We're in a mini-bus after 14 days in a beautiful place and we hit the odd bit of traffic outside Kathmandu. Bear in mind on many of the bikes, children sit between dad driving and mom at the rear.
In the dining room gathering some warmth at Lobuche, getting really high. (Highest bakery in the world.) Mr. Santos, our 19-year old porter, looks on. Slightly built but could carry me with the 20-25 pounds I had on my back.
Since this was written, we have returned from fourteen days in what Jen calls the high mountains. I can't argue with that although a number of years ago I decided that every mountain is high to me. I also have a desire to 'climb every mountain' but have since realized I should rather focus on the 'song'. Unfortunately, I cannot sing so it's back to climbing. However, when we happened to look up and see peak number XV, currently known as Mount Everest, I decided to contact Rhoda Gaylis and request singing lessons. It's not easy living with myself; sometimes, it's quite a struggle. How much more so for the editor.
Previously:
Our next stop is Kathmandu. On the way in, I asked the pilot at what altitude he'd fly the plane. Without wishing to either insult or hurt his feelings, I wanted to ensure he remembered that Everest is a little over 29,000 feet. Can't hurt to make sure. Kathmandu has always seemed like a name and place out of a fairy tale. Now we are finally approaching this region although a little later than we would have liked. Truth be told, I'd loved to have accomplished the great quest of Everest but actually don't have the desire for such an undertaking (both a long and short story unless someone dares me appropriately'😁). We'll remain satisfied with Mount Woodson at 4,500 feet in Poway. Next is Timbuktu. At times, life seems surreal as we move into places and amongst cultures we never thought existed. We suppose education filled with exposure will do that for a person.
After 22 hours in the air, although with 3 stops along the route, we look forward to an adventure that will differ from anything else we've undertaken. We won't be showering too often; having fresh clothes will be a rarity; we'll have to boil water to control bacteria; the air pressure will be considerably less than we are used to so breathing will become difficult; the temperatures at the higher altitudes will be cold and we won't have access to much power. Hot and cold running water won't be available on the treks. These are only some of the aspects we know of. It's what we don't know that will be tricky. All-in-all, it promises to be a whole lot of fun. Now don't you wish you were here.
Jagged and haunting at Base Camp, a personal favorite with the Khumbu ice fields and glacier, too.
Fortunately (but sadly), Israel has at least one friend. Everest in the background shielded in clouds. One stone is from the highest place in the world, the other from the lowest, the Dead Sea.
On our way to the Everest Hotel from Namche Bazaar, an acclimating day.( I thought it meant 'rest'). Steep, sharp and exhilarating...and tiring, on a sunny day.
Ama Dablam, one of our favorite peaks. We saw it from many angles and were always stunned.
"Stairway to heaven or he..". Namche Bazaar, a larger town below.
Unhindered view of the summit of Peak XV (Everest) and to the right, the staggering Lhotse. Typical Everest blowing off snow and wispy clouds.
Another rest day (acclimating) as we trudge up sharply while it's snowing with Good Luck...our accommodation below.
... so here we are in China confronting more than 1.5 billion people. While we never wish to offend anyone, we doubt whether the Chinese nation, including Taiwan, would be offended by the musings of two little people. To understand their system of writing requires much effort. Imagine looking at a menu or taking an eye test and a person has to understand a pattern of squiggles, funny shapes and lines and stripes--may we so bold to state the symbols could be construed as bar codes? We'd like to suggest they use a few more graphics that depict actionable sequences. We think the generations still to be born would be grateful.
Wherever we travel, we tend to observe and at times pick up the cultural side. As we write, we have noticed in a short duration that many Chinese spit frequently. It seems, as we have tried to master the skill, that having an excess of mucous helps. Take a deep snort, filling the mouth, wiping any drips seeping through the the lips with a sleeve and then blow it out (spit) strongly. That seems to be a popular technique. A good distance looks to be between 6 and ten feet. We're sure there are other equally good methods but we tend to avoid specializing. When we saw a young woman spitting today, we were rather disappointed. Perhaps with continued practise, she could add a few more feet to her range. It's hard to pass expert opinions when one is not well versed. Little did we know but after arriving in Nepal, we believe the locals far surpass their Chinese neighbors. The standard of spitting is very high in this part of the world--it's impressive. This habit or behavior is far more prevalent than we anticipated and so we find ourselves ducking, diving and jumping frequently to avoid the gob missiles. The dry, dusty air is not healthy in this part of the world--talk to our lungs and chests.
China, being a communist country, although there's a strong capitalist economic ethic, tends to bring out much paperwork. Many people are doing jobs that look superfluous. Clerks in hotels, airport personnel as two examples write, copy and check, so much information and do tasks that appear to be meaningless. At one airport, our passports were checked 6 times on the way to the departure gate. Our ticket was stamped a mere 3 times. Our hotel check-in took a long time because of passport checks, copying of details including the long immigration number into the hotel records. The latter occurred at 2:15am. On the way into Kunming Airport, a police officer "wanded" us. We were then stopped in the explosives area for up to 2 minutes, as the sign states. Apparently, if you have not been blown up after the waiting period, you can proceed. Alternatively, should you have exploded then I hesitate to guess.
At each security stage over 4 flights thus far, I've had young women running their hands all over my body. I'm beginning to feel I'm nothing more than a mere sex object. I think I understand how some women feel about being ogled and... I wish these people would see me for whom I am ... 'I have a mind not just a body', you know, well, sort of. The ride in the shuttle was no less surprising. The driver honked the horn constantly--it was annoying. In only one instance could I understand the reason for it. When we flew into Qingdong, we were impressed by the skyline. It looked modern, overwhelming and clean. We believe New York City would be envious although we wouldn't mention it aloud as we know the citizens of Gotham are rather touchy about their island or so we've been told.
After a day of snowing, the weather clears allowing the sun to provide for a romantic evening.
Cheers,
Jenni and Jeffrey
Love the protruding peak. A tough hill awaits us, Jenni (just above the 3-duffel yak at bottom) mixing it up with Sherpas/porters, yaks and trekkers. (Not quite the "Hillary Step").
Jenni looking for the gap in Kathmandu. Mind the wiring, what a nightmare.
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