Our last night in on the trail.

Lukla

Heading back up to Lukla was a nice change from the constant down hill we had experienced the last few days. Once we arrived in Lukla we headed out to the airport to watch the airplanes and helicopters take off and land on such a small runway. There was some delays due to fog and we are hoping that tomorrow will we will not have any problems. We found a neat path right along the runway that gave us an up close and personal view of the planes landing. After realizing this was probably not the safest place we headed back to the hotel and enjoyed some good old fashioned DEAR time. Getting excited to get off the trail and have a hot shower in Kathmandu.

Back Where We Started

October 25, 2007
EBC Trek Day 12
Namche to Phadking


Now it really feels like we have come full circle. We are back at the Sunrise Lodge where we stayed on our very first night of the trek. It is quite empty and there are no large groups like last time. We suspect it may be because the weather has kept planes from flying into Lukla for the past few days. Hopefully it will be clear by the time we are ready to fly, and thus continue the blessings of the travel gods. The only other people staying at the teahouse right now are two South Korean women who look to be in their 50s and told us they are living in Kathmandu for a year learning the Nepali language. They are very cute.


Today we did most of the trek with Mark and Jeanne. IT was fun to hang out with them and certainly made things go quickly. We had a bit of excitement when we were all crossing one of the suspension bridges and were about a third of the way across when three yaks and their owner began to cross over from the other side. Janeen plowed on so we did too. The yaks were easy to squeeze by but each of their packs slammed us up against the wire fence railing. Scary!! I saw Mark get slammed pretty hard and though for a moment that he could go over. Of course he didn't and we all laughed about it on the other side. The guides words were, "I think that was a bad man who owned those yaks." We stopped for tea and so said goodbye to Mark and Janeen. After we left them I think our pace slowed considerably but Kenny and I got into a good discussion about careers and possible jobs.


In Phadking we had lunch and have been relaxing in our room for the past few hours. I am not sure if going down is more strenuous on the body but we seem much more worn out. Could be the almost two weeks of trekking I guess. I just find myself to be much more tired at the end of the day than when we first started out. Probably nothing that couldn't be solved with a good nights sleep and possibly a shower and some clean clothes.

Back to Namche

Stayed at the Moonlight Lodge once again it was very nice. We spent the afternoon in the market and found some patches that commemorated our treks to Kala Pattar and EBC. I found that the stairs up to our hotel equalling 159 still provided a challenge even after EBC.

During the night I apparently sweated through all my clothes (probably breaking my fever) and woke up grumpy but do not remember any of it. Katie informed me I just sat on my bed shaking not trying to improve the situation. When she gave me some suggestions I snapped at her. Still have a bad cough but am feeling a little better.

Going Down

October 23, 2007
EBC Trek Day 10
Periche to Pengbouche

Today was not only lazy, it was super lazy. We woke up at 7am but Kenny had been up all night was was still exhausted. I wasn't so worried about his breathing anymore but started thinking he might now be dehydrated. I should have gone into the medical profession. I went down to the dining room for breakfast around 9am and read for awhile in the sun. It feels good that the temperature is getting a little bit warmer. Kenny was still sleeping after I finished my tea, toast, and omelet so I went over to the hospital to donate the rest of our unused Diamox and they happened to have some rehydration salts that I thought might be helpful.

When I got back to the room Kenny was awake but still feeling pretty puny. However, the pipes for the shower had thawed so for the bargain price of 350 rupees (about $5.85) I got 12 minutes of a scalding wet trickle. It was a deal that I just couldn't pass up since my body had not even had a baby wipe wash since five days ago. Ripe! It was worth every last rupee for those 12 minutes of heaven. I even washed my hair twice and I think it could have used another round. Kenny was eager for his turn and once we got packed up we had lunch and were on the trail at the early hour of 1:05 pm. Thank goodness we only had two pretty easy hours on the trail before we arrived in Pengbouche. Kenny went straight to bed but Mark and Jeanne were at the same teahouse so we hung out for a bit and had a nice dinner.

All the way back to Periche 4240 meters 14,384 ft

Today we started out the day with a great hike and made it all the way to EBC (Everest Base Camp). This was a little easier than expected since we actually climbed higher yesterday to the top of Kala Pattar. It was very emotional to actually be at the foot of Everest. While we were standing around taking pictures and eating our celebratory M&M's we got to experience two avalanches. This was spectacular!!!. There was a Thai expedition at EBC which gave us the experience of seeing how a expedition camp is set up.

After about 15-20 minutes at EBC we decided to head down. We wanted to make our way down past Gorak Shep that day due to the fact all the lodges were booked up for the night. As we headed down we made some good time to Gorak Shep and stopped for lunch. Knowing we had a long day ahead of us and I still was not feeling that great we did not spend much time at enjoying lunch. As we headed down to Lobuche we were determined to find a place other than the Kala Pattar Lodge (see previous experience). Our porter actually went ahead of us to secure a room at another lodge. When we arrived we could not find him and ASSUMED we headed to the next town Dugla. I was already exhausted at this point but thought we would stop in the next village (about 1.5 hours away). We ended up heading all the way down to Periche which turned out to be an eight our day of hiking. I was feeling pretty bad at this point and hit the sack shortly after we arrived at the White Yak hotel. Katie woke me up in the middle of the night because she was worried about my breathing while I slept. She was nice enough to give me some Diamox and some dehydration salts that next morning. It turned out that the White Yak was the nicest hotel we would stay at in all of Nepal.

The Top of the World...Almost

October 21, 2007
EBC Trek Day 8
Labouche to Gorak Shep (17, 500 ft) and Kala Pattar (18, 536 ft. according to the altimeter of one member of the Everest Rocks group)

To say that we made it today can mean many things. We made it out of the Kala Pattar Lodge in Labouche alive and really no worse for the wear. We also made it to Kala Pattar which is the highest point on our trek and has the best views of Everest. We got up quite early in order to get away from the guesthouse as quickly as possible. However, to say we slept would be inaccurate. There were over 140 people sleeping in the lodge that was built to hold closer to 70 guests. When Kenny got up in the middle of the night he tripped over several people sleeping in the hallway in front of our door (the door made out of old plastic cartons went really well with the plastic tarp roof). Anyway, we were eager to get going and I was happy to trade a warm breakfast for a granola bar on the trail. Kumar started out 30 or 40 minutes before us in order to get us a room in Gorak Shep and we came along after him, very, very slowly. For the first time I could really feel the altitude when I tried to exert myself. The good thing was that I could always catch my breath if I rested for a bit so that means no AMS for me.

When we got to Gorak Shep we were pleasantly surprised to be staying at the Buddha Lodge which had real wooden walls. We had a quick lunch and were energized in order to tackle the looming "Black Rock" which is what Kala Pattar means in Hindi. It was very steep all the way to the top and just about killed us. The views the entire way were amazing and we could see Pumori and Nuptse really well. Everest slowly emerged as we got higher. The panorama was indescribable, especially since we didn't really have the breath. At the top it got extremely windy and cold. We were really glad to have our down jackets and hoods. The Everest Rocks group was on the way up to do their concert but we couldn't stick around because it was way too cold and our heads were starting to throb a bit. It is hard to believe that we finally made it. It feels good and I think we have been really lucky to feel as good as we do. So many others are really suffering because of the altitude.

Tomorrow we go to Base Camp and then will head back down. We are not sure how far down we will go since we refuse to stay in the Kala Pattar guesthouse again and don't know where there will be places to stay. It has been quite a journey to get here and the destination is surreal. It flew by at times but there have been other parts where I thought the incline would never end.

Lobuche 4930 meters / 16,200ft

10/20/07

Today was the first day my lungs started to scream. I did not experience any AMS issues (headache, nausea, loss of sleep) but I could definitely tell that the oxygen in the air was getting thin.

Lobuche was the worst place on the trail. This small village had maybe eight lodges that had to accommodate the influx of trekkers making their way up the mountain. The lodge that our guides chose for us made any tree fort that I stayed in as a young child look like a Hilton. The establishment was called the Kala Pattar Lodge. It roughly had 30 rooms that could accommodate maybe 70 people. The entire structure was made of cardboard, tarp and plywood. I did not think much of it until Katie mentioned this was far worse than any place they stayed in Africa. I remembered the description of some of these places and this made me worry a little. To add to the excitement, our room was above the kitchen and the propane burners provided us with a nice aroma to aid in our sleep. It is kinda scary to think of the carbon monoxide poison levels with 140 people crowded in every nook and cranny, even in the halls outside our room.

We woke up early the next morning and decided to skip breakfast and hit the road. We could not get out of Lobuche fast enough.

A Day to Relax

October 19, 2007
EBC Trek Day 6
Acclimatization Day in Periche

Today we set the alarm for 7:45 but it was so cozy in bed and so cold outside that we couldn't bring ourselves to get up. When we finally did we got ready really quickly since we didn't have to pack our bags and then had a leisurely breakfast of cheese omelets. I feel like I really needed the protein from the egg but was a bit hesitant about ordering something that I knew would require oil. For our day hike we headed up a ridge overlooking Periche. It was pretty steep but I didn't get too out of breath as long as we walked slowly. From the top of the ridge we could see the village of Dengbouche where we will stay on the way down. We also had great views of Lhotse and Ama Dablam. The view is surreal and amazingly beautiful. I just look around and think, "I can't believe I am standing here." For example, this morning in the courtyard of the teahouse we went out to brush our teeth and all the women were hanging out washing their hair and braiding yak wool into it. It was cool.

We finally got to hiking about 9:30 and hiked past several stupas and quite a few rock towers that had been built by locals. After about two hours we decide to head back down because Kumar said the view of Everest from the top was not that good and it was getting windy and cold. We think that we got to about 15, 000 feet.

For lunch back at the teahouse we shared a pizza and had some garlic soup. The soup is quite strange but rather tasty and Kumar tells us it will help with any high altitude ailments we may have. We had a relaxing afternoon sitting int he sun of the dining room and reading. We also got a hot bucket of water and took quick and "focused" bucket showers. It felt great to get clean. We washed some socks that I am sure will be frozen in the morning as they were already quite stiff with ice this evening. We also got steaming hot towels to wash our hands before dinner. Out here it is the little things that really delight.

Periche 4200 meters /14,035 ft

10/18/07

This village on our way up the mountain was a beautiful site. It sat along the ragging river valley and incorporated a number of luxuries including a HRA Medical Clinic. Periche was one of the larger villages we stayed in and it was funny to think that is sat as high as some of the tallest peaks in the US.

Once we reached Periche we found our accommodations and meet the lovely owners of the lodge. They were right outside our window making yak dung patties for fuel to cook our food. After a few days of this we became pretty accustomed to having our food cook with Yak excrement!..

After getting settled we attended an AMS (acute mountain sickness) clinic. The doctors stationed on the mountain were from Montana and Utah. They provide a great service for the trekkers and climbers on the mountain. The day before we arrived they had to evacuate two individuals by helicopter due to altitude sickness. We spent the rest of the night relaxing and trying to acclimatize to the altitude.

Our first glimpse of THE mountain

October 17, 2007
EBC Trek Day 4
Namche Bazaar to Tengbouche (12, 900 ft.)

Today is the day that I think we start roughing it. The bathrooms have gotten progressively more rustic since we left Namche and our current commode is an outhouse with a wood platform to squat over. We don't even get any leaves like before. But, we got to see Everest!! Thankfully, the clouds cooperated quite nicely so that we could see it when we first arrived in Tengbouche. However, for the first few hours here we were taking photos of Lhotse and thinking it was Everest, probably because Lhotse looks a lot taller. Perhaps the "mountain measurers" got it wrong because Everest certainly does not look like the giant it is supposed to be.

The hike today was about four and a half hours. The first half was nothing but downhill and the second half was nothing but steep, steep, uphill. I tried to keep a pretty slow pace and take plenty of the rest breaks like everyone has recommended. The trek was not terribly difficult but I am getting some bad blisters and they feel much better on the uphill portions. Also, we started taking the Diamox today, as most knowledgeable Miles suggested. Miles, who we met last night at dinner, said it would work better if it had built up in your blood before you actually needed it. We are pretty much willing to believe almost anyone who seems to know what they are talking about. Miles could have told us to hike on all fours or with our clothes on backwards and we probably would have done it. We have also have drastically increased our water consumption and I think that has made the biggest difference in how we are feeling. The only bad thing is that with the Diamox we are now having to make many more visits to the wooden platform, or go searching off the trail for the "least visible" spot.

Our arrival in Tengbouche was glorious because of the amazing views in all directions. Kumar went ahead to find us lodging at "Trekkers Guesthouse" and although our room is small, right off the dining room, and has trees growing out of the walls, it is much warmer than outside. We took a quick tour of the village and couldn't pass up a stop at the "World's Highest Bakery" for some chocolate cake and mint tea. There was also a ceremony going on at the monastery so we went to watch. All the monks were dressed in warm robes and sat on elevated benches praying and chanting. Every once in a while they would blow horns, bang drums and ring bells. It was freezing while we were watching the ceremony and after an hour decided to leave. When we came outside the clouds had closed in around the village the temperature had dropped. They said there was snow earlier today so we may be getting our down jackets our sooner than we expected. Meanwhile, we will keep on sitting around the smoky but warm dining room to wait for our "boiled" dinner. Miles told us to avoid anything fried due to reuse of rancid oil....so of course we are.

Acclimatization Day

10/16/07

Our second day in Namche Bazaar: (3440 meters or 11, 270ft) we took a day hike towards Thame (3800 meters) . This was supposed to help in our acclimatization and give us a chance to see some of the area off the beaten trail. I started off the day feeling fine. Sleeping was a little difficult but I chalked that up to the higher altitude. Our hike to Thame was cut short because I started to get a little bit of a headache and the four hour hike was looking like it would eventually turn into a seven hour ordeal. It turns out we were lucky we turned around because shortly after arriving back in Namche a huge thunder storm swept through the area. We meet Miles and nephew Noah form Hawaii and California. This was Miles fourth trip to Nepal. We gave us numerous suggestions about making our trek more enjoyable. Among them included taking our Diamox (high altitude drug), and drinking more water. The Moonlight lodge was great and the owner actually spends some of his summers in Glenwood Springs, CO working construction.

The EBC Superhighway

October 15, 2007
EBC Trek Day 2
Phakding to Namche Bazar (11,270 ft.)

Today was day two on what I now like to call "The EBC Superhighway" simply because of the massive amounts of tourists, guides, porters, Sherpas, and yaks.

We had an eventful night at our first teahouse, but perhaps it was our own fault for trying to go to bed at 8:00 pm. The teenage boys next door did not seem to realize how thin the walls were and enjoyed a loud and rambunctious poker game. Also, after everyone else has quieted down we began to hear the flapping of a huge moth against the window. Rather than leave it be, Kenny decided to challenge the moth to a fight to the death and for a bit it appeared the moth might win. I still laugh when I think of Kenny flapping and kicking around the room with some moans and shrieks thrown in for good measure. After a few breaks for resting and regrouping Kenny managed to overcome the beastly moth and kill it with not one but two of his shoes. It was quite funny.

This morning we woke up when our neighbors got up but stayed snuggled in our sleeping bags until it was time for breakfast, tea and pancakes. The much talked about trek to Namche Bazaar took us about five and a half hours but was not as bad as I expected, especially after we got by most of the crowds. We saw several snow capped peaks, crossed several suspicious looking suspension bridges and chatted with lots of friendly trekkers. We had lunch at 10:30 am because it was the last place to stop before we got to Namche. It was a good thing though because we needed the fuel to get up the steep and never ending incline into Namche. Mostly I felt bad for Mankumar because our backpack must weigh a ton but he just keeps on trudging along.

We got to Namche at about 1:45 and rested for a bit before heading up more stairs to explore the museum and village. At the museum there were some great photos of Sherpa life, as well as the history of Everest. In the village we were able to buy some chlorine drops to replace the iodine tablets that I have seemingly lost so now we can actually drink water during the next two weeks. Yippie! We also checked out the Tibetan market that was going on in the center of town. Kenny bought some long underwear that we think may have fleas but at least he will be warm. The Tibetans have very interesting hair ornamentation and were fascinated by Kenny's baldness. I was feeling a bit nauseous so we came back to the teahouse for a lovely dinner of mushroom pizza and soup. We met a really nice guy from NJ who is currently living in Bangkok and we may try to meet up with him while we are there. The big mystery of the night is whether Kumar is going to have us spend the recommended acclimatization day here in Namche or if we will keep on moving.

Day #1 Everest Base Camp Trek!

October 14, 2007

Our first day started out early in the morning at the hotel when we meet our guide and porter. Our porter Man-Kumar did not speak much English and our guide Kumar's English was limited. We soon were off to the airport that functioned similar to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. We were very thankful for our local guides to help us navigate through the screening and getting us safely onto the correct 16 seat "Twin Otter" plane.

As we climbed high above the clouds I started to notice that the airplane we were riding in probably came off the assembly line some time during the early 1940's. This did not help my nerves as the turbulence rocked the plane from side to side as we navigated our way between towering peaks. Soon the small (200 yards) run way of Lukla airport came into view. From our vantage point it looked as a vertical road on the side of a mountain. In fact the runway was angled about 45 degrees to aid in the stopping and launching of planes on such a short strip.

After a quick lunch at a small lodge in Lukla we headed out on the trail. We soon came to a check point that we had to sign in at. While we did this we noticed our guide making his way from the building across the street. We later found out this was the post of the Communist Maoist Party. We had to pay a "donation" for us to use the trail. This was our only experience with the Maoist and we heard they normally don't bother the tourists because they understand it's a vital industry to the country.

As we made our way to Phakding (2800 meters) we passed numerous prayer wheels and temples. The scenery of the valley below provided us with excitement of the days to come. We realized we were in the middle of nowhere when we came to cable bridges the stretched across vast gorges and you had to either wait your turn while the yaks crossed or risk being thrown off by their massive weight causing the bridge to sway violently. The 2.5 hour hike the first day might have given us a false sense of confidence but we really enjoyed the rest and lemon tea at the Sun Rise Lodge after a long and eventful day.

Trekking to Everest

As most of you know Kenny and I just returned from 14 days of trekking to Everest Base Camp. Since we were unable to keep you updated on our progress from the trail, but want to share our experience with all of you, we have decided to post entries from our journals during the trek. Although our writing styles are quite different it will give you an overview of our past two weeks. Enjoy!!

A Family That Bathes Together Stays Together!

Spending the last week in Bodrum, thanks to my parents time share, has been filled with experiences that will be discussed at family events for years to come. Katie's parents and sister Sarah joined us in Turkey and we spent the days laying in the sun, scuba diving and exploring the Turkish specialities that the Bodrum region has to offer.


We stayed at a resort called Club Flipper. It was located on a quiet bay on the Bodrum Peninsula. It provided a home base for us to go exploring and also a relaxing sanctuary with it's five pools and two beaches. From "The Dolphin" we explored the ancient Bodrum Castle that housed an Underwater Archaeological Museum for the numerous ancient shipwrecks that scatter the local waters. The amount and quality of the artifacts that were saved after thousands of years on the ocean floor was amazing. The castle itself was a piece of history that was used throughout time to defend the port of Bodrum. As recently as the First World War it still held military significance. The French ended up destroying it in a naval battle but it was soon rebuilt and turned into the museum it is today.


This museum gave us the itch to do a little underwater exploring for ourselves, we decided to go scuba diving the following day. The day consisted of a reef and wreck dive, while Coke, Kirk and Sarah snorkeled above us. An old military ship had been sunk three months earlier for the main purpose of the diving industry. It had little sea life living amongst the wreckage but it provided us with a learning experience on how to navigate the close corridors of underwater wreckage. We learned that the waters off the coast of Turkey do not include an abundance of colorful fish but we were still able to see a large eel and numerous schools of small fish.


Having explored the treasures under the water's of Turkey we decided to see what the little towns and people had to offer around Bodrum. This is when we learned of the delight of the Turkish baths. The baths in Turkey are world famous and this was one experience we were looking forward to from the beginning stages of our planning. What I did not realize at the time was, it would become a family affair.

Let me first start the story off by explaining that Turkish Baths are not usually coed and clothing is not optional. I spent the first part of our trip getting used to the idea of spending an afternoon in a steam filled room naked with my father-in-law. After coming to terms with this and marking it up to a new experience we all headed for the oldest Turkish Bath in the area. When we arrived the boys were separated from the girls (as expected) and we were given towels to us to make our way through the common areas. So it begins!!!!

Kirk and I were quickly shown to the steam dome after changing into our unusually thin towels (think loin cloth). As we sit in the room and discuss the news of the day we start to relax and let the heat take it's effect on our tired muscles. Our conversation covered every topic except the lack of clothes we are wearing! I was content with the level of embarrassment that I had already experienced. We even joked about how funny it would be if the girls walked in and saw us sitting there as nude as the day we were born. Just then the door opened and Sarah was standing there wrapped nicely in her towel. She obviously was as surprised to see us as we were to see her. Soon, Katie and Coke came walking in the room. I can't explain the level of embarrassment that comes over one when they are sitting in a steam room with their in-laws with little more than a loin cloth to cover his pride. As we were not the only ones in the room we did our best to muffle the laughter and the redness of our faces. Once again I had to get used to the situation and chalk it up to new experiences.

The remainder of the bath experience was grand. It was a little easier to enjoy the experience once the message and scrubbing part of the bath started. Having another person lather, scrub and rub your worries away does a lot to help you forget that you are lying naked with your in-laws in the room. Afterwards we all had a great laugh and enjoyed the feeling our our newly exfoliated skin.

The Turkish Car Tour

Our tour of Turkey began in Kusadasi, where my parents arrived via nine hour overnight bus and Kenny, Sarah, and I arrived via one hour ferry from the beautiful Greek island of Samos. Thankfully my dad was holding up a sign with our names on it to welcome us to our next country. We had a great dinner and walk around town before putting my blurry eyed parents to bed.

In Kusadasi we rented a car and headed off to Pumakkale and Cappadocia, now two of my favorite places in the world. In Pumakkale natural spring waters have created travertine formations and pools of water that look exactly like snow. So as you look across the horizon you see green grass, dry and dusty landscape and then wham...white, smooth rocks with water flowing down them.

We arrived in Pumakkale late in the afternoon and by the time we settled into our hotel and headed to the travertine pools it was just starting to get dark. Once we got there we took off our shoes and began wading through the cool ankle deep water up the hill. The majority of people were coming down the hill at this time of the night and soon we were some of the only people left. It was an amazing sight and to explore it at night was magical. The next morning we went again and saw the ancient ruins that sit atop the hill. The entire place is unlike anything I have ever seen. The sad part is that human use of the water and the tourism industry in the area has caused a lot of the water to be diverted and many of the formations are being repaired by white painted concrete.

We headed from Pummakale to Cappadocia to see another magical and awe inspiring sight, ferry chimneys and rock formations. Again we arrived at night and although we could see silhouettes of the formations we had no idea what was in store for us. What we did get very excited about was the brand new, rather inexpensive and very nice cave hotel room that we had booked. Our hotel rooms were built into the side of a rock outcropping and each room was in a pitch back cave with rock walls.

Although we arrived later at night and were quite tired we got up at 5:00 am to be picked up for our scheduled hot air balloon ride. When we pulled up to the launch site the balloon was being filled with hot air and glowed in the early dawn darkness. The ride was incredibly smooth, except for the small incident when we ran right into one of the rock formations. We sailed over several towns where all the buildings and homes were built right into the rocks. There were several other hot air balloons in the air and we went through a good chunk of memory on our camera taking photos. It was also very cool that our balloon pilot was the only female balloon pilot in Turkey and that when it was time to land she did it in the back of a pickup truck bed. We celebrated the experience with a champagne toast.

Out of Touch!

We apologize to all of our loyal readers. We have been out of reach of the Internet for some time. Don't worry we are BACK!!!! Stay tuned, we will update date everyone on our adventures throughout Greece and Turkey.

We are currently in Istanbul (East meets West) visiting the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and all of the ancient Ottoman and Byzantine sites. We will be heading to Nepal tomorrow for our Everest trek and hope to find some time to get on the Internet in Kathmandu.