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.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
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.
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
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.
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.
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!
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!
Sunday, December 13, 2015
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!
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!
Sunday, December 6, 2015
100 Pounds of Gear?!?
 |
| The 'final' pile of gear and packs. |
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
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
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
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
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Video!
Two months later, I finally finished my video of the trip. Come check it out!
Everest Base Camp Trek 2013 (Youtube: 5:12 minutes)
It's been delightful to revisit my trip through the video, to remember huffing up those hills but being able to look up and see the fluttering flags against clear blue sky and jagged mountains. I hope you can see how the terrain changed, from the chaos of the city to the lush mountains when we first got to Lukla to the stark terrain above treeline. And I hope you get glimpses of the company we had on the trail, especially the porters carrying dramatic loads of all sorts of things. I left in sounds too - though I muted the heavy hum of the tiny airplane, the wind across the microphone above treeline, and the overwhelming hiss of the crickets in the jungle.
Maybe I'll get to go back!
Everest Base Camp Trek 2013 (Youtube: 5:12 minutes)
It's been delightful to revisit my trip through the video, to remember huffing up those hills but being able to look up and see the fluttering flags against clear blue sky and jagged mountains. I hope you can see how the terrain changed, from the chaos of the city to the lush mountains when we first got to Lukla to the stark terrain above treeline. And I hope you get glimpses of the company we had on the trail, especially the porters carrying dramatic loads of all sorts of things. I left in sounds too - though I muted the heavy hum of the tiny airplane, the wind across the microphone above treeline, and the overwhelming hiss of the crickets in the jungle.
Maybe I'll get to go back!
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