we had an exit row seat,
so lots of legroom, makes a big difference. Good flight
and slept most of the way. Trip back didn’t seem too
long. Got to PDX on time at about noon and excited to
get off plane to see Kathy, Brian, and Tara.
Glad I don’t have to write in this journal any more. Had
a great trip and would not hesitate to do it again!
Namaste
Landed in Kathmandu on time at 12:00 noon and had to
stand in line to get passport and visa stamped. Then
went to the conveyor belt and pulled our luggage off.
Some guys loaded up our bags on a cart and pushed
through the “green line” for “nothing to declare”. I was
wondering if I needed to go to the “red line” to declare
having more than one camera as signs indicated, but they
took us through the green line with no questions asked.
I will find there are many times in Nepal when rules
don’t always seem to be adhered to. Then we headed
outside only to be greeted by hundreds of “hungry”
trekking agency reps and taxi drivers across the street,
ready to pounce on the unsuspecting tourists . It was
quite a lively scene for our first introduction to
Nepal. The road we took from the airport in a taxi was
bumpy and narrow and I don’t know how anyone can find
their way around this maze of streets. Not too much of
an organized structure, that I could tell. What is
amazing is how the streets are so crowded with people,
cars, motorbikes, tuk tuks, dogs, street vendors, etc.,
and the motorized vehicles get through it all, going as
fast as they can, missing everything by inches. MUCH
horn blowing. There doesn’t appear to be any stop signs.
They never really stop unless there is absolutely no
place to go. Everyone gives way at their own pace. No
one seems to get mad or road rage.
Checked into the Kathmandu Guest House into a decent
room overlooking the nice courtyard. . Went then to the
Rum Doodle for dinner. It is a famous restaurant where
all the big time mountaineers hang out at one time or
another. If you summit Everest you sign your name on the
wall and then you get free drinks for life there.
Everyone summiting Everest so far has signed the wall
(700+ climbers). We had steak (Indian beef) potatoes,
salad and beer for $4.
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Picture of Trekking |
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Current Tourism News |
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Nepal trekking /
travel related business was booming until 1999. After that, the
incessant conflict scared off tourists from visiting
Nepal and we are feeling the pinch of the fall in
tourist arrivals. There was a time when we recorded such
a huge flow of tourists that we used to turn back some.
As a professional Nepal tour operator we did not have sufficient
staff and equipment to handle all of them...
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