Sent Friday, March 30, 2001
Diary of a Trekker III
Closer to Mt. Everest
February 17, 2001
Ahh, I'm sitting now on a small red stool in front of the stove. I'm in the
dinning room of the Himalayan Trekkers' Lodge in Tengobche at 12,300 feet.
Mmmmm, the luxuries of trekking. Heat! I'm feeling good now.
The locals burn yak dung to conserve wood. It is always a welcome sight to
see the woman of the house bringing in a fresh load. Eagerly the trekkers
watch as she empties an old cooking-oil can full of dried yak patties into
the embers of the previous one. Soon the HEAT is touching the marrow of the
bones. Ahh. I just wish it would last. I know my sleeping bag will be
shockingly cold. Hopefully I can retain enough heat to warm up the bag
before it freezes me.
February 18, 2001
I woke up this morning to what sounded like a blender. It turned out to be
the sound of the monks announcing the start of their ceremony by blowing
through conch shells from the second floor window of the monastery. It was
7:00 AM.
Marci and I witnessed the chanting last night with cold feet. No shoes
allowed in the monastery.
I had popcorn for lunch. My stomach was giving me trouble earlier. Now it
feels better.
Rich, Marci and I have met lots of nice people on the trail. We're now in
Pheriche at 14, 098 feet. We're spending our time chatting with our new
friends in the sunroom or huddling close to the yak dung as it burns so
nicely in the stove in the dinning room. It dries our sweaty wet socks.
We're eating a lot too.
March 2, 2001
Now I sit in an aura of heat as the yak dung burns evenly in the stove at the
Alpine Inn in Lobuche. Nine of us are wedged around it and four others are
in the periphery of the dinning room eating rice dinners at the surrounding
tables.
My right shoe is finally dry. A while ago it was hanging on part of the
stove. This morning on the trail I gracefully slipped off an icy stone, and
my right foot went into some frigid stream water. I hiked the rest of the
day with a cold foot.
Actually it was a good day. I felt great the whole distance. Now I have a
slight headache however. We're at 16, 262 feet. I hope I can sleep.
Wow. Have I been sitting here for five hours?! Can that be right?! It's
7:30, time for dinner.
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