: bistari bistari (slowly slowly) :

Today was our hard slog from Phakding to Namche Bazaar (elevation 11,300 feet), gaining 2,400 feet in altitude. After lunch I decided to don my iPod (best song of the day – How to Disappear Completely – Radiohead) and pretend I was on a stairclimber – only to equate this to working out at home, I would have to put 15 pounds on my back and a plastic bag over my head. Wally on the other hand, was trekking along at a respectable pace ahead of me, but was feeling the affects of the altitude as well.

Hmmm, what happened today? Well, I almost got clunked in the head from an impromptu rockslide. Then Wally and I discussed aggressively about how to react if another one occurred. Then we saw a girl hiking in a push-up bra and a neon yellow dress. Then we saw some hippie hikers hiking in hemp shoes.

Then we followed behind about twelve or so donkeys carrying two-three propane tanks on their backs, uphill on a very unstable rocky pathway. While this provided us frequent rest stops, all we could imagine is one of those tanks falling off and exploding on us. Another aspect of following donkeys is that their waste is quite, um, liquid and plentiful, so you really need to watch every step you make.

It was a very dangerous day.

But very memorable as well. There is a peaceful happiness hearing the chiming bells of the pack animals and seeing prayer flags blowing softly in the wind.

We arrived in Namche after hiking for 5 ½ hours. This is a town that has its own helicopter pad for airlifting trekkers who have developed severe AMS (acute mountain sickness). Since we have arrived, there have been five helicopters. It is a town amenity that we would surely not want to utilize.

In the Himalayas, when you trek from town to town, you can stay very comfortably at a tea house. The accommodations are very rudimentary, but protected from the wind. There is a bed with a mattress and usually they will give you a blanket for extra warmth. You bring a sleeping bag. Then there are the squat toilets, sometimes en suite, but more likely shared and outdoors. Becoming reacquainted with squat toilets has been loads of fun, but I am thankful that I did loads of squats when training for this trek.

The views from our tea house accommodations are spectacular! A view like this in say, Colorado, would cost $500 a night, but here it’s more like 300 rupees, or $2. So maybe the squat toilets are worth it.

After we settled in, we went to the dining area and met a guy from North Carolina named Ari, who was on sabbatical from work and halfway through a grand tour that had started in January of this year, visiting China, Australia and New Zealand, and after Nepal, heading off to Egypt and Greece. After our travel talk, Wally and I ate dinner and watched wrestling on satellite TV with Ari, his guide, and Mingma. All I could think was, damn, back home Judge Judy would be on right now.

Tonight we will go to bed early and try to sleep late. Tomorrow is a rest day in Namche.

Quotes of the day:

Wally: Smells like donkey spirit.

Bette: Think I’ll treat myself to some new underwear today.

However for the record, neither of these statements were made in any relation to one another.