Turkish Delight

It took something like three days to get home, days being a relative term, comprised of some unknown number of hours, due to to time zone changes.

Day 1: Chitwan to Kathmandu
The bus ride back was surprisingly comfortable. Maybe it was having seats near front. Maybe it was the fantastic views. We traveled along the river almost the whole way, climbing from around 500 feet of elevation to almost 5,000 feet of elevation. Right at the end, the road climbs a set of steep switchbacks to reach the Kathmandu valley. I'm not sure what happened our day, but we eventually passed at least 5 broken down trucks on the hill, which backed up traffic on the hill in both directions for miles. The road is only two lanes, with the mountain on one side and a steep drop off on the other, so a broken truck means that everyone in one direction has to stop while the other direction passes. It takes time. The trip that should have taken 6 hours took almost 10. But we made it back to Kathmandu safe and sound, in time for last minute shopping, device charging, and some sleep.

Day 2: Kathmandu to Istanbul
We met up with our guide, Kiran, again for breakfast, after which he presented us with katas, or prayer scarves, which are traditional for all sorts of things, including arrivals and departures.

The 8 1/2 hour trip was extended a couple hours, due to a refueling stop in Delhi - the fuel crisis is definitely not over. We arrived in Istanbul around 7:30 pm, local time. We quickly proceeded through customs to the "Hotel Desk", where we waited a VERY long time (over 2 hours). But the result was incredible - two free rooms at the Grand Chevalier Hotel, a place that we would never have paid for on our own. We collapsed into the cushy room after making good use of the plentiful hot water and shampoo :)

Day 3: Istanbul to Chicago/Minneapolis
It was a delight to be back in Turkey. It felt so clean and easy. Meg and I walked around after an incredibly sumptuous breakfast buffet, shopping at local supermarkets for snacks and presents, watching regular people head to work. The airline even sent a bus to bring us back to the airport. It was fun to see a different part of the city - most of our time has been spent in the old town by the Grand Bazaar and Topkapi Palace.

 Then it was time for our last long flight: 12 hours from Kathmandu to Chicago. The loaded personal entertainment devices helped the time pass. I watched Spy, Everest, and Boyhood. Wendy and Adam watched the Hobbit too. They even had all six of the first Star Wars movies. And then there was the food! Some of the best Turkish food I've ever had. Check out the menu they gave us when we boarded:

We're pretty enamored with Turkish Airlines, between the movies, the hotel rooms, the food, and the pile of goodies (I'm always going to fly with slippers from now on!).  And Istanbul. I highly recommend both!

When we got to Chicago, Adam and I rushed off to catch our Spirit Airlines flight, leaving Wendy and Meg to deal with all of our luggage and customs. Wendy and Meg spent another day picking up the dog in Milwaulkee and driving home - bless them!

And that's that! Now we're home to the land of plenty: food, heat, electricity, transportation, etc. And more responsibility. And of course the jet lag, which gives me plenty of time to post instead of sleeping! But what a trip - it was well worth it :)

Chitwan National Park

Chitwan is an amazing place. Last time I was here, the oppressive heat and humidity overwhelmed my experience. This time, I am free to appreciate the beauty. It is so different than the mountains. We are on the flatlands here, near the Indian border.

Our lodge consists of two long buildings facing each other across a lovely garden, with trees, flowers, stone walkways and shaded palapas. A tree in the garden provides oranges for Meg's fruit lassis. After the rigors of our trip, we have all been glad to take some down time. Our rooms are fairly simple, but seem luxurious to us, with nice bedding, attached bathrooms, hot water and towels. Each bed has a fancy princess canopy, otherwise known as a mosquito net, to protect us from the handful of mosquitos we've seen. Out back are two resident elephants.

Yesterday morning, after much research and soul searching,  we took a ride on the government elephants. They cost more than the private elephants, and are treated a bit better. The fees are also used to combat rhino poaching. So I hope it was an ethical choice. I was glad to share the experience with Wendy and Adam. The four of us perched on top of our elephant, at the four corners of the "saddle" as our elephant plodded his way through grasslands and forest. It was a misty morning, but we still caught glimpses of deer, monkeys, birds, and one sleepy rhino.

After lunch, we took a four hour jeep ride through the park. I had my doubts - four more hours bumping along sounded a bit like torture. But even with the bumping, I loved it. We were constantly scanning the trees, grasses and woods for animal spottings. The grasses are quite tall this time of year (they are burned back in March) but we felt very satisfied by the glimpses we got of three kinds of deer, peacocks, black-faced monkeys, termite mounds, wild boar, crocodiles and one rhino. There is a crocodile breeding center that raises and releases cut little baby gariel crocodiles. Beware swimming here! We ended the day with an amazing jungle sunset. 

This afternoon we took a leisurely trip down river in a traditional flat bottom "canoe" made of one single log. We saw birds and tons of crocodiles (both gariel and the more dangerous mugger) at every turn. Good thing we didn't tip over! 

Then we took a 3 hour jungle walk. It was nice to be up close and personal with the forest, after the elephant, canoe and jeep. But things got exciting when we came an elephant grazing ahead of us. We edged closer to get a look until our guides realized that we were seeing the female. The male was likely nearby, watching over her, and ready to protect her. After telling us to hide in the ditch if he charged, we edged through the forest to give them a wide berth. 

The adventures weren't over! Very fresh bear scat (which I did not photograph) kept us on the lookout for the dangerous sloth bear. The tiger tracks we saw weren't as new, but our guide told us all about getting raked by a tiger in this area just six months ago. But all we actually saw were a pair of jackals slinking toward a herd of spotted deer. 

Tomorrow we begin the very long journey home: 5 minute jeep ride, 7 hours on bus, overnight in Kathmandu, 20 minute taxi, 9 hour flight, overnight in Istanbul, 12 hour flight, then finally a 6 hour drive (Wendy and Meg) or a final 1 1/2 hour flight (Toby and Adam). Nepal is a long way from Minnesota!

-Toby

Bistari, bistari

 Those of you who watched us training for this hike may have imagined us striding vigorously along the trail, singing selections from the sound of music in four part harmony  (well perhaps those of you who have heard Adam or I sing knew there was no four part harmony going on).  But perhaps anyone who's ever hiked at high altitude can imagine the reality.   The higher you hike, the slower you go.  Take the film of us in your mind and run it in slow motion.  Now slow it down a little more.  Going up steep parts of the trail close to the top we might take 10 slow steps, then stop to catch our breath.  The Nepali guides in the back of each group can be heard murmuring " Bistari, bistari, - slowly, slowly".  That's good advice in many ways.   Walk slowly, and also gain altitude slowly, no more than 1000 feet per day.   We were by no means the fastest group in the area, but " Bistari, bistari, we made it to our destination safely and back down without getting sick or injured.  

Here are Adam and Meg arriving in Lukla!

Today our trip down from Lukla was an exercise in hurry, hurry, hurry - wait.   We got up early after a night of trying to sleep through the noise of large trekking groups drinking, singing and yelling.  One person passed out in front of Wendy and Adam's door.  We packed with as much speed as we could, then hurried up to breakfast.  Our hotel overlooked the airstrip, but that wasn't enough for Toby and Adam so they ate a quick breakfast and dashed off to stand by the airstrip and watch the first set of planes land.   Our guide said the trick was to watch for the first three planes from our airline to land, then go to the airport.   So Wendy and I lingered in our lodge, watching the runway on closed caption tv until it was suddenly time to dash for the airport.   Slowly, slowly- run!    Once at the airport we waited in a long line to get our baggage weighed, another line to have our baggage screened (a quick pat down and a few questions) then stood around for a while before joining the security line.   

Security in this airport is on the honor system.   Are you carrying any explosives, weapons or sharp objects?  No?  OK.   Then you are patted down ( the line for women was much shorter than the men's line) and enter a second waiting room where you stand around again, watching for planes to land and hoping the right number of planes actually lands before fog or winds shut the airport down for the day.   I used the waiting time for a lovely chat with Chhamji Sherpa, a lodge owner we met in Mongla.   We talked about work, children, retirement and schools and the time passed quickly.   Two more Tara Air planes landed and unloaded, including a huge stack or plywood and a dozen large batteries. The next plane would be ours.  Would it actually come?   It did, and we rushed out the door in time for a long wait on the tarmac, where we watched more plywood emerge and our seats quickly reinstalled before boarding our plane for the short trip across the mountains to Kathmandu.  

After an afternoon of showers, food, and repacking, we are off to Chitwan National Park, where we hope to see rhinos and monkeys.

- Meg

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