One of my best nights of sleep—too warm for my sleeping bag, so I just slept under two comforters. Sometimes it pays to be dehydrated; getting up in the middle of the night wears on you. Before breakfast, I observed a large group of newbies on an REI trip getting ready for the day: a woman with silver hair in a perfect bun with a bandana tied "just so" around her neck, and a fanny pack; many with coordinated clothes straight out of the catalog; goofy brimmed hats; all very clean and coiffed. I pitied the one young guy (20ish) who had to hang out with all the others who were peers of his grandparents. As anxious as I am to be clean, I wear my stained, smelly clothes as a badge of honor.
I dreaded this day—uphill all the way to Lukla, and the end of our journey through the Khumbu. At the same time, I eagerly anticipated this day—one step closer to a hot shower, flushing toilets, and a bed with sheets—the beginning of my trip home. We sped along the trail and arrived in Lukla in just 2 hours. The lower altitude and the weeks of hiking served us well. Devoured hash browns with cheese at 11 AM and crossed to a cafe for wi-fi. Moved into our rooms at the teahouse just in time for a lengthy thunderstorm and town-wide power outage. When the skies finally cleared, Daniel and I whisked off to The Wave for 2-for-1 drinks and a few games of pool. Ben showed up, figuring he'd find us there. Not much going on in Lukla, so we had high hopes that the planes would be flying the next morning.
In bed around 8:30, and when I awoke in the middle of the night and pulled the curtains aside, the Big Dipper stared straight at me. Yes, the planes would fly, I thought.
The scene at the airport the next morning was total chaos. I don't know how many people negotiate the system without insiders like Mingma and Kami (the teahouse owner). Our bags were weighed, and we were informed we owed excess baggage fees. Hmmm. Our bags were lighter than they were on the way in. Went through the "Ladies" line in security (one of the few places women have an advantage as the lines are much shorter) and hung out awaiting flights coming in from Kathmandu. After the slingshot takeoff down the short runway that drops into nothingness, and a few little burps of turbulence, the flight was quick and uneventful.
Re-entering civilization via a gateway like Kathmandu is especially challenging. The onslaught of humidity, pollution, insane traffic, daredevil motorcyclists, and filth is daunting.
The closer I got to my eagerly anticipated shower, the more I needed it right now (kind of like really having to pee the closer you get to the bathroom. I was practically in tears by the time the water ran over me. Miraculous that in just 20 minutes, three weeks' worth of grime can be rinsed away. Pure bliss.
And a stable toilet seat to sit on (when there was a toilet seat, it was usually a moving target)! Still getting used to throwing TP into the toilet rather than into an eternally overflowing plastic bin.
Headed to Rum Doodle for dinner with Jiban, the owner of Sherpa Shangri-La (the local liaison). Daniel and I decorated a wooden foot with snippets from our trek/climb and nailed it to the wall behind our table.
Skyped with Tom this morning but had a hard time talking. My voice and throat are still plagued by this nasty cold. At least my nose is no longer a faucet. Time to head home with long-lasting memories of the Khumbu and its people, and even more vivid memories of the peak I almost couldn't summit.
I will now follow the journey of my new climbing friends as they make their way towards the highest summit of them all (http://www.alpineascents.com/everest-cybercast.asp)
A Few Things We Take for Granted:
a toilet to sit on
a toilet to sit on that flushes and can handle toilet paper
a roll of toilet paper hanging near the toilet
a sink somewhere in the vicinity of the toilet
a sink with running water
a sink with running hot and cold water
a light in the bedroom
heat in the bedroom
heat in the common room provided by means other than a stove burning yak dung
cell signals/Internet access
clean drinking water that doesn't need to be treated
a shower with hot water whenever we want
clean socks and underwear every day
air conditioning in a hot, humid city
power available 24/7
shoes that fit
brooms that allow us to stand upright when sweeping
plugs in all the walls
Lessons Learned
Trek in the Khumbu in the spring, not in the fall when there are twice as many trekkers on the trail.
Always, always carry a hardshell jacket and pants in your pack, no matter what the forecast is or what anyone else suggests.
Bring a large towel if you want to shower. A camp towel does not suffice.
Get to know the Sherpa guides and trail crew.
Be ready to be cold and dirty. It's part of the experience.
Bring a deck of cards and other travel games.
Bring a 2nd pair of softshell pants for when you can no longer stand the smell of your first pair.
Bring a pair of jeans or sweats for the lodges.
Don't change more than $250 into rupees for bakeries, Internet, showers, and charging phones and iPods.
Always pass to the left side of stupas, chortens, and mani stones, even if you have to go out of your way to do so.
Wi-fi is usually more reliable and faster than Internet. Set phone to airplane mode, turn off all data, and hand it over. The Internet Cafe owner will enter the password.
Wet wipes, wet wipes, wet wipes.
Flora and Fauna
Pines, rhodies, cherry trees, magnolias
Lower in the Khumbu: geraniums, marigolds
ladybugs all over the trail
dzo, mules, yaks, horses
dogs
rocks, rocks, rocks
sand
crows, ravens, and a huge partridge wandering around Island Peak Base Camp
Food
eggs, toast, porridge, oatmeal, muesli, dense pancakes, French toast for breakfast
pasta, fried rice, chow mein, spring rolls, pizza, potatoes, fries
tuna sandwich
dal bhat (comes with free refills)
steamed veggies: cabbage, onion, carrot
soups before every lunch and dinner: Ramen, tomato, garlic, mushroom, chicken
yak steak
bread: dense and thick, Tibetan, chapati
apple pie, coconut cookies, chocolate pudding, fruit cocktail, apple "frittles"
candy bars: Snickers, Mars, Twix, KitKat, Bounty
Pringles, popcorn
black tea, milk tea, hot lemon, hot mango, hot orange, coffee upon request (usually instant)
ketchup, hot sauce, corsani, jam, honey, margarine (no butter)
napkins: almost never, what to do with sticky hands?
water treated with a SteriPEN
I dreaded this day—uphill all the way to Lukla, and the end of our journey through the Khumbu. At the same time, I eagerly anticipated this day—one step closer to a hot shower, flushing toilets, and a bed with sheets—the beginning of my trip home. We sped along the trail and arrived in Lukla in just 2 hours. The lower altitude and the weeks of hiking served us well. Devoured hash browns with cheese at 11 AM and crossed to a cafe for wi-fi. Moved into our rooms at the teahouse just in time for a lengthy thunderstorm and town-wide power outage. When the skies finally cleared, Daniel and I whisked off to The Wave for 2-for-1 drinks and a few games of pool. Ben showed up, figuring he'd find us there. Not much going on in Lukla, so we had high hopes that the planes would be flying the next morning.
In bed around 8:30, and when I awoke in the middle of the night and pulled the curtains aside, the Big Dipper stared straight at me. Yes, the planes would fly, I thought.
The scene at the airport the next morning was total chaos. I don't know how many people negotiate the system without insiders like Mingma and Kami (the teahouse owner). Our bags were weighed, and we were informed we owed excess baggage fees. Hmmm. Our bags were lighter than they were on the way in. Went through the "Ladies" line in security (one of the few places women have an advantage as the lines are much shorter) and hung out awaiting flights coming in from Kathmandu. After the slingshot takeoff down the short runway that drops into nothingness, and a few little burps of turbulence, the flight was quick and uneventful.
Re-entering civilization via a gateway like Kathmandu is especially challenging. The onslaught of humidity, pollution, insane traffic, daredevil motorcyclists, and filth is daunting.
 |
| between the airport and the hotel |
The closer I got to my eagerly anticipated shower, the more I needed it right now (kind of like really having to pee the closer you get to the bathroom. I was practically in tears by the time the water ran over me. Miraculous that in just 20 minutes, three weeks' worth of grime can be rinsed away. Pure bliss.
And a stable toilet seat to sit on (when there was a toilet seat, it was usually a moving target)! Still getting used to throwing TP into the toilet rather than into an eternally overflowing plastic bin.
Headed to Rum Doodle for dinner with Jiban, the owner of Sherpa Shangri-La (the local liaison). Daniel and I decorated a wooden foot with snippets from our trek/climb and nailed it to the wall behind our table.
I will now follow the journey of my new climbing friends as they make their way towards the highest summit of them all (http://www.alpineascents.com/everest-cybercast.asp)
A Few Things We Take for Granted:
a toilet to sit on
a toilet to sit on that flushes and can handle toilet paper
a roll of toilet paper hanging near the toilet
a sink somewhere in the vicinity of the toilet
a sink with running water
a sink with running hot and cold water
a light in the bedroom
heat in the bedroom
heat in the common room provided by means other than a stove burning yak dung
cell signals/Internet access
clean drinking water that doesn't need to be treated
a shower with hot water whenever we want
clean socks and underwear every day
air conditioning in a hot, humid city
power available 24/7
shoes that fit
brooms that allow us to stand upright when sweeping
plugs in all the walls
Lessons Learned
Trek in the Khumbu in the spring, not in the fall when there are twice as many trekkers on the trail.
Always, always carry a hardshell jacket and pants in your pack, no matter what the forecast is or what anyone else suggests.
Bring a large towel if you want to shower. A camp towel does not suffice.
Get to know the Sherpa guides and trail crew.
Be ready to be cold and dirty. It's part of the experience.
Bring a deck of cards and other travel games.
Bring a 2nd pair of softshell pants for when you can no longer stand the smell of your first pair.
Bring a pair of jeans or sweats for the lodges.
Don't change more than $250 into rupees for bakeries, Internet, showers, and charging phones and iPods.
Always pass to the left side of stupas, chortens, and mani stones, even if you have to go out of your way to do so.
Wi-fi is usually more reliable and faster than Internet. Set phone to airplane mode, turn off all data, and hand it over. The Internet Cafe owner will enter the password.
Wet wipes, wet wipes, wet wipes.
Flora and Fauna
Pines, rhodies, cherry trees, magnolias
Lower in the Khumbu: geraniums, marigolds
ladybugs all over the trail
dzo, mules, yaks, horses
dogs
rocks, rocks, rocks
sand
crows, ravens, and a huge partridge wandering around Island Peak Base Camp
Food
eggs, toast, porridge, oatmeal, muesli, dense pancakes, French toast for breakfast
pasta, fried rice, chow mein, spring rolls, pizza, potatoes, fries
tuna sandwich
dal bhat (comes with free refills)
steamed veggies: cabbage, onion, carrot
soups before every lunch and dinner: Ramen, tomato, garlic, mushroom, chicken
yak steak
bread: dense and thick, Tibetan, chapati
apple pie, coconut cookies, chocolate pudding, fruit cocktail, apple "frittles"
candy bars: Snickers, Mars, Twix, KitKat, Bounty
Pringles, popcorn
black tea, milk tea, hot lemon, hot mango, hot orange, coffee upon request (usually instant)
ketchup, hot sauce, corsani, jam, honey, margarine (no butter)
napkins: almost never, what to do with sticky hands?
water treated with a SteriPEN
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