Travel Pig

We stopped for lunch. Should be here soon. I am hungry! So far it has been challenging but the hard part is coming up! Two hours of a steep climb. And then it started raining!

But I put long underwear on this morning. A big mistake. And when buying long underwear, pants, rain pants, it’s a good idea to see if they go over your boots.

Here are the stats for the day. Doesn’t seem like a big day but it was, tricky footing, mules, oz and horses to dodge, slower hikers, mud, tons of feces….

Going through the little villages was entertaining, people are busy, kids running around. So many dogs, no cats.

So many pictures to post

So I misunderstood Nimmi. At first I thought she said Hilary Beach, named after Hilary and Tengzing who were the first to summit Everest in 1953. She was speaking of Hilary Bridge. I heard her say after we get to Hilary Bridge, it would be the two hour straight up part! First I didn’t know that the bridge that overlooks the bungee spot was Hilary Bridge and second she said that at some point it was 2 hours to Hilary Bridge and the our destination, Namche Bazaar was ten minutes further. I could have kissed her! The whole time, I was waiting for the bridge and thinking, two more hours! Couldn’t have been happier!

Staying at the Khumbu Hotel. Sir agility stayed here. Oldest hotel in town

I am sore, my heart rate was crazy high, but I did use Natalie advice to walk 50 steps, then rest 1 min. I followed Richard’s advice to drink 2 L of water before leaving 2 and lunch with electrolytes and more on the trail.

I made it!! Pretty proud of myself. Two songs went through my head. “ This is not so bad, not so bad” and “ Tell me why” Backstreet Boys?

Time for a shower and bed. It’s 7:30pm. And did I mention my bed has an electric blanket?? Hope it works!

Good Morning. It’s 6:30am. About 42 degrees inside and outside. Looks like sunny day. It is so sweet that so many people care about what’s happening here. The blizzard where people are being helped is on the Tibet side of My Everest. I am on the Nepal side. Yes there is a lot more snow than usual and people have had to turn back in certain areas, like Island Peak at 20,000 ft ,but all is good.

Now it’s colder but my luggage arrived. They don’t always load your luggage with the passengers. Probably due to weight but there was a chance that ours might not arrive. It would have been a rough night because I needed dry clothes. Not even that sweaty but I feel so much better now. And I had some ginger tea and chicken fried noodles. I was really hungry. Crazy that I only did 16000 steps! Felt like more.

So today I saw several people doing their laundry in a tub and agitating the dirt off by stepping on the clothes, then they rinsed and played the clothes flat on concrete to dry.

I saw comforters laid out on the bushes. Glad I have a sleeping bag.

I had deep thoughts , ( my brother will doubt this) but I read a book that posed this thought, he said, “There only two questions in the world…Do you love me? And How much do you love me.” He used this in the concept of nations and politics and religion but I think it’s true in many instances. For example, does one country “love” another country and how much? Would they go to war. So I was thinking about that, most of the time I do not listen to books or podcasts etc while I am hiking, My friend Megan can’t believe this, but it’s true, so today I came to the conclusion that travelers are just exploring what is the same and what is different in the places they go and the people they meet. Think about it!

Nimmi arrived a bit after 6. We waited for the driver. Back to the airport. It was so busy. More waiting. We were scheduled to depart at 7 but it did we didn’t start the process until 9:15. Luggage got checked and then more waiting at the gate. Finding the right bus was a challenge. This took us to the plane. We were delayed again and they told us that we had to deplane for awhile. In minutes I could see the co-pilot starting the pre check

The plane took off in a very short distance so I wasn’t too worried about the landing. This plane was made for this. It was to be a 20 minute flight but we had to circle a bit for a window. It was fun trying to figure out where the airport was.

The runway is only 1739 feet! Perfect landing and off the plane. Have the baggage claim tickets to our guide and started trekking. First stop was breakfast. I wasn’t hungry since I ate my left over pizza. My favorite thing to do when traveling is to have pizza for dinner and eat the leftovers for breakfast . I am not a huge breakfast person.

I had some ginger tea and spring rolls. First bathroom without toilet paper, but I was prepared with with tp and wipes. They have soap but a dirty towel.

And we were off. It was a beautiful sunny, clear day perhaps a little warm. I could have been in shorts.

The hiking was beautiful but somewhat difficult for me. I felt the altitude right away but got used to it. It was supposed to be mostly down hill but I think they say that because tomorrow is mostly up hill.

The path was pretty clean and very well maintained. It was still wet from rain yesterday and lots of donkey and ox dung. I learned that the Yaks only survived in higher altitudes because of their heavy fur

The tea house is owned by a friend and classmate of Nimmi’s. It is called Sherpa Eco House

WiFi for $3.50, no towels, no soap, a velvety pillow and bottom sheet and a thick duvet. But a great view from my room

It’s freezing, well 62, but no luggage yet so I am in sweaty clothes. I just ordered some dinner.

Internet is spotty and it will get worse.

Will try to keep posting.

Today I start the physical part of the adventure. I am a little exhilarated and a little apprehensive . I went to sleep really early, 8 pm and woke up many times. Someone was fussing at my door, I yelled get away and he said sorry, the ac fan kept beeping. It’s not hot but the rooms smells like diesel and hotel is in party central. So my bags are packed, back pack, the duffle the the porter will carry and the bag I will leave here

Drinking my ELMT coffee. Electrolytes flavored like a salty Carmel. It’s tasty. I have drank a lot of water. The diamox and water means I will be urinating a lot!.

Hope the day goes well!

I set my alarm for 9am but the front desk called me at 8:45 to remind me that breakfast closed at 10. I went down for an omelet, toast and sausage. Nimmi arrived at 11:30. Still jet lagged

We went for Momos, like dumplings, she didn’t realize that I had just eaten. She helped at the ATM , then I wanted, sunglasses a new fleece and dry eyes stuff. She felt like gear was fine

Another nap until Nimmi brought the duffel that the porter will carry .

I ventured out, hoping not to get lost. Had some pizza and now packing and reading and fighting jet lag.

View from restaurant

Getting up early to catch a flight.

We circled a few times and then had the longest fastest landing ever. Almost scary. Had to sit on the plane for way too long. The couple me behind my seat mate and mine were idiots. Possibly first time fliers. They were up and down the whole time, banging into us, constantly rooting in their bag and they used our seat backs to sit and stand calapulting us up three rows. The woman in front of me would drop her seat back at a moment’s notice and it would slam into my knee. A little better planning next time, Dr., no business, no first class available. Slight possibility on the way back.

So got off the plane to craziness I knew I started to visa process. I applied 6 weeks in advance but they don’t even look at it until it’s two weeks out. They didn’t like my photos so I had to resend. Ater $80 and the angst of waiting, they admitted that it was just them filling in the forms for $80 I still had to pay another $50! Lessons learned.

But which line to choose. I chose “Have tourist Visa”, then moved to “get tourist visa” and back to the first. Neither mattered, I had to pay. I asked if I had to go to the end of the line? He said no, go to the front. I cut in about 4 people back. Got paid sticker and back to which line. People were getting very pushy and smelly, me included!! Finally got though and found baggage claim.OMG…. More craziness. All the flights were delayed and so much luggage coming out of the one hole. It took 90 minutes.

Nimmi was very kind. She took me to the hotel and said see you in the morning. Of course I was now wide awake. I ordered room service, showered and passed out!

So many trekkers, some fancy, some basic. All on a journey. Makes me remember as I did my first and last marathon, you do this as an individual and as a group. Thank you Drew Boomer.

Nimmi will be here shortly to check on my packing. I will explore and try to keep my feet up. Can’t do both at the same time!

Looks like we have a window! Nimmi is being very accommodating. Qatar has kept us on the plane for the past hour with AC but the toilets are full!

Luckily I am reading a good book, Dan Browns latest, “The Secret of Secret’s.”

Wish me luck!

Diverted to Kolkata. We circled the airport at Kathmandu for an hour then diverted. The lightening looked fierce. My guide Nimmi will be on call. This is always interesting, getting everyone off, get luggage get hotel and food voucher and get booked. No direct flights until 5 pm! Others will take 7 hours with stop. It was an extra one hour flight.

Traveling is exciting. Oh and so many crying children!!

Long flight squished in like sardines. I think the flight was only 13 hours. I took a few naps, watched a couple movies, even Wicked, Natalie. The entertainment is a bit modified, it seems. Probably for religious reasons.

Just a transfer in Doha, someone said I had to retrieve my bags so I hope the person here is right.

I meant to put an AirTag in my bag but I forgot. Also forgot to take off my favorite ring. I can’t hike in it so I have to take it off which means a possibility of losing it. Can’t even put it on my neck lay because it’s such cheap gold strand. It always brings me luck and I was worried about not having it. It’s the Aquamarine that I have worn since 1985. It was my Grandmothers. My Grandfather smuggled it into the USA in the 70’s. He didn’t want to pay those taxes.

This airport has a tropical garden in its center! The light shines in and it is easy to breathe because of the humidity. Doha was pretty bleak flying in, everything is sand colored.

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Next leg is to Kathmandu where Nimmi will pick me up and my luggage will be there too!