Final Thoughts of this Trip

Well, everything on our calendars are just "mile posts" on the road of life; they zip by so fast and leave us with just memories some good, and some bad! We need to fill our calendars with more happy events and events that teach us new things and make us learn more about our humanity and how we are all connected! I always learn from my various trips around the world, and one  conclusion that seems to reinforce itself every time I leave the U.S., is how blessed we are to be living in a country of plenty, a country of order, a country of laws and a country of peace! Every time we start criticizing our country, we need to get on the plane and go somewhere far where things are different then and only then we can appreciate what we have!! 

In this trip, I saw poverty, I saw chaos on the streets of Kathmandu and I saw natural wonders in the Himalayas! I also saw people working hard to earn a living such as the porters that carried our heavy bags and the guides that trek back and forth between Lukla and EBC to earn a living! It is a humbling experience that will last a lifetime! We are all the same, though we may look different, speak different languages and pray to different gods, we are all humans with the same feelings and needs trekking through this life towards our final destination: death! Just like Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, China and Japan left a mark on me, Nepal left another mark! I love the simplicity of the people of Nepal and their strong will to live a dignified life! Our tourist money does create a lot of jobs in Nepal and I am happy to have contributed my share to that! I will continue my adventures around the world with a goal to learn more about myself and my surroundings and appreciate what I have been given!

Since we live in a time of bean counting, I thought it is ok to share my Fitbit numbers with you all:

For the last 12 days, the numbers are:

295,000 steps made

2100 floors climbed 

137 miles trekked

45 hours of continuous exercise!
I lost 8 pounds and 8% of my body fat !!!

I will be recovering for a while so no treks anytime soon! 

Whatever these numbers mean is not critical, however, one thing is for sure "this trek" is one I would recommend for anyone who is looking for a physical challenge! This is a test of endurance at altitude and one needs to be ready for it! Altitude sickness is very serious and many people abandoned their trekking because of that. I was lucky not to experience any symptoms of the sickness!

I leave this place, wowed by nature and humbled by the shear size of the Himalayas and  the resilience of its people! I forever will remember our guides, our porters, my trek-mates and the people of Nepal !!! 

Victory at EBC

My wonderful trekmates and guides! 

Flying high at 17,000 ft above sea level! 

Another Day in Kathmandu

My flight out of Kathmandu is not until tomorrow so I spent my day roaming the street of Kathmandu looking for souvenirs and nik-naks!  The weather was hot and sticky until the rain came and cooled us off a bit in the afternoon! I went to lunch all by myself to the Black olive restaurant, by now they know me since this is my third time in there!! I had my last Dal-Bhat for the vacation and it was great... after that I headed to a nice coffee place for my afternoon espresso! All in all a very low energy day with lots of breaks both in the room and outside as well... I waved my last group-mates good bye as they headed back home to China and India! The other group-mates have already left bright and early today to some other locations within Nepal, Pokhara and the jungle ??? Tomorrow I will be off to Abu Dhabi then the States...

A street in the commercial district "Thamel" of Kathmandu

Store front full of stuff in the Thamel district of Kathmandu

Temples and other buildings are part of the mix 

The remnance of the devastating earthquake that hit Nepal is evident everywhere

Police on foot petrolling the street of Kathmandu, pretty safe I have to say 

Lukla to Kathmandu

We woke up early today, because we had early flights out but flights from Lukla are unpredictable so one needs to be patient as the planes can get delayed due to weather! Our guides and porters helped with the bags and checked our big bags in, but our day backpacks remained with us the whole time! The airport is very chaotic but functional none the less! We were given boarding passes with hardly any useful information except for the airline name! There was only four parking spots for small planes and one boarding room for all!!!! Lukla airport is known to be one of the most dangerous airports in the world with a very short runway, 450 m, with an uphill slope when landing to help slow the planes and the reverse at take-offs! Fatal accidents have happened at this airport and hence the bad reputation! For us it was all added excitement to our adventure! We were split into two groups, 3 and 3, we boarded successive planes of the same airline one hour apart! The flight was smooth and as usual I took lots of pictures from the plane! Once landed in Kathmandu, we were met by Himalayan Wonders employees who took us to the Pilgrim Hotel! All in all, we were in good hands everywhere and we had no worries all the time! Once at Pilgrim hotel, we got our rooms and I took a short nap! When I woke up in the afternoon, I went for a walk that ended up taking a lot of time because I could not find my way back... I kept asking people until finally I was able to find my hotel! Himalayan Wonders part owner took us out for dinner to a nice restaurant called black olive and we had a great Nepalese dinner! While at the dinner table, the company founder with whom I communicated via email from the states, called his partner who was with us! Since I was sitting next to him, he told me it was David the owner calling so I asked him to say hello and also thank him. But David asked that he speak directly to me and so I did... he asked me how everything went and I told him it was great and just as advertised on the company's website so no complaint... I thank him and promised to use the company again elsewhere, like Kilimanjaro!!! After dinner we headed back to the hotel and each went her/his way! I went to my room and started working on this blog -:)

View from the small propeller plane between Lukla and Kathmandu 

View of the hills, as the locals call them, from the plane

A valley view from the plane

Fairwel dinner celebration in Kathmandu 

Namche to Lukla

The final day of trekking is upon us and what is waiting for us is 16 miles of ups and downs all the way to Lukla !! We were excited but also nervous about the trek ahead!! I was prepared mentally for this final push! I wore two pairs of socks to protect my feet from the rocky terrain ahead and wanted to make sure I get to Lukla with no blisters or any thing like that ... I jumped in the lead group from the get go this morning and I never looked back! We had a compact lead group of 4 people including the assistant guide and at times it thinned to just two people! We had to cross 6 suspended bridges including the Tensing-Hillary bridge! We stopped in Phakding for lunch around 12:00 and then pushed on to Lukla where we arrived around 2:30 pm or so! Once in Lukla we headed to the Buda Lounge at the airport where we were staying! It was a nice place, with hot showers inside the rooms for a change but one needs to shower when the sun is out as the water was heated by solar power so I jumped right in when I got in the room around 3:30 pm or so... the water was not hot but ok! After the shower I sent town to the lounge where some of my group mates gathered for a well-earned celebration! We were high-fiving and laughing of joy for the accomplishment! We were also collecting money for the tips for our porters and guides that we invited for dinner that night! We have already decided to purchase 5 envelops, one for each person to be tipped, and put money in each envelop with no set amount for anyone! We wanted each of us to tip according to hers/his budget and who they feel deserves more tipping! When everyone put money in the envelops, I waited for the right opportunity to hand them to each one of them after dinner! It was a great celebration and everyone had a blast at dinner time !!! We also shared the cost of the dinner for our porters and guides! After this celebration, we headed to sleep as we all had early flights out of Lukla!

Celebration in Lukla's Budha lounge

A peaceful village in a distance

A Buddhist monastery

Breathtaking valley between Lukla and Namche 

Every inch is cultivated in these valleys

Just loved these little gardens along the way to Lukla

Panbuche to Namche

We got up early today as we wanted to get to Namche in early afternoon so we can spend more time there ! Not only they have great coffee places but also free internet! So we had multiple incentives to get there! By 7:30 am we were on the road already, we crossed Debuche and Thingbuche and then started our zig-zag along our path to Namche!! It seemed to never end, one turn after another then another and on and on it went.... eventually we saw houses in a distance that hinted at an end in sight so we were happy... when we arrived above Namche we descended very steep steps that we scaled on the way up!! The pain was evident on our faces, we were exhausted yet again! I ran straight to the shower upon arrival at hour Sherpa Village tea house before even having my lunch... the shower felt great.. after lunch we all went to the coffee place that had free internet, most did in Namche, and we stayed there until dinner! We also went back after dinner but stayed only until 9:00 pm!! We came back to the tea house and went to sleep....

Everest in a distance with Lhotse and the south col!

Beautiful flower garden 

The valley is full of gardens everywhere 

GorakShek to Panbuche

Now that EBC is behind us, four group-mates woke up early today, 4:00 am, to scale this black hill called Kalapatar to take pictures of Everest at sun rise! My roommate and i decided not to join the group on this climb! I just thought that one more climb was one too many and not worth my health so this was a call to save energy for the return trip! When we woke up around 6:30 am, our friends were back and we heard that it was really freezing on top of Kalapatar which made my decision look even better.. the last thing I wanted at this point was to get frost bites or hurt myself in a way to affect the rest of the trip... I was happy with my decision: EBC was my goal and Kalapatar was an icing I did not need at this point! I thought I will just have my cake with no icing! After breakfast we started our descent towards our Panbuche where we will spend the night! We passed the same locations as we the ones on the way up so no more pictures needed unless something special showed up! We passed Lobuche, Thukla and the memorials on top of Thukla which we saw on the way up... after Thukla we branched out of our previous path towards Panbuche and stopped in this small valley village called Periche for lunch. We reached Panbuche around 3:00 pm and we were really exhausted as the trek was very long compared to when we went up to EBC! We wanted to go as far as possible so we can have more time in Namche the next day!

A view from my tea house window of a freshly seeded garden

A wind swept valley with some vegetation near Periche

Rob Hall signature is prominently displayed in this tea house in Periche where we had lunch!

More giant mountains near base camp!

GorakShek:a remote outpost near base camp where spent the night after visiting EBC

Flying over the valley with mountains on all sides and clouds rising!

Lobuche to GorakShek and Everest Base Camp

The big day of the trek has arrived and we could not be happier! We even decided as a group to just make a quick stop at GorakShek for a tea or coffee and continue on to EBC leaving lunch for later when we come back! We also started earlier than usual this morning as everyone was up and ready to go by 7:30 or so! GorakShek is at a higher altitude so we needed to climb some more and yes it was rocky again which is hard on our feet and knees, but by now we have mastered all that! We reached GorakShek in a record time of two and a half hours, 10:00 am! This is really a remote outpost in the middle of nowhere with no running water and very little life around here! We took a quick break in the cafeteria of the tea house, we all had hot chocolate to get some energy and heat in our bodies and we quickly left for EBC! The trail to EBC from GorakShek started out very nice and flat with no rocks at all and then turned into a rocky mess that drove all of us nuts! It was not easy by any mean... this is a terrain that can lead to sprains and bone breaks so I was very careful not to make any "faux pas" as they say in French; i.e mis-step. I did get in trouble trying to outsmart our guide by taking a slightly different trails only to reach a dead end with huge rocks on my path! The guide got me back on track and I decided he knew best so I stayed with him the rest of the way to EBC! The first EBC sign was the Khumbu ice falls ! Wow I said, this is what I saw on TV and now I am here right by this monstrous ice fall!!! We could hear ice cracking and water running but with no clue where all of that was coming from. I assumed it was from deep inside the Glacier! Khumbu ice falls were everywhere and gigantic and they feed all the rivers and streams that originate from the Himalayas! This early sign of EBC was misleading as EBC was still far away! Turn after turn and twist after twist we were waiting for more signs such as tents but they could not come fast enough for us as we were exhausted and worn out! A couple of helicopter zipped by and disappeared in the clouds, they were high up the mountains and our guide told us that there may be a rescue going on at camp 2 high above base camp!

After few minutes, the tent city with bright orange/yellow tents showed up in a distance and we were all excited to see that... after meandering through this Sharp cliff top we descended towards the base camp! At this point we were walking on the Khumbu glacier itself! I was nervous as I saw big cracks in the ice everywhere even on our path to EBC! I thought this was dangerous! Danger apart, I moved on just like my group-mates to the place where everyone was taking pictures and celebrating reaching their goal of EBC!!!! We took a group picture and lots of individual pictures! After that we were given few minutes to walk around before heading back! I walked towards the tent city and saw different teams that were attempting to summit Everest !! I was very close to the famous Khumbu ice falls where all climbers start their climb towards Everest! I was just in awe at all this... knowing the dangers, I have no desire to climb Everest!! Just being at EBC was a huge personal achievement and I was thankful to have achieved another childhood dream of mine! Everest was always in my head and now I can say I came close to Everest and move on to my next challenge whatever that may be.

The return trek to GorakShek was just as brutal if not more because of the fatigue! On arrival to GorakShek we were served lunch but for the first time, I had no appetite at all! The food was lousy and I was tired so I just wanted to rest! When time for dinner came, everyone was quiet from the fatigue and long day! No card games today just too tired to even speak so we all went to bed!

The famous Khumbu ice falls near base camp! What a sight!!

A group picture at EBC with the company banner

A victory picture at EBC: what a place!!! 

Awesome scenes all around me at 17,700 ft with the Khumbu glacier in the foreground 

Khumbu glacier littered with rocks and dirt 

Everest Base Camp tent city on the Khumbu glacier

More tents near the Khumbu ice falls

Amazing scenery near EBC

Dingbuche to Lobuche

Today we resumed our trek and climb as well, the plan is to get close to 5000 meters (16,500 ft) and reach the town of Lobuche! Easier said than done!!! We also resumed our usual timing; breakfast at 7:00 am and leaving the hotel at 8:00 am! We started with a short vertical climb out of Dingbuche and then the trail somewhat flattened but with a gentle up slope and a desert like terrain! There was a stiff cold wind from the back the whole day! At these altitudes, i.e. 15,000 ft +,  the vegetation is short to none! We ran into a rat or what looked like a rat, at first we thought it was a bunny but on a closer look we thought it was more like a rat than a bunny! There were birds as well living at these altitudes especially the Himalayan eagle which was flying majestically above us with  a large wingspan! After meandering along a river for a while, we then crossed a metallic bridge into the town of Thukla where we had lunch! Right after lunch we faced a long uphill climb for about an hour that nearly flattened us all! We were exhausted when we got to the top!! At the top was a memorial to all those who perished climbing Everest. Famous names included Rob Hall and Scott Fisher! That was a humbling place to be no doubt! Most departed this world at a young age but doing what they loved to do which is climb mountains; big ones for that!! after this break we headed higher but at a gentler slope and on a rockier terrain! However, the views around us where just breathtaking!! Everywhere we looked, there was a huge peak rising to the heavens and capped by snow!!  After three hours we reached our destination for the day, this remote village mostly built for tourists in the middle of nowhere called Lobuche at nearly 5000 meters or 16,500 ft!!! The air was thin and the breathing was heavy but no one complained of altitude sickness, thank god! There was nothing to do in this village so we just stayed in the tea house! The rooms were cute but cold!! After dinner we just went to bed as the next day was going to be our biggest day yet: Everest Base Camp is on our schedule!! We were all excited that we were very close to the set goal!

A small stone shelter in the middle of nowhere at 16000 ft!

Curry with Tibetan bread for lunch! Yummy ....

The steep climb and the beautiful mountain views above Thukla!

Scott Fischer memorial above a Thukla 

A Pakistani mountaineer memorial in the shape of a mosque 

Rob Hall memorial 

Getting closer to the goal of EBC! 

Dingbuche acclimatization day

Today is acclimatization day! Since we climbed a good 400 meters yesterday we needed to adjust to the 14,000 ft+ altitude before we go higher! We got up at 7:00 am and had breakfast around 8:00 am to the delight of everyone!! We then embarked on a 300 meter straight up hike from the hotel, that is over 1000 ft gain in altitude in a very short distance!! It was literally a vertical climb and that was torture at this altitude!! When we reached the top, a stiff cold wind was blowing as well making things much worse! We took pictures and asked questions about the various mountain peaks surrounding Dingbuche and they were from right to left as one is facing the town below: Lobuche East, Cholatse, Tobuche, Thamserku, Khangtega, Amadablam, Ambulapcha, Island Peak, Makalu, Peak 38 and Lhotse! All theses peaks are 6000 meters + or 20,000 ft +. After about an hour, we went back to the hotel for lunch! In the afternoon, we went to a cyber cafe that had good coffee and pastries, they also offered free charging of one electronic device so I charged my iPad while watching the movie Everest on a small screen TV!! The village was poor and people washed their laundry using their hands and feet outside and used lines to hang their clothes to dry! Drying is not a problem as it was very dry to begin with... we had dinner by 7:00 pm and played our usual card game before going to sleep!! 

High above Dingbuche facing Ama Dablum

The steep climb above Dingbuche 

Washing clothes outside using feet! 

Conquering the hill above Dingbuche with mountain peaks in the distance 

Looking towards Everest and the valley below.. breath taking views! 

Looking down on Dingbuche 

The majestic Ama Dablum peak at 6800 m

A Buddhist temple watching over Dingbuche