EBC Day 6

PLAN: Dole (4040 metres elevation); walk approximately 5-6 hours.

Today they will follow the Gokyo valley trail around Khumbila (5761 metres). This is the holy mountain for the local people.


They will ascend through birch forest and yak pastures to a stupa† (3992m) on the top of a rocky village called Mon La Stupa. The views of Everest loom above the Lhotse (8511m) and Nuptse (7896m) on the north-eastern skyline. Below they will see the meeting of the Dudh Koshi and Imja Khola. Across the valley there is Thyangboche monastery which is surrounded by Ama Dablam (6856m) and Kantega (6685m).

Ama Dablam

Thyangpoche Monastery

 From the stupa they will descend on a few switchback trails to Phortse Tenga and then a short climb will get them on the trail to view first view of the mountain Cho – Oyu (8153m) at the head of the valley.


They’ll come above the tree line and pass several temporary yak-herding settlements before reaching Dole. They’ll see some waterfalls and will stop to see the glaciers that flow from Tawatse (6542m) and Cholatse (6440nm) on the opposite side of the valley.


On this part of the trek they will not see many trekkers and locals; the guide suggests that this isolation of the trail is a pleasure. I agree…but I think this could be the point that they really start to feel it, physically as well as the realisation of where they are and how remote they are. The other quote in Hubby’s notebook probably applies here…

"He is able, who thinks he is able”

† A stupa is a type of shrine that is the most sacred monument found in all of the ancient Buddhist countries. Stupas are filled with sacred images, mantras and the relics of holy beings.

                                                       

                                                                 Sarnath Stupa

Bodnath Stupa

Another first...

Last weekend, the children and I were invited to the birthday party of the sister of one of C’s school friends. It was her first birthday party. I should start off by saying that this is an Omani family and this is the first time I have been to an Omani lady’s house. So I was quite excited.

I was only one of two western expat women there, we were made to feel so welcome and most ladies introduced themselves. Admittedly I introduced myself to the others in my fabulously broken and stuttered Arabic!

I found out during the party that the traditional first birthday party is called a hul-hul (sp?). But on asking the Mum if this was such a party, she said it wasn’t quite the same. 

So this is a plea to OPNO and any other Arabic readers, or those with knowledge of the Islamic culture, please can you tell me what a hul-hul is and what is involved?

It’s funny because with my two children I wanted to have big parties for their first birthdays, with family and friends. The intention was there to never have another big party again until they’re 21!

So anyway, baby H had a magician (hilarious!) and a clown (also made me laugh!). The Mother of H got me doing the facepainting! The children taught me the colours in arabic! And then she gave me her lovely Nikon SLR so I was playing with my camera and hers - I was in my element! (I won’t post any pictures as they are all of the ladies and the children so I’d rather respect their privacy of course).

And then the food! Well, it was all the traditional party food laid on and a huge tray of lamb biryani with the lamb’s head on top. Bit of a shock but if that’s the way it’s done then that’s fine! I went back to the main room and looked for Bear and there she was sitting on the floor with the other Mums and kids. So that was good, that was my excuse to sit on the floor as well. I really felt a part of the day and had a great time. I even ate with my hand without too much mess!

I was looking for a picture of a large biryani and found this one! Brilliant! (it wasn't quite this big at the party!)

On the down side, Omanis’ parties seem to last all day! I say the downside only because I had made other plans that afternoon as I just assumed it would last 2-3 hours! Whereas us Brits especially write on the invitation a set time to start and finish; we can only cope with other friends' children for so long! Plus the parents more often than not tend to (I call it ) 'drop and run', leaving you responsible. Whereas at H's party all the Mums stayed, less stress I imagine for the hostess.

I was expecting to leave by 1pm but it was still in full swing. My children were exhausted so I had to make my excuses at 2pm. H’s Mother would not let me leave until we had eaten some sweets and filled up a foil container full of yummy treats, nuts and cakes to take home. My kids loved the jellies with nuts in. I go mad for the Om Ali...I think it was like Om Ali at the party except it was a much more solid consistency so I could eat it with my fingers.

So a joyful day and a super experience, I know now that I think I can manage if I’m invited again to an Omani house! 

(And OPNO, she's going to do my makeup!)

EBC Day 5; The Royal Wedding

PLAN: Khumjung (3780 metre elevation); walk 3 hours.

Leaving the Sherpa capital Namche Bazaar, the trail heads up the ridges and views of Ama Dablam can be seen. Everest can be seen on the horizon before they descend through the rhododendron forests to Khumjung “The City in The Clouds”. This is where Sir Edmund Hillary built “school house in the clouds” and famous Khude hospital.

On the way they will pass through terraced fields where they might see the colourful Imphient Pheasant, the national bird of Nepal.

They should be able to visit the Khumjung monastery where they’ll be able to see the famous ‘scalp of yeti’…it looks like it’s one of those unexplained mysteries. Apparently Sir Edmund Hillary , in 1960, went on a yeti-hunting trip to gather evidence of the yeti. He bought back what they said was the scalp of the yeti. Independent various scientific reports have come back stating that it is either from a yak, a serrow (type of goat) or a bear!

Incidentally, Yeti seems to have come from the word, meti, (bearing in mind local dialects) meaning bear. Tibetans fear and worship the bear as a supernatural being! Stuff of legend!

When I spoke to him today he mentioned that he had been to the monastery and has taken lots of photos for me.

They are all in love with the place and the surroundings and hubby in particular is planning to get us all to go at some point. Their guide had told them that the youngest he's taken trekking this far was 2 and a half years old!!!

I was so excited to speak to him that I can't remember some of what he said! If it comes back to me I'll amend this post.
______________________________________________________________

News from back home:

The kids and I spent the day at Champagne Charlie's, watching the Royal Wedding. Heartfelt, smiley and happy! What a lovely ceremony.

I remember where I was when Charles and Diana married in July 1981; at my grandparents house in Gillingham. I can remember we were all in the front room watching the television and there was an air of anticipation and excitement. My mum was pregnant with my sister, who arrived almost a month later.

So as I remember this, I'd like my kids to remember where they were...maybe. As I was explaining it to Bear, it sounded like I was recounting a fairytale! And that in itself got me all over-excited!

And surprisingly my 5 year old boy sat a) longer than I expected and b) longer than his sister!






It was whilst we were here that I managed to get through to hubby. So everyone managed to a say a big hello to him.
A little background on DH; sitting watching the Royal Wedding would be a very very bad nightmare for him. He's ex-forces but doesn't have an interest at all in the Monarchy. You don't have to really, to be in the forces, I don't think. Anyway, they have not watched anything at all on television on their trip so far.
Until today.
When a local woman working in the Tea house came into their room, and switched on the set...and there was the Royal Wedding being screened. Oh, the irony! Where in the world could my husband be to get away from it?? Not even on the way to the highest part of the world!

EBC Day 4

Rest Day in Namche

I bought Hubby a little notebook for him to sketch and note significant sites and thoughts. In it I wrote a couple of quotes from Buddha that I thought were appropriate to the occasion.

"It is better to travel well than to arrive." 

The guide in the itinerary mentions this and says that the journey is important, not the place of stay. Today is their rest day and they can wander as they please! Options include:

- walking to the hill above the village to the National Park HQ to see a stunning view of huge mountains including Mount Everest. The Sherpa cultural centre in the park HQ has an collection of Sherpa mountaineering items and photographs.

- They could go on a trip to Thame village;

- Those who are fit and acclimatising well could take a walk to the Everest View Hotel from where they could see Everest and Ama Dablam.

I’d be quite happy to just watch the people come and go and soak in the culture and the way of life here.

Namche Bazaar:

Namche Bazaar from above:

 

EBC Day 3

Remember, a plan is a basis for change - this is based on the itinerary given and so when I hear updates, I'll amend the post.

Namche Bazaar (3440m elevation); walk approximately 5-6 hours.

PLAN: Passing through the forest and terraces, they'll cross and recross the glacial river Dudh Koshi. They should see groups of yaks (much to the Antipodeans' amusement, I feel) and dzopki carrying the trek-gear and trading goods along the trail. They'll see spectacular peaks like Nupla (5885m), Kongde Ri (6093m) and Thamserku (6808m).

(I think a dzopki is a cow).

This is the time that they need to start to acclimatise ... and slowly. They will go on to the Sagarmatha National Park, a world heritage site. They'll then walk along the river to the meeting of the Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi and then cross a high bridge before starting the ascent to the village of Namche Bazaar, a gateway to Everest.

It is here, as they pass through the pine forest of rhododendron and magnolia, they have their first view of Mount Everest. I wonder if a few man hugs and chest bumps will commence along with the odd tearful eye (from hubby more likely!).

So, today was the start of the long haul. I managed to speak to Hubby today! Isn’t modern technology brilliant…I can speak to him all the way in the Himalayas.

On the general plan, it was anticipated that the walk to Namche Bazaar would take 5-6 hours. It took them 5 and a half in total, 2 of which were quite a steep climb through the pine forests and rhododendrons, to get to the teahouse at Namche Bazaar. The boys love it here. The guide is pleased with their ability and progress. He does, however want them to slow down over the next couple of days so that they can begin to acclimatise efficiently.

I asked about the flight into Lukla! He didn’t seem bothered about it at all, just commenting on how steep it was and how funny it was to see villages on the steep hillside. He thinks the take-off will be a little more ‘sporting’!

The weather at the moment there is sunny, not too hot with a little breeze; they’re able to wear t-shirts. He described it as like walking in Scotland but on a bigger scale.

I asked about what they have been eating and to be honest, it doesn’t seem much different to what he eats when at work here! Chicken curry, rice and dal! They have been advised on what food to avoid and with good reason;

- milk – as the milk is in powdered form it’s not known how long it’s been lying around;

- from Namche Bazaar onwards, cheese should be avoided seeing as it takes so long for anything to get this far at least;

- and for the same reason, they should not eat the meat as it takes some time to get the meat delivered by packhorse. From Khumjung onwards, it is mostly Buddhist and therefore no animal is killed and so it has to be delivered this far. Buddhists are predominantly vegetarians too so what meat there is has probably been there for some time.

He has taken a picture of the Mani walls for me; he said they are everywhere. Out of respect, and in Buddhist custom, you should walk to the left of the wall, or clockwise around it. It's thought that this 'direction' symbolises the direction in which the earth turns. I think I really need to go to this place and the surrounding area…Tibet is on my travel radar.

One interesting point is that he could have arrived in Kathmandu with no equipment whatsoever and bought all he needed there and then! It is a town of outdoor equipment; copies, but excellent copies nonetheless!

And here is their first view of Everest:

Everest: left of centre at the back. Right to left, Ama Dablam, Lohtse Sar, Lohtse, Everest, Nuptse, Tabuche (nearest, in cloud).

When hubby left for the trip her said he'd be quite happy to get to the Base Camp and see Everest from there. This has changed...I think he now has an urge to get to the summit! Once I've done my trip, he can go! :-p

I'm a bit of a hippy at heart (albeit a touch high-maintenance maybe :-/)

I subscribe to Yogamint.com, they send out weekly snippets or thoughts related to all things spiritual, well-being and health. There have been a few gems and this is one.

'If you never try anything, you will never accomplish anything.

Failure is a vital part of success, whether you’re baking the perfect cake, learning to drive or navigating marriage and parenthood. Falling on your face may give you a scab or two, but after you get back up, you’ll know better which way you want to go on the path to success. Thomas Edison famously said, “I have not failed. I've just found 1,000 ways that won't work.”

Loving your mistakes and learning from them is a sign that you love life and are willing to accept the lessons as they come. You might even find that what looks like a failure is actually a gift (even though it may not look like a gift until you’ve revealed the “life lesson” inside). Just recognize that the more you get in the groove of being okay with failure, the easier it becomes to ultimately manifest your successes, both big and small. That’s a winning proposition, for sure!'

I'm a bit of a perfectionist...oh, ok a bloody big perfectionist and I am fully aware of this now and so the above means a bit more to me. I'm going through a little confidence issue with my daughter - she has a very smart and perceptive mind on young (7 years old) shoulders and sometimes she puts pressure on herself in all situations; from playing kids' games, drawing, skipping to jumping into Wadi Suwayh. (She did it one day and freaked out the next - absolutely no pressure from us, I hasten to add).

It's not about how much pressure she is putting on herself - a 7 year old shouldn't be subjected to pressure let alone know how to put it on themselves - but as I say, she has a mature head on young shoulders. So if I could dedicate this to anyone, it'll be to my daughter. I know she can read it no problem. I just have a problem telling her at this young age that people make mistakes. Surely it's too early for this lecture?

PS Incidentally, I have just googled out of sheer distraction, 'High Maintenance Hippy'...it seems there are many like-minded women in the world! 

EBC Day 2 + amendment

Flight to Lukla (2600 metres); trek to Phakding; walk approximately 3 hours.

It looks like an early start for the boys. They’ll head off to the STOL airport (short take off and landing – see the video link from yesterday!) of Lukla. It takes 45 minutes and is described as a thrilling mountain flight…I can think of a few more descriptive words! I’m not sure I’d take a breath for the last 10 minutes!

The airstrip at Lukla was built by Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay. It was renamed in 2008 to Tenzing-Hillary Airport in recognition for their efforts in reaching the summit of Everest and also for their assistance in building the airport. The pair was also involved in building schools and hospitals for the local Sherpa people. I’m surprised it wasn’t renamed this earlier on…

‘There are daily flights between Lukla and Kathmandu during daylight hours with good weather. Although the flying distance is short, it can easily be raining in Lukla while the sun is shining brightly in Kathmandu. High Winds, cloud cover and changing visibility often mean flights can be delayed or the airport closed completely.’

From Lukla, they will trek downhill towards the Dudh Koshi (milky river), a river that flows from the highest mountains. It is a fairly easy and well-marked route and passes through the potato and wheat fields. They’ll reach the vicinity of Phakding after passing through traditional villages, and then spend their first night stay at the Lodge.

On the way they’ll pass many ‘Mani Walls’, many stone tablets that all have the Buddhist chant on them; ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’. All the teachings of the Buddha are contained in this mantra: Om Mani Padme Hum can not really be translated into a simple phrase or sentence but is considered generally to ‘mean’ Hail to the jewel on the lotus’.

POST EDIT: Update from Mrs. Kiwi: The trek took them 3.5 hours; they passed porters who were carrying 120kg bags of rice; most others carried 20kgs; the hotel was nicer than expected and they all seem very happy with everything!

Nepal, Country and Climate

(Info taken from visitnepal.com and bbc.co.uk/weather)

http://www.visitnepal.com/travelers_guide/when_to_come.php and http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/hi/country_guides/newsid_9384000/9384185.stm

This small, landlocked, mountainous country lies on the southern side of the Himalayan Mountains between Tibet (an autonomous region of China) to the north, and India to the west, south, and east. It includes within, or along its northern border, some of the highest mountains in the world; Everest rises to 8,848 m/29,028 ft. The country is only between 160 km/100 mi and 240 km/150 mi wide from north to south, and in this distance the altitude decreases from the high Himalayan peaks to the lowlands of the Terai region of northern India. So in Nepal a range of climatic conditions from tropical forest or jungle to the permanent snowfields and glaciers of the Himalayas.

The weather and climate are controlled by the same general features as those described for India: the seasonal alternation of the monsoon winds. The main rainy season in Nepal is from late June to September. This is a period of warm to hot temperatures, much cloud, and frequent heavy rain. At this time sunshine averages only two to three hours a day. During the rest of the year the weather is much more settled and pleasant. The days are mild or even warm, except on the higher mountains, and sunshine averages from six to nine hours a day.
Apart from some danger of flooding during the heaviest rains, the climate of Nepal is rarely hazardous and for much of the year is very pleasant.
Seasons
Nepal has four climatic seasons.
Spring (between March – May): The temperature is mildly warm in low lands while moderate in higher altitudes with plenty of opportunities to have tryst with the mountain views. It is also the time for flowers to blossom and the colourful national flower of Nepal – rhododendron sweeps the mountainside.
Summer (between June – August): This is also the monsoon season in Nepal. The weather is hot and wet at times. It rains almost everyday with occasional thunderstorms in the evening. The rain spreads the pleasantness around with lush green vegetation.

Autumn (between September – November): This is the best tourist season in Nepal with the summer gone by and the winter to set in. The weather is highly pleasant so are the mountain views. This is the peak season for trekking as mountain views are guaranteed so better book your flight in advance. This is also the season of festivities as Nepal celebrates the biggest Hindu festivals Dashain followed by Tihar.

Winter (between December – February): The weather is cool and the sky is clear with occasional snowfalls at higher elevations. This season is good for trekking in lower elevations. The morning and night is cold and the days are warm when sunny.

Temperature & rainfall
Nepal is the country of extremes. The low-land plains of the Terai can have tropical temperatures and also the mosquitoes. The Himalayas can get to sub-zero temperatures, but the sun blaze can bring some warmth during the day, even in the mountains. The temperature of Kathmandu goes below 1 Degree Celsius (34 Degree Fahrenheit) in winter and rises to an average of 25 Degree Celsius (77 Degree Fahrenheit) in summer.


The average temperature in Kathmandu during the four seasons:


* Spring season ranges between 16-23 Degree Celsius (61-73 Degree Fahrenheit)
 * Summer season ranges between 23-25 Degree Celsius (73-77 Degree Fahrenheit)
* Autumn season ranges between 15-24 Degree Celsius (59-75 Degree Fahrenheit)
* Winter season ranges between 9-12 Degree Celsius (48-54 Degree Fahrenheit)


During the rainy monsoon season between June to August, it rains to an average between 200-375 millimeters in Kathmandu. There is occasional rainfall during the other seasons too. In an average, 1300 millimeters of rain falls in Kathmandu every year.


Travel Tips: Monsoon in Nepal is not the typical monsoon of Asia. Rains usually occur during the night-time leaving the sky clean and clear by the morning making the Himalayan view even more dramatic. Some parts of the Himalayas in Manang, Mustang and Dolpo are in rain-shadow areas; the mountains are high enough to block the clouds. Tibet's high travel season also corresponds to Nepal's monsoon.


As an aside, this is an interesting article, if you're interested in climate change:
http://cleantechnica.com/2011/01/04/nepal-has-11-hour-blackouts-as-climate-change-dries-up-its-rivers


Tomorrow is Day 3...now comes the hard work! A 5-6 hour trek to Namche Bazaar (3440 metre elevation).