Namche Bazaar

.We decided to take two rest days in Namche Bazaar. The sheer delight in having some creature comforts back in our life highlight some of the challenges we have faced on the trail.

It is warm, at least during the sunny part of the day. The sun streams into our top floor room, drying our laundry and warming even my toes. There is a compact fluorescent bulb in our room that works almost all the time, and is bright! And a plug that falls out of the wall but charges our devices. Adam and I have the best room in the whole lodge, with awesome views out both windows of our corner room. 

The bathroom down the hall has a western toilet (not a squat toilet) that actually flushes, which means the floor in the stalls is dry. There is a sink with running water, and a drain that works! We can brush teeth and do laundry. Our windows open to allow us to dry laundry on the metal roof. 

We've gotten a bit tired of the same food choices, day after day. In Namche, there are two bakeries where we got pastries, cookies, and some whole grain bread. They might not meet my standards at home, but right now they are wonderful!

But one thing that is the same is the hiking. Yesterday we walked up to the Sagarmatha park headquarters, which has viewpoints, statues, and the poster that convinced us to visit Gokyo. Last time the valley was filled with clouds and all we could see was hoar frost. This time we could see Everest in one direction, and back down the valley to Jorsale in the other. 

This morning we made another attempt to hike to the Everest View Hotel, the typical acclimatization hike from Namche. The trail goes almost straight up above the Namche bowl, climbing some ridiculous number of meters in a very short distance. Meg and I attempted the climb two years ago, but turned back when she got too tired. Last week we tried again, but turned back when Wendy had trouble breathing. Third time is charm! In a mere 2 hours we made it to the lookout point above the hotel, for amazing 360 views and quite a sense of accomplishment. The trip down was easier, though still so steep that vertigo was a real danger.

Tomorrow we pack up and start the two day journey back to Lukla, which we hope to reach for NewYears Eve, and the flight back to Kathmandu on New Years Day!

- Toby

Earthquake Damage

I'm sure many people are wondering about earthquake damage.  We were too.   To be honest we've seen very little.  One guard post was half crumpled into a heap of stones with a new building constructed just uphill.  And our lodge in Mong La had carpenters hard at work rebuilding their outdoor toilet.   There seem to be two reasons for how little damage we've seen.   One is that the Khumbu region wasn't hit nearly as hard as some other areas of Nepal.  The other is that this is one of the wealthiest areas of the country.  Many people make a fairly good living from the tourist trade up here, so they had the money to repair or rebuild  ( or were able to borrow it).   Now they are waiting for the tourists to return.  If enough of us come in 2016 this region will recover just fine. So if you can afford to travel and have ever considered a trip to Nepal, this would be a great year to do it.   

Just because we haven't seen much damage doesn't mean it isn't here.   One lodge owner told me the story of the week after the earthquake in her life.  Both of her children go to school in Kathmandu.  She talks with them every day.   But all the cell towers were damaged in the quake and travel to Kathmandu was not an option.  So every day she walked for hours in tears, searching for a cell signal so she could find out  if her sons had survived.   She said many lodge owners had husbands who were guiding trekking groups and they had to wait days or weeks to find out if they had survived as well.  

And the Khumbu region has been lucky.  Many other regions were much harder hit.  Aid is still tied up in political wrangling and very little international aid has been distributed. This means that people are living in tents or under tarps in the bitter cold.   The most vulnerable are dying of the cold.  Others are abandoning their homes and walking to lower areas where the temperature is warmer. We've met some people from those regions.   It's a painful topic and not one we bring up lightly with anyone, but everyone has stories to tell.  Some of you have asked about the best ways to help.  We hope to find out more about that in the next few days and will keep you posted.  

- Meg

Gokyo

Our last day in Namche, we changed our plans. We saw a poster about the Gokyo valley, and got inspired. The trip up the Gokyo valley is steep, ascending almost as high as Everest Base Camp with shorter trekking days and even more dramatic scenery. That sounded good to us, so we headed out.

The first part of the trail out of Namche is some of my very favorite. Wide paths hug the mountain, offering views of Everest, Nupse, Lotse, Ama Dablam and other dramatic peaks. Here is a shot of Adam, almost as high as Everest!

But soon we took the side trail toward the Gokyo valley. Our first stop was Mong-la, a tiny "village" of four lodges (only two were open) on the top of a ridge. The climb up was hard - but the descent to the river valley the next morning was even harder. 

Last time I was here, my excitement about the trip overwhelmed the truth - going up is HARD. Traveling uphill means fighting both gravity and altitude. The downhills are no better. It takes lots of leg strength to balance, step after step, down the slopes, rocks and stone steps. The Gokyo trail is both steeper and narrower than the "main" trail to EBC. And as before, amenities get sparser as we traveled up. It got colder. Western toilets made way for squat toilets. Running water was only found outside in streams - even the drains were frozen inside. Electricity and heat were severely limited, and there was no internet.

But it was awesome. Mountains surrounded us. We could see for miles, and were amazed over and over again to see the next settlement way in the distance, only to arrive there later the same day. We met people each evening, huddled around the stove in the common room. And we loved the time together as a family. As Adam's stamina increased, he became positively chatty, sometimes just at the point when I could only focus on putting one foot in front of another.

On Christmas Eve, we arrived in Gokyo, at about 15,500'. We were all having problems breathing and sleeping. The last bit of the hike involved hiking up the lip of the end moraine to the ablation valley that contains the 6 Gokyo lakes. The lodge was nestled on the shores of the third lake. It was cozier than many lodges, with double thickness of foam on the beds, and fabric on the walls to keep them warmer. It got to -12 degrees c that night - a bit chilly in our unheated rooms even with the extras!

The lakes were gorgeous. They were mostly frozen over, and when the sun hit the lakes, they emitted weird booming moaning sounds. Christmas morning, after a tiny celebration in our room, we climbed the ridge to see the glacier. These mountains will be around for millennia, but not the glaciers. I'm so glad we got to see this one. 22 km of glacier with the Pamori range in the background.

Afterwards, we decided to head down. We were all having altitude problems, and none of us really had the energy to climb Gokyo Ri, a 2,000 foot climb for great views of Everest. We figured we had already seen it. 

Three days of walking later, we pulled into Namche Bazaar, tired, filthy, and ready to connect to the world. After showers, bakery, a bit if battery charging, and Internet, we are feeling quite proud of ourselves. Tomorrow is a rest day! 

Lukla to Namche, Take 2

I wasn't sure I would have anything to say in a blog this time. After all, I've taken this trip before. But sure enough, I have tons to say!

Arriving at the domestic airport was very familiar. They are building a new terminal, but we were still in the old, ratty one. This time, I knew the drill, and Kerin our guide was on hand to talk to the gate agents. We hurried through checkin and security, only to wait. How long? No one knew. The Kathmandu airport was closed due to weather. So we waited, and shivered (our down coats were checked) and made friends with other Trekkers. And suddenly, about three hours later, it was suddenly time to board and we were off. 

I got to sit up front this time, along with my new friend Sabi. We got to see our incredibly skilled pilots maneuver this tiny aircraft straight up into the mountains, over ridges that we could practically reach out and touch. The video of the landing will make it seem much worse than it was - it was just a bit bumpy. Then we pulled up to the gate, hopped out, and we were THERE!

Walking through Lukla and then heading downhill out of town was so familiar and wonderful. Crisp air, rocky path under foot, and mountains all around. About 30 minutes into the trip I was watching the views more than my feet, and fell with a twisted ankle. Oops. But a few minutes later I was able to hobble, and a few after that I was walking well.

We stayed in Phakding our first night, the traditional first stop. After a reasonably good sleep, we got underway again. Day 2 the path was less uneven, and more up and down. We stopped for a pot of milk tea in Benkar, and I got this picture of Adam.

By lunch, we made it to Jorsale, just inside Sagarmatha park, and at the foot of the Namche hill. Adam was tired, so we decided to stop for the day. It turned out to be a terrific decision. We found a cozy lodge right next to the rushing Dudi Kosi river. Our little gabled rooms faced the river and were filled with the sound of the river all night. Adam and I snuggled up in our sleeping bags to watch tv on my iPad together, then warmed up by the wood fire at dinner. Altogether a lovely stop.

The next morning we tackled the hill. 1/2 hour of walking along the river was followed by 1/2 hour of steep stone steps, then the last hanging bridge of the day. We'd gotten pretty blasé about the sway and the rushing river beneath there bridges, but this one is both longer and higher than the others, and I was glad to put it behind us. We still had another 2 1/2hours of steady climbing to reach Namche, with no place for a tea or lunch break. Adam was beat as we stmbled into town, but he made it. Hotel Namche is fortunately close by. We got the best " common" rooms in the hotel, with big sunny Windows. Lunch and showers perked everyone up. 

Today, Meg, Wendy, and I will take a short day hike with Kerin to the Everest View Hotel, while Adam gets a rest day. 

Adam wrote these poems:

The wind is roaring 

The high bridges are swaying 

The mountains shining 

The bells are ringing

The driver is whistling 

The yaks are plodding 

First day on the trail

Today (Thursday) was the day we finally made it to the trekking part of our trekking adventure. I don't really have the words for how it felt to fly into the Lukla airport, which is the official start of trekking.  I know I used the word amazing a lot today. Amazing mountains, amazing clear blue rushing rivers. The most adorable dogs that, amazingly, laid around dozing, unconcerned about the people walking all around them. Then there were the awesome donkeys and the yak- cow hybrids steadily plodding along covered with blankets, gear, and bells. And the really interesting other trekkers from all over the place.  I think I used the word happy a lot today too. Mostly I am so happy to be here and happy to use all this strength and stamina I have worked so hard to build up this last year. My goal was to be in shape enough to truly enjoy this adventure. I had no idea it would be quite so enjoyable.  -Wendy

What a variety of noise experiences we've had over the last three days.  First the airport - full of loudspeakers, the hum of machinery, the beeping of carts.   Then Kathmandu- barking dogs and honking horns - followed by the small plane which was so loud they gave us cotton for our ears - then finally the peace of the mountains.   It is not silent here - but the sounds are quite different.  The river roars in the valley below the trail and the wind wanders in the branches overhead.  Occasionally there are birds or chickens.   And every now and again a young porter comes by with an I pod playing- just to remind us that electric devices still exist. - Meg

Lukla

We're here!

Training, gear, arrangements, drives, flights - as far as I am concerned, we have made it now. After a long wait and a quick flight, we are in Lukla. Tea then we start hiking.

Istanbul

Everyone I know who is flying to India, Bangaladesh, or Nepal this month is flying out of Chicago on Turkish Airlines, which has been offering excellent prices for those willing to get themselves to Chicago.  We drove.

Monday morning saw us filling the Prius with all five frame packs (one for our porter) and four "airplane" bags into the Prius - it all fit! We left at 8 am for a 9 pm flight, leaving time for a visit with Meg's brother when we dropped off the dog and dinner with other family. It as a nice day, but next time I will figure out how to fly.

Turkish Airlines treated us very well on our 11 hour flight from Chicago to Istanbul. Scrunched seats were offset with two hot meals with trendy foods, free wine and rainbow mood lighting. Each passenger got a pillow and blanket for the trip, plus a travel pouch with slippers, socks, earplugs, eye ask, toothpaste, toothbrush - all to keep. The seat back entertainment was packed with options, and included USB port, Ethernet jack (huh?), and AC power jack. Who knew any airline still did all that? 

The Istanbul airport has expanded since we were here last, and it was a zoo. We decided to escape for our 9 hour layover, but the first challenge was to find the Exit. It was tucked in a corner, labeled Transit Desk. We made our escape down 5 or 6 flights of stairs onto the metro. Even though it had gotten dark, the city was magical. Minarets (the spires from mosques), old walls and ancient stonework peek through new buildings and plenty of lights. The call to prayers, broadcast on loud speakers at each mosque, started just after we reached the old city and the Blue Mosque. Everyone was speaking Turkish, though they made a prodigious effort to speak English with us. Familiar sights met our eyes at every turn from our trip here 9 years ago.

We ducked into a small cafe to warm up with Turkish tea and wifi. Adam had been working on his final paper for his writing class (the political situation in Nepal) for weeks. We gave it one last read and he sent it to his professor. Whew! As that last responsibility of our "regular" lives fell away, we relaxed into the present - Istanbul!

A long walk down to the spice market and the docks, then back to the airport for our next flight. 

Fuel Crisis

While we wing our way from Chicago to Istanbul to Kathmandu, I thought I'd give you a bit of background on the current situation in Nepal. 

Everyone knows that on April 25, 2015 a huge earthquake struck Nepal. That initial quake plus the many aftershocks caused widespread damage across Nepal, leaving thousands without homes just as the monsoon season started.

But not everyone knows about the recent fuel crisis, which has visited almost as much havoc on the people of Nepal. 

On September 20, 2015, Nepal signed into law a new constitution. It was a huge victory for stability, prosperity, and the hope of a functional government for Nepal. The earthquake response had shown the world how bad things were - this was a big step forward.

But many people were not happy about the document. The Madhesi people, who make up 51% of Nepal's population but occupy only 17% of its landmass, feel that the new constitution treats them badly. And it's true. 

The people in this area have strong ties to India - they live right on the border. There are many Nepali - Indian marriages. But when a Nepali woman marries a foreigner, her children don't become citizens unless her husband also applies for citizenship. There are no such restrictions on men who marry foreigners.

This area is also very Hindi. Nepal used to have a national religion - Hinduism. Nepal became a secular state in 2007, after the civil war. Some people hoped to go back to a national religion, but this constitution further emphasizes religious freedom and the secular nature of government.

And finally, this lowland area supports more than half of the population, but they've always felt unrepresented and unappreciated. In this constitution only 45% of the members of the government are chosen using "proportional representation", which is less than the 58%  it had been previously. This lack of representation really hurts "minority" groups like the Madhesi.

So while many people are happy to have ANY new constitution, the Madhesi and other groups along the lowland Indian border are at the end of their rope. Since the signing in September, the Indian border has been blockaded, keeping shipments of fuel, medicine and other supplies from reaching Nepal. At first, an end to the conflict seemed imminent, but it has dragged on for months now.

The impact of the fuel shortage on people in Nepal has gone up and down. For awhile, fuel for cars or stoves was very hard to get. Streets emptied out, and people started cutting down the few remaining trees in the Kathmandu valley. Now, things appear to be almost normal, thanks to black-market supplies.

So stay tuned for our own update on how it seems in Nepal - post earthquake, and with the current fuel crisis. It shouldn't be boring!

Ready, Set, Go!

Our bags are packed, the house is clean(ish), the mail has been stopped, Gianmarco's plans are set, and a myriad of other details have been attended to. It's amazing how many things we're all responsible for!

Tomorrow morning we roll into the car at the crack of dawn and head for Milwaukee. Meg's brother David is watching Bella while we're gone. He's also driving us to the Chicago airport for our flight.

Monday evening we squeeze into our little airplane seats on Turkish Airlines for our 12 hour flight to Istanbul, Turkey. If it wasn't digital, our libraries of music, books and movies would fill a huge suitcase all on their own. I'm actually starting to look forward to doing nothing but reading or having a Northern Exposure marathon - except for the tiny seat!

We're hoping to use our time in Istanbul to take the metro into the old town, have dinner and maybe have a spa treatment. Then back to the airport for our midnight departure.

Eight more hours in cattle class brings us to Kathmandu. Despite the jet lag I know we'll have, we have a long list for our (hopefully) single afternoon in the city: renting sleeping bags, getting SIM cards, changing money, and meeting our guide.

Then the next morning we hope to fly up into the mountains, to the small town of Lukla.

Mountains - here we come!

100 Pounds of Gear?!?

The 'final' pile of gear and packs.

Four people for 3 weeks need a LOT of stuff, especially in the winter! We've been agonizing over the trip for months and virtually packing for weeks. Today we started actually packing.

We had stuff all over every surface. Some items went into the piles easily. We already purchased and picked out trekking pants, long underwear, and socks. But other items weren't as easy. The toothbrush demanded a discussion of individual toothpaste or sharing. The solar panels brought up all sorts of complications around the new lightening tips required by newer Apple devices. Packing the passports required getting the scanner running to make copies of the first page.

Still, we ended the day with six piles of stuff - one for each of us, plus group gear and snacks. We're taking five backpacks - one each plus one for our porter. We'll be renting really warm sleeping bags in Kathmandu, so we had to figure those into our calculations:

5 empty back packs: 25 pound
Clothes, toiletries, etc.: 40+ pounds
Group gear: 15+ pounds
Food: 5+ pounds
Rented sleeping bags: 16+ pounds

So we're just over 100 pounds. Divided by 4 means 25 pounds each. Plus water. So we can't add anything else. Fortunately, we're hiring a porter and a guide to help - so we really can add that last water bottle, the new charging block and the other items that haven't arrived in the mail yet - and still not overload ourselves or our porter.

Can you believe we need this much stuff?

Toby

Wendy Goes to Everest

Toby spent the better part of the year following her return from Nepal finding videos of people hiking up mountains... the better to lure me out.  In 2013 when she and Meg went to Nepal, I was impressed, inspired, and quite sure I did not want to go to that much work.

Then we watched this documentary about a group of regular people climbing to the top of  Mount Kilimanjaro. Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa. I was enthralled. Suddenly I wanted to climb to the top of Kilimanjaro. So I said to Toby and Meg, would you do this with me, if I could get in shape? Maybe next year?  They jumped at the chance to have me get fit enough to go on adventures with them. They said YES.

As the weeks stretched into months and I started losing weight and gaining stamina, Toby and Meg went from being hopeful that maybe I could get in shape to believing that I would do it. So before plane tickets were bought and the reality of a trip took shape, they started talking about going back to Nepal, instead of Kilimanjaro.  It took some time, but they convinced me.

Getting in shape to trek to Everest Base Camp was a long haul, both satisfying and difficult.  But I have lost over 100 lbs, through dieting and exercise. Our son Adam decided he would come with us too, which is great. When we went to NYC in the fall we hiked all around Central Park (though he did stop to read a lot).

Now I am enjoying all the exercising pleasures I used to enjoy as a young woman; biking, dancing, swimming, hiking. I've even taken up jogging, joined a boot camp class, and I did a triathlon.

So now, over 400 days later, we are set to fly to Kathmandu in less than 2 weeks. A return trip for Toby and Meg and a brand new adventure for me and Adam.

-Wendy