APRIL 21^ST, THURSDAY:   What a glorious and beautiful morning, snow covering and all, but not deep, probably an inch or so, but much more up higher.  Today will be a very hard day, trekking to Lobuche, a village of 3 lodges, small store and several houses, at 16,600 feet, and it will take 6 hours or so to gain the 1400 feet, several very steep hills.  But, Nawang has prepared me well!  I think I can get up about anything, I am trail worthy and ready to go.  The SPECTACULAR views make the climbing easier---looking at these views keeps your mind off the hill---do you believe that??  From here on out I need special concentration on every step, special focus.  Trail is more rocky and difficult---wrong foot placement could mean bad ankle sprain or a fall.  I must stop and look rather than like a Sherpa:  They seem to just walk, not looking down, but they never stumble or trip on a rock??  Also it is much colder this morning, wind is blowing, so we will keep warm clothes on longer---will warm up some later.  For example, I start the day with double pants (fleece inside, regular outside), Short and long sleeve REI wicking tee shirts and my Exum Gortex coat, fleece neckband and hat which covers ears, and Snow sunglasses for glare.  I am warm and have good equipment.  We cross up a long plain, what I call a tundra plain for and hour or two, then down to the river crossing on a log, and lunch at Duglha ( 0052 , 0053 ) , villiage of one farm and one lodge.  We eat in the farm yard as I sit and enjoy the scenery on this beautiful day.  I can also see the very steep trail when we leave here, probably an hour or hour and a half to the top. 

The above mentioned climb turned out to be very hard and did take an hour, very rocky, some scrambling even.  But at top of hill is the MEMORIAL TO THOSE WHO DIED ON MT. EVEREST ( 0055 , 0056 ) .  Cairns and memorials everywhere that friends have built for their friends. Nawang helped build 4 memorials to his three Sherpa friends and one Canadian who died in the ice fall avalanche in 1982.  This is a quiet and respectful place, several others sitting, thinking, praying. There is a special memorial to the Sherpa who set records for spending 21 hours on Everest, had been up 12 times I think (a record recently broken), who died several years ago on the mountain. 

15 minutes later PUMO RI ( 0057 ) 23,640 sticks up like an upside down ice cream cone covered with snow and ice;  Lintgren 22,140;  Chumbu 22,630; Changri 19,890 ( 0047 , 0048 , 0058 );  WHAT A VIEW!  All are lined up as in an ampitheatre .  We are actually trekking along and on the KHUMBU GLACIER AND MORRAINE ( 0061 , 0062 , 0063 , 0064 ).  I never knew this thing was so big.  A huge waste land of rocks and debris pushed down by the glacier.  It is on our right shoulder all the way to base camp, miles and miles, for two days we are on this thing.   

Then about 4:20 pm LOBUCHE ( 0060 ) 16,550, sitting in the moraine with a little stream close by---the group across the stream is the REI group, Pat who I have spoken to several times from Phoenix who has had the runs for 3 days; Scott the 70 year old I have also spoken to, and Mike who I will meet later in the trek in Pheriche.  I talked with Pat again this afternoon and he is a little better.  Lobuche is a village of 4 lodges and several houses.  I did mention that we are above tree line---nothing but rocks, snow and ice here and for last day or so.  There is a telephone here that people are trying to use at a store, but only one man knows how to operate it and he is in Kathmandu for 2 weeks holiday!  No call home!  You can imagine how expensive it would be anyway!  I am back in a tent again but my bag is warm! 

SLEEPING BAGS:  There are sleeping bags and there are BAGS!  Nawang has a climber’s bag for me:  Inner “sock” that covers me waist down; inner sleeve like fleece, and outer layer that keeps the warmth in.  I AM WARM IN THIS BAG!  Plus, after I fill my bottle with hot water at night, I put it at bottom where feet go---mmmmmm warm!

My team lays out everything on a restaurant table and everyone (Russians, French, Brits, Aussies, etc.) sneaking peaks at me wondering who I am with this special treatment. I almost passed the word that I am a US Senator but decided not to ruin my reputation!!!  (bad!)   Restaurant holds about 20 people, nice warm yak dung stove in middle.  I meet Kylie and Rob from the Outback in Australia, Rob being an indigenous Aborigine.  They are both park rangers at Kata Tjuta National Park, drew me a map and phone numbers so that when Claudia and I go there we can visit them!  Their guide is “Prince”---they are all in mid twenties and a fun group.  They call me with my set-up KING JOHN.  I also meet Rob of the British Royal Army who has served in Iraq and made many American friends (I thanked him for his service), also in San Francisco, Ft. Polk LA (sorry about that but he has eaten crawfish!) and Washington DC.  He is pretty high up in logistics, stationed in Kathmandu right now, about to be transferred home, but wants to stay in Kath. Longer.  We talked US, British, World politics and agree on most everything.  He too is a Bush/Blair supporter.

Early to bed as usual!  Tomorrow is THE DAY!  Mt. Everest Base Camp!  Up early, big breakfast for we have OUR MOST DIFFICULT DAY TOMORROW!  About 7 hours on the trail, first to Gorak Shep 2-3 hours, lunch about 10 am, then 2-3 hours to base camp, then back to Gorak Shep ( 0065 ) for the night.  And yep, it is snowing outside again!  WONDERFUL!  Also hope to find my Exum friend heading up an expedition, Jim Williams or Berry---left his info back in hotel dang-it!  He invited us to tea or lunch, whichever fits.  Then, if all is OK, the next day we will go up to KalaPattar 800 feet and see the views of Mt. Everest and all others.  So, tomorrow is a BIG DAY! Did I mention it is snowing again?   

APRIL 22, FRIDAY:  It is late this afternoon as I write and I AM TOTALLY SPENT!  MADE IT TO BASE CAMP 17,600 feet.  Here is the story:  5:45 am Coffee and breakfast, 6:45 am on the trek from Here Lobuche to Gorak Shep, the last “outpost” before base camp.  More snow on the ground and another BEAUTIFUL DAY IN PARADISE!  We follow the Khumbu Glacier and Moraine ( 0065 ), basically—how huge it is.  After lots of climbing, up and down, we reach Gorak Shep ( 0065 )at 9am---Pemba and cook boys already there and lunch is almost ready!  We eat and are on the way to base camp at 9:45 am.  No time for R&R.  I should mention that Gorak Shep is a village of 2-3 lodges and few houses at 17,000 feet.   

We are trekking through large rock and boulder fields ( 0066 , 0067 , 26A , 28A ), rock falls, up and down we go, a very rough trail.  Good many porters and yaks taking supplies to base camp.  I cannot figure out how the yaks keep their footing---more on that later.  We see the crashed helicopter beside the trail in the glacial moraine---engine failed and several die.  I see Pat from Phoenix again, he is getting better from runs.  I see my Aussie friends and 70 year old Scott and am afraid he is going to get caught in the snow.  Heavier snow is predicted today and tonight.  Some clouds are forming by noon.  And, I can see Everest ( 0067 ) , Pumori ( 0072 ) (there are two parties of climbers on Pumori on separate ice faces---takes 2-3 weeks to climb, has its own base camp as many of the mountains do. 

There it is---Mt. Everest Base Camp about 17,600 Feet ( 36A , 38A , 0007 ),and we are about 45 minutes away.  We also see the Khumbu Ice Fall ( 0068 , 32A , 34A ) , Ice Pinnacles---all that dangerous looking stuff.  Base Camp looks larger than I thought?  We finally reach base camp at 12:15 pm---GOAL ACHIEVED!  And it is larger, spread over a half mile or so.  We learn that there are 26 Expeditions here, climbing many mountains, not just Mt. Everest.  I look around and Nawang asks about my friend from Exum, how I know to find him---not possible.  Of course there are no streets or expedition signs here!!  I ask a few Americans, but they did not know him or company. So, we go to the Scott Fisher Memorial ( 0069 ), take pictures, rest, and talk about the ice fall and how dangerous it is.  And I used to think I would like to stand on one of the ladders over a crevasse just to see if I could do it---NO, NOT ME!  This is the most dangerous, place I have ever seen---the Khumbu Ice Fall---and it is the first crossing climbers to Everest must make, to camp One at the top of the ice fall.  Chunks of ice bigger than my house, maybe bigger than Cobb County!  This is where most deaths occur on Everest, one last week as a matter of fact.  Scarry place.  After resting a short while and as clouds are beginning to build, we strap it up and head down, back to Gorak Shep.  Took 10 days to get here but only 5 to get down!  But first…

YAKS (males), NAKS (females)( 0037 , 22A ), and ZOKOS:  Zokos are sort of like bulls and they do carry loads up the mountain, mostly at lower levels, and they have big horns.  YAKS AND NAKS take over the loads at higher altitudes---they like the cold weather and are covered with long hair as you will see in my pictures.  They are pretty nimble critters too also with big Texas type long horns.  I finally figured out from Pat from Phoenix, how they climb up and down rocks like we do.  When you watch their feet, they have 3 I think parts of their hooves that actually are moving as they step, feeling for a solid place, kind of like “stoppers” or suction cups.  It is fascinating watching them.  I also saw one  (as I thought he (or she???) was going to chase me and I jumped up on a rock fence ( 0037 )), jump up on a rock fence with all four feet together perched on a rock---now this is a 400 pound animal perched on this rock fence with 4 feet in a circle half the size of a basketball, then it jumped in the pen to eat and drink, for which I was very thankful!  Why did this rock fence not fall down ( 0049 )???  This 400 pound animal and 195 pound man on top of the same fence!  Fences built by Sherpas do not fall down…..period!

We head down about 12:45 pm, to Gorak Shep for the night as clouds are form above us, snow clouds, but not serious yet---probably before we get back=snow!  Yep, started snowing, sleeting lightly just after we started down.  We met Scott, the 70 YO from Albuquerque resting while still on the way to base camp.  He is going to get caught in the snow coming down, and he did, but he made it OK.  3:00 pm and we are back at Gorak Shep, HOME for tonight, and I am WHUPPED!  I tell Nawang that I have reached Goal #1, Base Camp, and unless my body does a complete rejuvenation, I am no longer interested in Kala Pattar, just going down.  He says OK, lets see how I feel in the morning.  I am a little light headed now from altitude gain today and very tired.  Base camp and back was tougher than I thought.  Then add from Lobuche to here…long, hard day!   And, I almost forgot, we did hear an avalanche causing me to say to Nawang, “Nawang!  I hear an avalanche!”  His reply is classic:  “yes, small one”.  Not only has he heard many avalanches, but lost friends in them too.  And we heard and saw rock slides,  This is an active and noisy place!

It is 4 pm here and I am relaxing drinking tea, hot chocolate, eating popcorn in the lodge restaurant in Gorak Shep, trying to get energy and strength back. It is snowing pretty good now, hardest of all---3^rd snow in three days!  Eat dinner, talk over the yak dung fire to others there, go to bed early.  And, for dinner I had Pizza!

 

APRIL 23, SATURDAY:   Several happenings last night: (1) Nawang shook the snow off my tent and scared me to death---I must have been almost covered up!  (2) Yak caravan headed to base camp came through 3:05 am right by my tent since my tent is right by the trail.  Did I mention that yaks have bells on like cows used to in the US? (3) At least 3 inches of snow ( 0071 ) and much more higher up.  Everything really pretty and white.  I am very warm all night in my bag.  Yesterday was a long hard day. I am feeling better this morning, strength coming back, but do not want to climb up Kala Pattar…I am ready to go down.  And besides, we are going back on a different trail, new sights, and I am ready.  Everyone else it appears is going back same way they got here…Everest Highway!  Thanks to Nawang for giving me variety.  This trail down is very high---he showed it to me on the way up here.  In addition to yesterday being hard, I am favoring a muscle just above my knee.  Nothing major but if not careful it could be.  It in fact did bother me the rest of the trip to the extent that I had to do most pushing up with my left leg to favor my right.  All was OK.

We are trekking today from Gorak Shep to Lobuche, through Duglha ( 0052 , 0053 ) (lunch farm on the way up), to Pheriche which is new ground for us and is the location for Nawang’s Snow Land Lodge where we will spend the night.  Just before the Memorial to Everest Dead, there is a very beautiful view of many mountains, so I build a memorial to Louise Jacob ( 0073 ), a very good friend who was dying when I left Marietta.  I just knew she had died by now.  As I cried I told Nawang and Pemba about Louise and Emilie and Dave and the families, and they helped me build the memorial, and we had a moment, Christian and Buddhist, and I took a picture.  And much to my surprise one of the first things I discovered when I arrived back home was from Jane Riley that Louise was alive and had gone home!  So my memorial to her is now a monument to her strength and a hope for long life and healing!   

Then continuing down we had tea and short rest at Duglha ( 0052 , 0053 ) , and cut off the Everest Highway going wayyy down into this flat area a half to ¾ mile wide, with a stream of clear water in the middle, rocks, surrounded by Big Mountains, and a frozen lake near one of the glaciers. This is sort of a very long canyon, and wind is really blowing, has been all day. Sort of cold!  Lots of Yaks grazing here, few homes, and we arrive at Snow Land Lodge in Pheriche ( 0050 , 0051 , 0075 , 16A ) about mid afternoon.  We have gone from Gorak Shep 17,100 to Pheriche 14,100, dropped 3000 vertical feet in about 5 hours!  Took us two days to go up!!  We settle in the lodge, I take a HOT BATH in the outdoor shower as I described one earlier, shave as best I can, first time I have been clean in 10 days!   See picture #( 0074 ), Pemba, Nawang, Nawang's wife, their helper sitting in front of Snow Land Lodge.

The water in this stream which becomes a small river pretty quickly, is clear because it comes from a spring and not a glacier.  All the rivers are a “milk green” color because they come off of glaciers.  This is first clear water I have seen.  I can see people trekking at the top of the canyon walls on the trail, probably 400-500 vertical feet.  Also discovered that my Aussie friends were beat and not feeling good after base camp yesterday too, and did not go up Kala Pattar.   

I am relaxing and see Sherpas ( img_0411_0228 ) putting up tents in our back yard, the yak yard, and soon discover it is the REI group, Pat, Scott and Mike ( img_0411_0229 )!  WONDERFUL even though they are camping in the yak yard and I am in the lodge.  We all relax in the restaurant, drink hot drinks, eat snacks and dinner, and talk until 8:30 or 9:00, late for us!  We talk with Nawang and Pemba about the 1982 Canadian Expedition I have mentioned. Then Nawang says let me show you something.  He comes back with his original Canadian Expedition Coat and puts it on for us (picture) ( img_0411_0230 ).  He says he does not wear it---it is for memories.  WOW!  What a memory.  During the night there is a terrible dog fight which I learned at breakfast was all around my friend’s tents.  They were to the point of taking out their Swiss Army knives to fight for their lives!!  

APRIL 24, SUNDAY:   Snowed again last night for 4^th in a row---too cool!  But just covers the ground and will not last long in this bright sun.    We all have breakfast and say our goodbyes and are off separate ways.  We are heading on the new trail, they are going back way they came.  Going down everything always looks different.  I see mountains and ask Nawang about them.  He says, “remember Tamserku?  We say it for 3 days going up”!  Different angles now for me.  We are going higher in the Himalaya, climbing into what for the next 2 days are my favorite days of our trip.  I am away from the tourist traffic, back deep in the Himalaya with long vistas of big mountains, very deep gorges, long canyons, wild rivers, Snow covered peaks down to rock down to small trees, down to big trees, down to the river.  I can see it all from top to bottom.  We are even looking down on towns we went through on the way up:  Pangboche, Tengboche and others.  These two days going down will prove to be among my trip highlights, and, my camera battery is dead (no electricity to charge it) and my “throw-away” emergency camera is used up!  Oh well! 

We are trekking to Phortse for tonight.  As we are trekking along, Nawang says “lets turn off here” and we go down the mountain about 75 feet to where it opens up to a picnic area ( 1-002-00 ,
1-00 4-0 , 1-006-0 , 1-010-3 , 1-012-4 )!  He said he thought I would like this spot!  We are higher, well above the river and the Everest Highway---we can see it from here.  Stunning and spectacular views, all different from going up thanks to Nawang wanting me to really experience the Himalaya.  Here we are at 14,000 feet and on my left view is Ama Dablam, best view ever!;  River is below us in gorge Nawang says 3000-4000 feet below—what a drop-off!; in middle are farms and lodges of Pangboche and huge avalanche/slide area as well as huge high valley with several large farms, streams feeding all the way down into the river, and on the right, snow/ice covered with glaciers, Kang Tega West, Thamserku West and Central and others.  Man what a view!  THIS IS A LAKE SOLITUDE PLACE ( 46A, 21A ) !!  My Exum and Teton friends will understand since this is where it all started for me in 1991, Lake Solitude in the Grand Tetons!  

Cook boys are cooking lunch behind this rock wall under a boulder!!  Nawang and Pemba (1-002-00 ) are in short sleeves with shoes off on a tarp in the sun (probably 65 degrees here and sunny), and I am in my camp chair with table and condiments in front of me, leaning back with stocking feet resting on a rock, drinking black tea and looking at this wonder of creation in front of me!  If I lean over several week I could become a permanent fixture in the roaring Drengka River 3-4000 feet below us!  This view simply put has everything one would want to see.  And here in the middle of nowhere, for lunch I have small sausages, boiled potatoes, pancake, yak cheese drinks and cookies!  IS THIS THE LIFE O R WHAT! I also place a cairn here and pray for Brasil and Mexico missionaries---I am thinking of you in this most beautiful place!  We finish eating, cleaning, and now we must pay the price by going Up the mountain again! 

CLASSIC RIDGE LINES:  Alan and I are always hiking on and talking about classic ridge lines.  This is now redefined in the dictionary as “the ridge line up Ama Dablam that John saw on this day, April 24^th”!  I can see the climbing ridge all the way to the top from about 13,000 feet to 22,400 feet and it is a mixture of rock, ice, snow, glaciers.  My new friend Erin from Lansing hopefully is somewhere up there safe.  I can see where they establish two camps before summiting in 2-3 weeks.  I cannot imagine being in the ice and snow for 2-3 weeks.  But what a ridge line this is!  It really rocks and rolls to (up and down).  And Alan, Crested Dwarf Iris everywhere again!  Green shrubs, rhododrendron in full white/pink/red blooms, lots of stickers, cedars, pines. 

Next we visit oldest Gompa (monastery) in the Khumbu at upper Pangboche, over 600 years old.  I inspected the horns more closely with Nawang and find that the really long ones are about 4 feet long with 4-5 extensions that pull out making them over 10 feet long, making the really low sounds I have heard before.  Also see the big ceremonial drums and their Buddhist religious books lining one entire wall, hundreds of years old. Lots of history here.  Our pattern in this “back country Himalaya” is steep uphills to an exposed point and lookout, steeply down, leveling around the ravines, back up again to another point, kind of like we do here except higher.  Some of these areas are steep enough with exposure that Susie would have me roped up---lots of exposure!   WHAT A HIMALAYA EXPERIENCE!

2:30 we arrive at Phortse which is another town in a amphitheater.  Has 5-6 lodges and several farm houses.  We stop at our lodge---closed, as someone yells from below, “come to our lodge”, and we do!  Nice glassed in restaurant on top of Lodge with great views.  First thing I see is a LONG trail way across the gorge going straight up the mountain, and I ask, “Nawang, is that our trail in the morning”?  He grins and says “not too bad”!  I will not sleep with this on my mind!  First rain at 3pm as I am sitting in the restaurant drinking tea and eating popcorn.  All weather here comes in in the afternoon!  Thundered during night but I slept anyway!  Woke up for pottie time at 1:05 am and had moonlight view of mountains---special!  Also for dinner my second pizza, this one tuna, veggies, and yak cheese! 

APRIL 25, MONDAY:   Beautiful morning---rain and thunderstorm cleared everything out!  After breakfast Nawang says “Tally Ho” and I see that trail looming almost to Heaven!  But first, what I did not know, we went down 300 vertical feet to cross the river!  Then up we go, 1200 foot climb to “Top of the World” lodge, took over an hour, plodding slowly!  The Everest Lodge is below us sitting on top of a long hill.  At 10 am we are sitting on a kind of patio hanging over the mountain with a typical Himalayan view, in front of Kyangjuma Lodge with a small “flea market” in front, drinking tea, hot tea of course—no cold sweet tea here!  Nice rest and relaxing place except the rescue helicopter is really busy---4^th trip already today, trouble somewhere. This is a place Claudia would love to sit, read, and drink hot tea!  At 11:45 am we arrive back at Danfe Lodge in Namche Bazaar, where we spent April 14 and 15.  The new trail merged with the Everest highway just before Namche.  We lunch here and will go on down to Monjo for our final night making this a 6-7 hour day, but making our last day only 3-4 hours, an easy day.   

After lunch and going down the huge hill to the river, we saw a Sherpa porter carrying 105 Kilos of 4X6 plywood on his back!  Wind blew it off and Nawang was helping him load up again---this is OVER 200 POUNDS!  British lady was almost in tears for him, saying “leave some of it here” which the man never considered and Nawang never flinched but got him loaded up again for the big hill to Namche.  Getting ahead, tomorrow, Nawang pointed to a porter and said “John, there he is again”, and sure enough, there is the same man carrying ANOTHER load of 105 kilos of plywood.  Now listen:  He had gone up the big hill to Namche, delivered his plywood, walked back to Lukla (where we go to end our trek), picked up another load, and is halfway back to Namche.  We took 1 ½ days to do this without 105 kilos on our back.  This is difficult to believe. 

We arrive at Monjo and I have a nice lodge room, nicest I have seen, about 20 X 20, electricity, and a FLUSH TOILET, kind of.  Still no paper, still must squat, but it did flush.  But remember, I am only 3-4 hours from Lukla where we end trek, kind of back in civilization.  Bunch of German trekkers are here and pretty rowdy at dinner in restaurant, but quiet during night.  Once we got to Namche Bazaar, every step takes us closer to Lukla (where I fly back to Kathmandu) and civilization.  As we get closer I begin to think of what I would really like to have:  Cheeseburger and fries!  Cold glass of real sweet tea!  Cold icy Diet Dr. Pepper!  14 at least hot chocolate chip cookies from Chippery dough!  Pecan pie with vanilla ice cream.  That would be a good start!  At Monjo we are back down to about 9000 feet.  We have dropped over 8000 feet in this third day going down!   

APRIL 26^TH, TUESDAY:   6am coffee as usual, eat, on the trail at 7:15 to Lukla and end of trek.  Closer we get to Lukla, the more civilization comes back with farms and vegetable gardens, electricity, etc.  I have been here before while going up, still a pretty green area, and wild flowers have started blooming since we were hear two weeks ago.  I meet a great group of Kiwis (New Zealand) and Aussies and trek with them for an hour or so.  We stop and have tea and rest together where I had breakfast on my first day.  John Gully is in charge of this group of 3-4 adults and 15 or so teens who teach and help with a school in Panboche I believe.  Great work they are doing. I got his email address---maybe I will recruit a mission team and join him noe year?  Two of the girls and I were talking Forest Gump---they started it---and everyone was laughing having a great time!  They were most fascinated that I could not wait to get a diet Dr. Pepper!  Also, lots more people on the trail, which is good since this tourist season has been very slow. 

Noon and we are back in Lukla at Namche Lodge where my Tiger Mountain rep met me and has confirmed my flight for tomorrow to Kathmandu.  Trek is over.  I feel saddened on one hand, and exhilaration on the other hand.  I am ready to get back and see Claudia and family, friends.  My mind is already switching back to the USA.    Nawang and I get a REAL BATH here, and there are USA type flush toilets here.  For dinner I have wonderful roast chicken with trimmings, and Pemba makes a chocolate/vanilla cake for me!  Wonderful.  I give Nawang and Pemba ( 44A ) tips for all they did for me, my new Sherpa friends forever, and arrange to see cook boys and porters after breakfast.   

APRIL 27^TH, WEDNESDAY:   After breakfast I say goodbye to Mema, Ray, Bobby, porters, give them tips and they all present me with a long scarf around my neck meaning friendship and good luck, and I am touched.  Then I say goodbye to Pemba, Sherpa Cook.  Nawang and Tiger Mountain rep walk me to airport, and I finally say goodby to Nawang, Sherpa, Sirdar, friend forever.  He made this so special for me when he did not have to.  He is a special man.    Tiger Mtn. rep gives me boarding pass and points to Yeti Airlines plane and says “get on that plane when it gets back from Kathmandu at 8:30”.  OK!  I go through 3 security points, get on that plane and someone comes on board, checks boarding passes, and I am on the wrong plane???  What?  I get off and a guy says YOU MISSED YOUR PLANE!!  I say, no, the other plane was a Skyliner Airlines, my flight was Yeti Airlines.  He says, YOU MISSED YOUR PLANE!  He is mad.  Obviously this was not working.  So I coolly said, OK, I missed my plane.  Lets work on getting me to Kathmandu.  He says, YOU MISSED YOUR PLANE!  And leave me with another guy who eventually got me on the next flight.  Have not figured this out yet:  Yeti airplane, Yeti boarding pass, I was supposed to be on a Skyliner flight??  Oh well…

Back in Kathmandu by noon, picked up at airport by Tiger Mountain rep, that ride through traffic in Kathmandu again, back at Kathmandu Guest house.  Take shower, shave, clean up, go look for a Cheeseburger and fries which I find (more of a veggie burger I think since no beef in Kathmandu,Hindu country) for a total cost of just over $2.00.  Tiger Mtn. rep says my flight from Kathmandu to Bangkok has canceled and he is working on solution---may have to fly tomorrow to Bangkok, my scheduled leisure day here in Kath., I say lets go whenever.  Do some shopping, meet Binod from Tiger Mtn. and group of two couples from South Africa that have been trekking in Anapurna region, one a Methodist Minister, the other Anglican Church pastor, nice people.  We do fly tomorrow to Bangkok, spend the night, and I am back on my flight schedule to USA.

APRIL 28, THURSDAY:   Got to Kathmandu airport to check in on a Royal Nepal airlines boarding pass.  They send me to Thai air check in line??  After the Yeti thing yesterday, I just stay in this line.  Young Thai woman helps me be reassured that this is Bangkok flight.  OK.  This happens all the time in the US too.  I have a Delta Airlines boarding pass and I go to Airtran, right!  I don’t understand all I know about airlines here!  But it works, I am on way to Bangkok where I must negotiate airport, find a room, and back on schedule tomorrow.  No rooms at airport hotel but I schedule one “close by”---30 minute taxi drive.  Bangkok is a western city, tall buildings, nice clean airport, stayed at Eastin Hotel, very nice. 

APRIL 29 & 30^TH, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY :  Nice room at the Eastin Hotel, great breakfast buffet---I ate only what I could recognize.  There were some things I don’t know about on those tables.  Had 2-3 hours before going to airport and noticed advertised a “full body Thai massage” in your room.  I was tired, sore, and this would get me ready for 4 hours to Taipei, 13 hours to LA, 4 hours to Atlanta.  So I called, they will be here in 20 minutes.  I assumed a guy would do this since I am a guy type person.  Door bell chimes and here is a lady, with a towel, invoice, “ I am here for massage”.  Well, this is Thailand, OK.  She comes in after I shake her hand, and asks “do you have underwear on”?  Well of course I have underwear on!!  She says “please down to underwear on bed”.  Well, OK.  And I am thinking what will Claudia think of all this?  But, it is just a massage, like I would get at the chiropractor’s, right?  She washes her hands, and starts with my toes, feet, legs, as I lie there on my back---wonderful massage.  She proceeds to massage every muscle in my body (except one if you get my drift, and I was worried about that), and turns me every way but loose!  I comment no more on the grounds it might incriminate me.  Got to find us a Thai full body massage lady in Marietta!!! 

As I wait here at Bangkok airport I see airlines from all over the world that I have never seen before:  Asia Air, EVA Air, Arab Emirates, Swiss Air, SAS, Hanoi Air, China Air, Tiger Air, ANA, Air Asia, Cathey Pacific, Star Alliance, Singapore, Phillipian, etc. etc., and they fly BIG AIRPLANES here.  I wind up in first class on China Air flight to Taipei, and what fun this was, great food and service. 

Well, it is over!  The adventure of a lifetime, no doubt.  I am drinking coffee at the Atlanta Bread Company at Atlanta airport during a horrible thunder/rain storm, waiting for Melissa to pick me up since Claudia is working.  I am so thankful to be home, safe, to see Claudia and family, friends.  And yet I already miss Nawang and Pemba and all our crew.  I have been asked several times “what is your next adventure”?  Well!   On the day I was sick I was thinking, “Lord, if I get through this alive, this is my last trek like this---probably”!  I began thinking again about Mt. Kilmanjaro in Kenya I think, Machu Piccu in Peru.  Yes, I remember that sick day, but I also remember all those days of great views and blessings in the Himalaya. 

 

This trek took so much emotional energy---hard to describe.  But I am getting all that back now the closer I get to home, family, friends.  I first contact Alan cause I can’t wait to get back in the mountains in GA, TN, NC.  Alan and I are planning to do the 90 miles of the Appalachian Trail through Shenandoah Nat. Park in June.  And I still have 3 day sections in the Smokies to complete…..and……Selah.