Tuesday, May 31, 2011

A Whole Lotta Nothin’

Day-by-Day Link: 25 May – 31 May

Back in Indonesia I started to realize I was tired. Not tired of traveling, but just plain bone-tired. It occurred to me that I should take a break somewhere, relax, let myself not be a tourist. Then I went to Singapore and Nepal, and didn’t rest in either place. In Israel, my first week was spent with my parents and we kept very busy after a one day break for me.

It was bound to happen and with luck, it happened while I stayed with friends: I crashed. Literally. The last five days have been spent eating, sleeping, reading and taking short (if any) walks around the immediate neighborhood. Seriously, besides a brief and icky bout of stomach problems, which was cured by Deborah’s magical chicken soup, nothing of note have I done.

And it’s been great. I really appreciate that Deborah and Noa, both of whose places I’ve stayed at in the last week, have let me be a completely boring lump of a visitor. It’s exactly what I’ve needed and today, finally, I feel as if my batteries are recharged. Today I took a three hour walk around the city, visiting nothing in particular but taking it all in with pleasure. I also had coffee in the early evening with Michael, an American traveling in Israel who just recently joined Couchsurfing and wanted to meet up. It was my most active day by far since my folks left!

Of course, I have done a bit of thinking and planning during my lazy days. I signed up for a volunteer program where I will help out with menial chores on an IDF base. I’ve researched kibbutzes and ulpans and other volunteer programs. I’ve corresponded with some friends. I decided to revisit Nepal in August to see how things work out with Rimu.

So while I haven’t gone shopping or seen more of the tourist sights, I haven’t visited any museums or lectures or taken any tours, it has been a most restful and productive week of doing a whole lot of nothing! Tomorrow I head north to Nahariya to take up residence in Paula’s guest room again. On Thursday I plan to visit Ma’agan Michael, a kibbutz, to join a group of Couchsurfers doing a beach part/campout. And after that… well, I haven’t started planning THAT far ahead yet!

--Z

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Catch-up Post: Highlights, Family & Friends

Note: I have uploaded pictures. The albums include “Nepal: Kathmandu and Around,” “Belgium: 11 Hour Layover,” and “Israel: A Week with my Folks.”

Also, I am trying out a new idea. Instead of putting my day-to-day summary here, I will just post a link to a Google document instead. This will cut down on the length and detail of the posts. I am working on finding a better way than linking to a document… Let me know what you think!

Daily Diary Link: 14-24 May 2011

So, I’ve been bad and haven’t written for awhile. Perhaps you will forgive me if you realize that within the span of a week I was dealing with the physical and emotional stresses of figuring out a relationship status, leaving Nepal, spending twelve hours in the Delhi airport and eleven hours in Brussels exploring, then arriving at midnight in Israel and meeting my parents at a train station four hours later. And then doing the mad-tourist thing for a week with the folks!

See, you forgive me, don’t you?!

So, I’ll pick the highlights from the past week and a half of being incommunicado here. My apologies and I promise to do better!

Nepal and Romance

You’ll recall that for the Everest Base Camp trek, my guide’s name was Rimu. During the course of our trek, we got along all right but I didn’t pay much attention to his two or three isolated attempts to flirt with me. I shouldn’t say attempts, for they were honest and straightforward actions on his part, which (I imagine) took some guts. In any case, I ignored them purposely and made sure I didn’t respond in any way.

Well, for the most part.

You see, I have had enough of various men very forwardly expressing their interest in “getting with” the American girl. Their words, not mine. I think I’ve blogged about how irritating it got. And so at Rimu’s first effort to touch my hand, I immediately put up my “go away” vibe, which works to varying degrees in different countries. My doubts and suspicions made me dismiss even a consideration of the situation. So nothing happened on the trek beyond a compliment and an attempt at touching my hand a few times, or a friendly hug (which was not a common thing).

Back in Kathmandu following the trek, I really wanted to wander around the city outside the tourist area, but was not quite ready to do it on my own. Rimu invited me to visit him in his neighborhood when I told him what I wanted, and although I had misgivings, I decided to do it. He lives in Jorpati in a shared room, in an apartment building. Rimu and his roommate, Pasang, made me lunch and chatted with me. After lunch, Rimu took me for a walk through the area, then angled us to take a short hike up to a nearby forest. There we sat and chatted, and I suddenly realized I liked chatting with him. Moreover, when he reached out and grasped my hand for a brief moment, I squeezed his hand back.

Over the rest of that week we spent a lot of time together. He told me at one point that he hoped I wouldn’t “kiss anyone else,” and then I pulled back. I told him we shouldn’t get too serious and that when I left we should just see what happens but not make any promises. He didn’t like it, but just told me that he would wait for me to return and not get involved with any other girls. He walked to the airport to say good-bye the day I flew out, the day a country-wide strike prevented most motor vehicles from being on the streets. And at that point I realized how much I liked him. How sweet he made me feel. And I realized that I did want to come back, and I didn’t want him to be with another girl, and that against all my efforts, I had grown very close and very romantic with Rimu.

We are keeping in touch via e-mail several times a day now and discussing possible immediate futures (visits, etc). I don’t know if or how things will work out, but I can tell you this: I consider myself his girlfriend and him, my boyfriend.

 Long Layovers

On my way to Nepal I had asked in the Delhi airport whether I could get an in-transit visa  there and was assured by some assuming airline employee that I could. So when I arrived in the early afternoon to Delhi airport on my way from Nepal to Israel, I was excited to IMG_5905spend my twelve-hour layover touring and experiencing New Delhi. Alas, this was not to be, as an in-transit visa must be obtained prior to arrival to the airport. It was a loooong boring layover! Luckily, Belgium was much simpler and I just walked on out of the airport, easy as that. My luggage was checked through to Israel so I just had my day bag. My day consisted of wandering around the city center with a Korean girl in a similar situation. We took a city bus tour to catch the mains sights, too. Then I went off to meet some Couchsurfers, who were meeting up to check out the Pride Parade going on that day.

IMG_5926Now I have learned that it is, indeed, a small world. When I saw my friend James on a street corner watching the Pride Parade and cheering for the floats, though, I was  completely flabbergasted! James was a fellow military Couchsurfer, though he was stationed at Virginia Beach with the Navy. We had met at several DC couchsurfing events the year before and become friends, but besides the odd Facebook comment, had not kept in touch much. We both stared at each other, then started laughing and shouting and hugging. Small world, indeed.

I did the usual Brussels things: saw the Mannequin de Pis, tried a Belgian hot chocolate, waffle, salad and chocolates, and cheered for the well-attended, well-supported Pride Parade with it’s outrageous floats and flambouyant, happy paraders. Then I hopped on my flight to Tel Aviv.

Israel, Parents, Touring

IMG_5954My flight arrived in the wee hours Sunday morning and I missed the first train to Nahariya, so I caught the next one, an hour later. It was a good train ride, because Nahariya was the  last stop and so I could fall asleep, which I did. There at the turnstiles, my parents met me, wide awake (at least they seemed so to me) at 4am. Paula, a long-time friend of my mother’s, drove us the few blocks to her home, where they quickly installed me in a guest room. We chatted and caught up for about an hour and then I crashed, sleeping until ten that morning.

The following week was a fantastic collection of travel: several tours of varying types, a museum and a few national parks and a few beaches. We stayed with Paula in Nahariya and then with Deborah in Jerusalem, and both IMG_6009 of these childhood friends of my mom’s were gracious, lively and involved hosts who invited me to stay with them any time. (In fact, I am still at Deborah’s house!) The moments I enjoyed the most included visiting the Dead Sea with my dad, who couldn’t go all the way in but enjoyed wiggling his feet in the salty waters and took a salt-encrusted stone as a souvenir; and visiting the Western Wall, twice, with my mother. Both times were not big events or dramatic, and in actuality were just brief snapshots in days full of many adventures, but these are what stood out to me.

Also, just getting to spend time with them, tell them my thoughts about my travels and about Rimu and about the future, was really nice. Skype and e-mail are wonderful, but there’s nothing like being there in person with your family.

What Next?

If you know me at all, you know what I’m going to say: I have no idea what my plan is. I’m researching ulpans (language immersion programs), kibbutz programs, volunteer opportunities and events going on in the country. My plane out of the country (to Turkey) isn’t until August and I’m trying to figure out how much more travel, and where, and all that, at the same time as figuring out my in-country plans.

For the immediate moment, I’m being lazy. Today was spent on the computer, meandering around the neighborhood, reading a book and daydreaming. With the need to unwind and relax paramount, my plan for the next week is to have more days like this one!

--Z

Friday, May 13, 2011

And Still They Honk!

Note: No new pictures posted yet, but will get on it as soon as I’m in a country for more than ten hours! 

  • IMG_5810 Sunday, 8 May: Took car to Baktipur with Jan; explored that Durbar Square; driver walked with us and took us to his sister’s home, a tiny wooden place with four floors, each around 5’x10’; spend a quiet evening back at Shanker Hotel.
  • IMG_5841 Monday, 9 May: Met Rubee and Rucee and all went to the Palace Musuem, a wonderfully beautiful and interesting trip, but no photos allowed; had lunch at hotel, all four of us; Jan got in touch with Ms. Hawley, who runs the Himalayan Foundation, a non-profit organization that tIMG_5867racks and legitimizes Everest summiters; went swimming in the late afternoon.
  • Tuesday, 10 May: Went to Patan on my own and explored all day; decided not to spend the night and returned to Kathamandu and Shanker; had good chats with Jan.
  • Wednesday, 11 May: Moved things from Shanker to Everest Hotel, where I met several of Jan’s friends from previous trips; then went back to Shanker to meet Nepali Colonel’s wife, who took Jan to see their new house on the outskirst of town; I went to Swayambunath (Monkey Temple) with Rimu; explored around on foot for most of the day before returning to Everest Hotel.
  • IMG_5898 Thursday, 12 May: Went to Bhodnath Temple again with Jan and Rimu to gift-shop; spent the day walking around with Rimu and doing more shopping; celebrated Jan’s 70th birthday that evening with wine and cake sent up by her hotel friends; Colonel’s wife came as did Ramesh, a Shanker Hotel employee who took a liking to Jan; both brought gifts; bought my ticket out of Israel; to bed late.
  • Friday, 13 May: Took Government tourist bus to the airport due to country-wide strikes stopping most vehicles; met Rimu at the airport (he walked) and chatted with him until it was time to check in; found out my airline had canceled my flight and got rebooked to a different airline; flight was delayed but still arrived Delhi around 2pm; no transit visa allowed so spent all day in airport.

The streets of Kathmandu were eerily deserted as the government bus that had picked me up at the Everest Hotel rolled along. There were two “tourist police” men, armed, on the bus. At various street corners there were small crowds of people behind soldiers and police in riot gear, although everything seemed peaceful.

For the last two weeks, I’ve wandered in various parts of Kathmandu, from tourist spots to local neighborhoods, and always the noise, pollution and traffic have been terrifically overwhelming. Taxis, a few oversized SUVs, buses of all kinds, rickshaws, bicycles and motorbikes all crowded the narrow streets of Thamel, the lanes snaking in and around all the neighborhoods, and wide avenues everywhere else. They all honked, they all zigged and zagged around each other. Sometimes you could see long lines of vehicles going on into the distance, waiting for the limited amount of petrol available.

Kathmandu’s streets are pretty dirty, with rubbish near the sidewalks when sidewalks exist, and rubbish piled in the gutters where people walk. The dirt and dust and diesel fumes clog the air and create a smog that is barely repelled, it seems, by the facemasks many people wear. Still, walking along any of Kathmandu’s streets is always fascinating. The women in their beautiful clothes, so different from Western-wear but so practical and so flattering. The men hurrying along, some carrying loads and others shopping and still others just wandering. Children in school uniforms of varying designs flocking together at breaks or before and after classes. The random cow eating trash or food or just gazing at the flow of humanity and automobile. Scarecrow dogs and the occasional pup weaving in and out of the throngs of people. Storefronts of all kinds, some glittering and some filthy. Fruit stands everywhere and cyber cafes more common than the fruit stands. Tourists and backpackers, trekkers or those going on treks, foreigners of all kinds gawking about.

I never once saw an accident, even though I felt like I nearly got hit at least a dozen times, most often by buses that decided to pull to the side of a road suddenly. Motorbikes were the next scariest, as they would suddenly appear out of alleys or around corners with no warning and, seemingly, no brakes. They sounded their obnoxiously loud horns the moment they seemed ready to collide with someone, pedestrian or vehicular. They were tied, though, with taxis, whose drivers seemed especially careless with those crossing the streets. Taxis sounded their horns constantly, becoming silent only when they had to grip the steering wheel with both hands as they slammed on the brakes to avoid vehicular manslaughter. Crossing the streets, by the way, was an adventure, although nowhere near as terrifying as in Vietnam.

So rolling down the streets and seeing only an occasional other vehicle on the road, and no one on the sidewalks except for the milling crowds and riot police and very visibly armed soldiers, was surreal. No people were in the streets, no rickshaws were to be seen, the storefronts were closed up tight. For me, the air seemed “taut with suspense,” as they say, although everyone seemed only to be waiting and watching.

Our bus driver still honked. So did the three other vehicles I saw on the road. At the airport, the trickle of taxis and buses that came to the airport – so different from the flood, the absolute gridlock of vehicles on my arrival – all honked as well. I guess some habits are hard to break.

Rimu, the Sherpa guide from our trek and now a close friend, met me at the airport, having run forty minutes to make it on time. We sat together and talked, we sighed and we said good-bye. He hung a khada about my neck as a final gesture: a thin, delicate white scarf that portrays respect in the Buddhist culture.

I will miss Nepal. Much like Cambodia, whose poverty struck me but with whose people I connected, Nepal’s people and their friendliness, humor and kindness are enough to make one forget about the pollution and the traffic and the dirt.

Well, almost, anyway.

--Z

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Load Shedding

Note: I’ve put up the links to all my Everest Base Camp (EBC) trek photos… take a look and enjoy! I will post another album for the rest of my Nepal time as pictures get taken and uploaded.

  • Tuesday, 3 May: Easy day, did a little shopping and wandering in Thamel, the part of Kathmandu we’re currently staying in.
  • Wednesday, 4 May: Wandered to a different part of Thamel, bought some spices and watched the craziness of Kathmandu in the streets; went to Durbar Square with Jan and her friends Rucee and Rubee, daughters of her first guide back in 1995; had a nice afternoon chatting with them and seeing the temples in Durbar Square; out for dinner at Rum Doodle’s; Skyped with the folks.
  • Thursday, 5 May: Moved to Shanker Hotel, huge fancy place in former palace; spoke with Rimu and Pradip a bit; explored new area of town; found internet cafe nearby (hotel wi-fi ridiculously expensive).
  • Friday, 6 May: Met Anisse, Nepali Colonel’s daughter, who took me and Jan to a nearby orphanage; also picked up her sister; children were in school, so we spoke to headmistress for awhile and saw the bedrooms; returned to hotel and looked in on a Nepali wedding happening out front; walked around the main street, bought some gifts and materials for the orphans.
  • Saturday, 7 May: Went to Jorpati via taxi to visit with Rimu on my own; he showed me his room and introduced me to his roommate; they made me lunch (curry and rice) and we chatted for awhile; then Rimu took me on a walk through the neighborhood and up to a nearby forest, where we sat and talked; took taxi back to hotel to meet Jan and Anisse to go to the orphanage again; played with orphans for a few hours; Anisse brought us to her home to meet her mother and grandmother; we had Nepali snacks and wonderful conversation there; they rode in their car with us back to the hotel and we made plans for another day.

In Kathmandu, there is a severe limitation on electricity for the number of people who want and need to use it. The government has instituted a policy, therefore, of load sheddding. Kathmandu is divided up into districts and each district is given a schedule for when their power will be shut off, usually four hours at a time, one or two times a day. This goes for all establishments: hotels, residences, restaurants, stores, etc. Wealthier places have generators that they run during their power outage times. At the first hotel I stayed at in Kathmandu, the generator only powered two lights in each guestroom: one in the main room and one in the bathroom. Otherwise, outlets and lights were unpowered. Now, at Shanker Hotel, which is a fancy, upscale kind of place, the generator powers everything, so that the only hint that something has changed is a brief blackout or power flicker.

I’ve been out to dinner or window shopping when the power changes happen and it’s obvious that the people are all well used to it: candles are automatically lit, or doors opened to let daylight filter in, or the loud hum of a generator kicks in and the lights go back on. Nobody is particularly pleased about it but it has become a way of life.

From what I understand, hydroelectricity is big in Nepal but it is sold to India and China for profit by the corporations and is not supplied to the Nepali people first.

Today, after showering and eating a big breakfast, I took at taxi to a part of Kathmandu called Jorpati to visit with Rimu, our guide from the trek. He lives there in a shared room with an old school friend of his. On the way, the driver let me use his mobile to call Rimu to let him know I was on my way. Rimu had told me I could do this, which I thought was unusual but turns out is completely accepted.

IMG_5788Rimu showed me where he lived and he and his roommate Pasang shared their lunch of rice and curry with me, along with a Mountain Dew and some bottled water. Then Rimu took me for a two hour walk around the neighborhood and out of the city to a nearby pine forest on a hill, from which we could see Kathmandu Valley. We talked a lot about customs and social differences between the US and Nepal. It was very laid back and comfortable, a nice break from being a tourist.

Later, I met Jan back at the hotel. We were picked up by a Nepali Colonel’s daughter, who we’d met the day before, and all three of us went to an orphanage nearby to play with the IMG_5794kids. We brought them notebooks (they call them copies), pens, pencils, erasers and sharpeners. The kids – about fifteen of them, ranged in age from seven to sixteen - were typically shy at first, then warmed up and started chatting with us, drawing us pictures and   playing games with us. Jan noticed the oldest boy, who seemed very unhappy and struggling with something, and tried to talk with him a bit. I mostly played with the girls at first, drawing them out into hand-slap games IMG_5795and drawing flowers. I taught them thumb wrestling, which the boys immediately picked up on. By the end of our two hours at the orphanage, the kids were gleefully handing us sheet after sheet of paper with drawings and words and names on them, challenging me to thumb wrestling matches, and fighting to take turns using my camera to take pictures. It struck me how well cared for they seemed and how pleased the kids were to be individually noticed and spoken to. It’s a reminder that although it may feel inadequate to spend just one day, and just a few hours at that, with them, to the kids it made a pleasant distraction and maybe brightened their day a bit.

I find myself feeling this way fairly often: that maybe it’s not worth spending so little time, that to make a real difference or impact, I should dedicate energy and money and a long period of time. But that’s ridiculous, isn’t it? It’s really just that I feel inadequate with a short amount of time or a one-time gift. While maybe I don’t change a life with it, though, that small bit can make a difference in the day of someone who needs it. And to really give, it’s more important to consider that side of things, I think. What is that famous quote? We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.

And it’s not hard. Load shedding means that everyone loses out some of the time so that no one goes without all of the time. Perhaps that can loosely be used as an analogy for how one can approach the act of giving to others: even a little bit can make a huge difference. To everyone.

--Z

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Everest Base Camp Trek: Last Days & Reflections

Note: I’ve posted the links to my Singapore picture album and my first few days in Kathmandu album. I will soon post the links for my trek albums, which will correspond to this and the last two blog posts in title. Please be patient as I work on uploading… with electricity load shedding and very spotty wi-fi access, I’ve only got small windows to work with! Keep checking back for more pictures!

 

30 April 2011

[Note: At the top of the page is written in a blocky, childish script: "Sandhya. To Zoe.”]

IMG_5715 The above was written by the eight year old Nepali daughter of the Prince of Everest lodge’s owners. We met her on the way up and she seemed to recognize us last night. So cute and pretty and smart! I want to find out how to sponsor her, how much it would cost. From what Nuru has told me, grade school is pretty cheap, so I thought maybe I could send money each year for school and to help her family, and then help her through costly schools when she’s older. According to Nuru, that’s about $2,000 per year for school level 13 and 14. Nuru will not be able to go to 13 and 14 because of these costs and I’m pondering how and if I could sponsor him as well. [Note: Nepalis who can afford it generally attend school until what we would call grade 10 and attain a School Level Certificate (SLC). I believe they earn something equivalent to an Associates degree if they complete through level 14, although it’s hard to figure out how it works here.]

IMG_5752 Well, yesterday was long but eventually we got to Phakding. We ate dinner with Rimu, Nuru and Pasang, and bought a bottle of Mt. Everest whiskey to share, along with Sprite (to mix) and Coke (for Nuru, who doesn’t like alcohol). It was a nice evening. When the power went out, we ate and chatted by candlelight. I slept well!

This morning it was gray out as we set out. It took us around four hours to get to Lukla, and it rained the last ten minutes or so. Lots of flights to Kathmandu didn’t leave today due to weather, so I wonder if we’ll get to go tomorrow… if not, though, Rimu will take us to the Lukla primary school, which would be neat.

***

It’s a few hours later now. We bought Pasang two boxes of Viva baby food powder and Jan IMG_5728doled out a bunch of her stuff: trekking poles, sweaters, water bottles, socks, boots and a head lamp. We gave Nuru and Pasang 7,000 RPS each (about $100USD) as tip, in envelopes I decorated with their names. Pasang leaves for his home tonight, about three hours away, and Rimu and Nuru went to their mother’s house, about one hour away (for them, anyway). So, we’re on our own for teh evening! Tomorrow we’ll (hopefully) head back to Kathmandu… planes flew in and out for about an hour as the weather cleared this afternoon.

I think I’d like to come teach English here, maybe somewhere rural. I will have to check with Oxford Seminars to see if they’ll help place me. Have to write my resume first though. Hmmm.

Hotel: Kong-De View Lodge in Lukla.

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1 May 2011

IMG_5763  Just as I was tucking into my dessert last night, Rimu appeared! Turned out he had to come back to Lukla to confirm our tickets. We chatted a bit, then I went to bed. We were up again at 5am, to the airport by 6am. Jan got hit with some stomach illness, which sucks. Plane ride was smooth and uneventful. We’re now back at the Shakti Hotel. It took the staff hours to get our room ready. We chatted with Pradip, Mountain Monarch’s owner (one of them, anyway), went out with Rimu to do a IMG_5767few chores, and then waited at the hotel for our room. Now we’re showered and sorting out our stuff. I’m hoping we get white prayer flag scarves when we fly out, but I don’t think we will. Jan did insist that we get certificates, at least.

Still pondering how to sponsor Sandhya and maybe Nuru too…

 

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It’s two days later now, the 3rd of May, and I’m fighting off a cold while Jan finishes the antibiotics for her stomach bug. We’ve had two and a half relatively lazy days and as I’ve put together the EBC trek blog posts, several thoughts in reflection of the trek have stood out:

  • I desperately want to do something to help Sandhya and Nuru. I want to sponsor them but, being jobless and with a finite amount of savings, I can’t shake the fact that I can’t give everyone all of my money. Or can I?
  • It’s really struck me here, more deeply than other places I’ve been, how opulently I lived in the US. Not that I didn’t work for the money I earned, but so much is easy to take for granted. For example, when I think of my three years in Washington, DC, and the standard of my life while there, I cringe a bit. It’s scary and painful to know, deep down, that for the amount I paid for eating out, new televisions, expensive clothes and parking spots, I could have supported and improved the lives of probably a dozen Nepali kids. I mean, really done something worthwhile, made a difference. I’ve been to poorer and dirtier countries, I think, but Nepal has really hammered home how spoiled I’ve been. I don’t feel bad about it, exactly, but I do hope that I can carry the lesson with me and figure out how to do something good for others instead of fairly meaningless for myself in the future.
  • I wish I were rich enough to be a full-time philanthropist.
  • Trekking was extremely fun and challenging and rewarding. I was grumpy some days, but for the most part I really enjoyed being tired and sore at the end of each day. And I absolutely loved the mountain views and vistas.
  • There’s so much in the world to be taken for granted. It’s not something to be ashamed of, being from a place where taking electricity and heat and the possibility of getting an education for granted is so easy, but it is something to be cognizant of.
  • I hate fundraising, but I want to learn how I can do so to help the two Nepali’s, Sandhya and Nuru, who made an impact on my world view. Any ideas?
  • Rimu, Nuru and Pasang were really good guys. Mountain Monarch, the company Jan and I booked through, are a pretty solid and dependable trekking company. I’d recommend them to anyone interested in trekking in Nepal.

 

--Z

Everest Base Camp Trek: Second Week

Note: I swear, I’m still working on uploading EBC trek pictures. Should get a link up tonight or tomorrow, promise!

 

23 April 2011

IMG_5292 Short hike today, but we climbed 300 meters! Up and back took around two hours. We just climbed up the switchbacks (dusty and rocky) behind Dingboche. We saw many memorial rockpiles, a few gumpas and flapping prayer flags. Jan commented a few times about how she was so slow and weak and out of breath (eyeroll). All in all, a good, if chilly with a brisk wind, walk. IMG_5307 After lunch I’ll hopefully go explore a bit with Rimu, and at 3pm we’ll learn about something called a PAC, which I think is a kind of pressure or altitude chamber. Next few days will be tough but rewarding, I think!

***

IMG_5313  It’s after dinner now and I’m warm (in the common area). I went out and bought some prayer flags – for me and for gifts – and toilet paper. When I came out of the small store, Rimu was there walking by. I asked if I could join him and we walked up to a gompa. It was windy and cold, though, so the walk didn’t last long. Later, Jan and I learned about the PAC (Portable Altitude Chamber) and watched how they inflated it and IMG_5316listened to why it would be used and the rules surrounding it. This got Jan worrying. Later, she and I went to get her a hat at the shop and still later, I went back to buy playing cards. Pasang and I played a few different games. All in all, a good day. The next three will be interesting…

Hotel: Sonam Friendship Lodge in Dingboche

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24 April 2011

IMG_5332 In my room at our lodge in Lobuche, absolutely freezing. Outside it’s snowing pretty steadily, small flakes that are now sticking. We trekked for about five hours today, with around one hour for lunch in Tukla. I’m in my hiking clothes, minus the windbreaker: black leggings, silk long underwear, pants, poly-pro under shirt, fleece, hiking socks, mittens, hat and a scarf. I’m in a fleece liner, inside IMG_5357 a down sleeping bag. Starting to warm up but face and hands are ice blocks.

Trek wasn’t hard, although I had a hard time getting deep breaths. Slowing to a snail’s pace helped some. Amazing scenery for the first half. We climbed around 1,800 feet today. On arrival at Lobuche, a minor headache bloomed IMG_5358 into a doozy. Was also in a crappy mood… Rimu gave me a painkiller for the headache, which is starting to kick in, I think. It’s 3pm. Time to huddle in my bag and get warm!

Hotel: Sherpa Lodge in Lobuche

 

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26 April 2011

IMG_5359 Whew! Yesterday was a doozy! We got up at 6:15am and left Lobuche around 7:05am. It was a tough trek to Gorak Shep, arrived around 10:40am. We had lunch there, then set off for Base Camp around 11:45am. That was an amazing, if rocky, trek, along what I think was a glacial moraine. We arrived at the lookout point for the “new” base camp around 2pm-ish. We spent some time there, taking pictures, admiring the IMG_5374 view, etc. All along the trek there we could see the Khumbu Glacier, which was just awesome. At the Base Camp lookout, you can see amazing ice formations, of that icy blue hue that almost eludes the eyes. My only two points of disappointment were that 1) you couldn’t see Mt Everest! and 2) we didn’t go down into or nearer to Base Camp itself. I’m not sure how close you can actually get if you’re not a IMG_5383 researcher or on an expedition, but definitely closer than we got.

Anyway, Base Camp is a multi-colored tent city situated at the corner, I think, of Khumbu Glacier and near the ice fall that summit-attempters have to cross before heading up.

***

IMG_5464 Ok, so that last was written from Gorak Shep, where we spent the night at the Buddha Lodge. I’m now in snow-covered Pheriche.

Anyway, back to Base Camp and the associated hikes. All along the hike from Gorak Shep to Base Camp, I had a minor but insistent headache. Rimu had said this was a normal effect of the altitude, so I focused my IMG_5451 attention on the incredible views: looming mountains, the never-ending Khumbu Glacier, clouds moving, dissipating, reforming. Faces and voices of fellow trekkers started to become familiar, as we leap-frog hiked, rested, and continued. Several people hugged Jan or expressed admiration for her.

It got markedly colder on the return trip to Gorak Shep, IMG_5481 and eventually Jan suggested, then insisted, that I go ahead with someone and stop waiting for her. I had no energy … left so I went ahead with Nuru. This turned out to be a bad idea. He raced ahead and I did my damnedest to keep up, my headache increasing in pressure and pain all the way. He never says much anyway and this was no exception. In fact he didn’t say a word. We made it back to our lodge about an hour ahead of the others, but as I sat sipping my tea alone, Nuru having gone to chat with some people he knew, I started to tear up. Honestly, half of it was my by-then blinding headache. The other half was feeling so absolutely alone. Sure, I was trekking with Jan and our trio of hired help, but I felt utterly alone anyway. Nuru is a typical teenager and so … self-absorbed; Pasang is nice but (so I felt at that moment) just tolerated me; and Rimu was just push (again, that was how I felt at the moment).

Anyway, I managed to barely hold myself together until I got to our room. I laid out Jan’s sleeping bag and liner, then curled up… on my bed, still fully dressed… and began to bawl. I know Nuru saw me, too, but he closed the door. Awhile later, Jan bustled in. I heard Rimu ask if I was sleeping and she said yes. Head pounding, I managed to ask her to tell Rimu I needed a painkiller for my head. At that point the bustle began: it seemed our entire group was in the tiny room. The light hurt my eyes so I mostly stayed huddled as Rimu took of my socks and stuffed me into my sleeping gear, looked at my (puffy and red) eyes, and made me drink water with some pills. Then he tucked me in tight and the left, except for Jan. I napped on and off until they brought dinner, which was roasted potatoes and sherpa stew. I was feeling a bit better then, especially since Rimu said many others had gotten sick too. We decided to attempt Khalapattar the next morning, meaning a 4:30am wakeup call. Our room had a light switch but no light fixture, and the bathroom was outside. We requested a pan to pee in for the room. I changed clothes, huddled in and tried to sleep, as another headache was coming on. The walls, like many of the lodges thus far, were ply-board, and this lodge in particular was crowded to the gills. There were several bunk beds just outside our door in what was labeled a “dormitory” and several folks slept in the common area on the benches. All shared a single outdoor, tin-covered and horse-guarded squatter toilet. Throughout the night, voices, slamming doors, coughs, snores and the odd door-rattling accompanied with “Sorry, wrong room,” echoed the entire place. I slept rather well, considering!

***

IMG_5482 So, this morning after several false wakeups, Nuru knocked on our door and I peeled off my sleeping bag, shivering immediately. Jan grumbled … and decided not to do Khalapattar, so it was just me and Rimu. It was very pretty out at 5am, clear and crisp with the mountains all around becoming visible. I was tired and sore from the day before, as well as slightly nauseous and VERY cold. We only made it about halfway up, but I got to see the sun touching some of the peaks, as well as a more impressive view of Everest, so it was enough for me. Once back at the lodge, I settled in for another hour or so of sleep. Then, it was up for breakfast and off IMG_5500 to Pheriche! It was a long day, made longer by the snow that began falling early on and still hasn’t stopped. We stopped in Lobuche for lunch and Duggla for tea and biscuits. I think we left Gorak Shep around 8:30am and arrived in Pheriche at 5:15pm. It was also pretty rocky which made my feet sore and legs tired. I’m talking all sizes of rocks, from pebbles to golf ball to football to soccer ball to beach ball sized! IMG_5521The snow was mostly dry until the last hour or so, so it was not slippery ice to walk on… thank goodness! I did get Nuru to talk a little at the end, too. Now we’re in a lovely warm common room, snow falling outside. Our room has a light and supposedly there’s an indoor toilet (squatter or Western, unknown). Yahoo!

Hotel: Khumbu Lodge in Pheriche

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27 April 2011

IMG_5529  Trekked from Pheriche to Lawishasa today, stopping in Tengboshe for lunch and a look at the monastery there. It was actually a tough walk there, taking almost five hours! It was another two hours from Tangboshe to Lawishasa, with lots of steep downhill. Surprisingly, considering that we are DEscending from EBC to Lukla, there was quite a bit of uphill today. My left foot is bruised under the pinky toe and it really aches with every step. I talked a lot with Nuru today, mostly about life in the US. He thinks if he could just get there, he’d make “lots” of money fast. And for his standards, it would be true, but it would not let him IMG_5555live comfortably in the US. It’s hard to explain that to him. I started learning how difficult Nepali grammar is today too!

Found out today that Pasang is 38 years old (which I knew) and that his wife Santi is 19! And they married two years ago! Pasang is a real sweetheart so I’m glad he found his girl, young as she is. They have a 3-month old baby boy.

Hotel: Green Valley Lodge

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28 April 2011

IMG_5620 So, last night at Neima’s recommendation I had a veggie pizza for dinner. It tasted great but less than an hour later, in the midst of having a cozy chat around the furnace, my stomach twisted. I calmly excused myself, walked out of the dining area, then raced blindly up the rough-hewn, uneven steps to my room. Nuru was getting Jan into bed and they stared at me as I leapt across a bag and my bed to grab my daypack (and, thus, the TP). I heard Nuru kind of chuckling, “Oooooh…..” when I ran out of the room again. Somehow managing not to kill myself, I got to the shit pit outhouse before realizing there were no lights. Too late: I dropped trou and let loose, hoping my aim was good … [Note: I’m leaving out some details here that you really don’t want to know.] Once I got back to the room, I felt nauseous and awful. As I dozed off with an empty pan nearby in case I got sick in the night, Rimu came in and gave me some medicine and I then slept like a rock.

IMG_5631 This morning I felt ok, then better and better. Nuru and Pasang went ahead to Namch and Jan, Rimu and I followed awhile later. We took our time, about three and a half hours, and are now back at the same lodge [in Namche] as on the way up. I just took a hot shower, my first in two weeks: heaven!

Earlier, Rimu, Nuru, Pasang and I went to Namche Bazaar to get Pasang a pair of shoes. We split up for some reason and Pasang took me to what I guess is the local’s market. [Note: I later found out it was a local Tibetan market.] We looked at some shoes but then stood in a narrow alleyway waiting for the others. Three guys came up and started talking to Pasang, who seemed a bit tense. They were all (except Pasang) staring at me. When I asked, Pasang said that they liked my hat. IMG_5649 I took it off to show them and told them my mom had made it, which seemed to interest them for a minute. Then they asked how old I was and continued muttering to Pasang in Nepali and staring at me. Pasang didn’t look at them or seem happy and eventually walked up the alleyway, me tagging along behind him, relieved. He said, when I asked, that they asked if I had a husband, and that he told them yes. I wonder what else was said… it was very uncomfortable.

Awhile later, we found Rimu and went shoe shopping.

Well, the trek is over in two days…

Hotel: Tashi Delek in Namche Bazaar

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29 April 2011

IMG_5666 It’s just lunch time now and we’ve stopped at the same place in Jorsale to eat. It’s a lovely day out, although I miss the mountain views. The river is close and the smell of pines and soil is all around. Nuru is off and on chatty (when I prod him). Another 3-4 hours to Phakding! Last night I was playing cards with Nuru and Pasang and they mentioned going out to a disco in Phakding. On the one hand it sounds IMG_5697 fun; on the other, not sure surrounding myself with Nepali’s, probably mostly male, is a good idea. We’ll see I guess. Jan still can’t eat!

Hotel: Prince of Everest Hotel in Phakding

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Everest Base Camp Trek: Intro and First Week

Note: This is a long post. Be forewarned! Pictures will be uploaded to a new album soon, I hope… keep your eyes peeled. Also, because of the way I’ve decided to detail out my Nepal trek, I’m not going to do a day-by-day account as usual… 

Note (9/2012): At his request I have changed the name of my Nepali guide and removed his picture.

It’s been awhile since I’ve written and as I sit here thinking about how to tell you about the last two plus weeks, it seems impossible! I’ve settled on a way, though… I wrote in my private journal almost every day during my trek, and so I will quote from that and show pictures to try to take you through the major excitements of my Everest Base Camp trek.

First, it’s important to introduce one major character… Jan Croft. I know Jan through my father, who worked with her and got to know her while he cooked at the Duke Rice Diet center. Jan is seventy years old and as energetic a lady as I know. She’s been to Nepal IMG_5078 twice before and has trekked to Everest Base Camp once already, to celebrate having beaten breast cancer. This year she trekked to Base Camp again, to celebrate her seventieth birthday in style. She’s a short, determined southern woman with shoulder-length blond hair and snapping blue eyes. Jan was a research chemist in earlier days, and traveled abroad a bit in Europe, learning German and some Russian in order to translate chemical patents and other work-related materials. She got into real estate about twenty years ago and gained weight as she buried herself in her new career. In the early nineties, she had a wake-up call when, upon finding a local fast food joint closed for breakfast, her hands started to shake. Several years later, she celebrated losing over a hundred pounds by going to Nepal for the first time, inspired by a National Geographic article about the trekking there. Having not been able to climb a few steps years before, in 1996 she completed two strenuous treks in Nepal: the Annapurna Circuit and a trek to Tengboche to see Amadablan, a famous mountain in the Himalayas.

Now that you know a bit about Jan, let me tell you in a combination of words and pictures about the last sixteen days of Nepal trekking that we undertook.

16 Apr 2011

IMG_4964 Arrived in Phakding, Nepal, today, via a trek (~3 hours, ~4 miles, 270 ft descent and 260 ft ascent) from Lukla. Flew earlier this morning from Kathmandu to Lukla.

[Note: notes in this and the next blog post will indicate something I’m adding now that wasn’t written in my journal. They won’t be in italics, to differentiate… hope that makes sense!]

[Note: That airplane ride was exhilarating and terrifying. For the first half, the IMG_4972 Himalayas were in the distance, snow-capped and mystical. For the second half, we were flying through the mountains… I mean, their summits were above us. I could make out details of homes in the hills and tree branches, that’s how close we were to the mountains. And the landing… we dropped altitude like a rock and bounced twice before skidding to a stop on a short runway that is laid out on a steep hill. We landed at the lower end of the hill and climbed the hill as the plane rolled to a stop.]

IMG_4981 Our guide is Rimu (24 yrs old), the assistant guide is his younger brother, Nuru (19 yrs old), and we also have a porter, whose name I can’t recall. [Jan] is worried she won’t make it to Everest Base Camp and I’m trying to encourage her. I’m feeling fine so far.

Nepal is so different, again, from every other place. My brain IMG_4993 is exhausted from traveling. I may end this trip in Israel… not sure yet. I’m feeling a bit short-tempered and not too tolerant lately. But I don’t really want to go home yet.

My head is spinning!

Only brought this journal on the trek… no computer or iPod or books.

Hotel: Prince of Everest Hotel in Phakding.

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17 April 2011

IMG_5022 Arrived Namche Bazaar today! Eight hours of climbing, over 800 meters of elevation gain, and I’d say maybe 5-7 miles. Jan had a tough time but just trucked on up. Hope I’m like her at age 70! Lots of steep switchbacks. I would say it’s hard but not horribly difficult. The worst part for me was in Namche, climbing HUGE and uneven steps to our hotel.

Views today were stunning. Didn’t get to see Everest (too cloudy) but IMG_5032 tomorrow I will. Our porter’s name is Pasang. My feet don’t hurt today!

[Note: On the first day, I wore my tennis shoes and my feet ached pretty good that night. On this day, I wore my hiking boots, which thus far haven’t seemed to be very comfortable. Guess they just needed to be broken in, IMG_5088 though, because my feet felt great… thus the odd comment.]

Got Nuru to chat a little today. More tomorrow!

Hotel: Tashi Delek in Namche

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18 April 2011

IMG_5090 Hiked up to Everest View Hotel, where I am now. Lots of steps and up, up, up. Jan went back to Namche halfway up at Rimu’s suggestion, to save her energy for EBC [Everest Base Camp]. So, I’m with Nuru and a friend of his. I can see Thamsherku, Amadablam, Nuche, Everest and Tauche. Also, Portse, which is where we’ll trek to in two days (after staying in Khumjung for a night).

I’m in a foul mood today, no real reason. It’s clearing a little with the climbing, panting and sweating, but only a little.

***

IMG_5101 Clouds moved in pretty quick at the Everest View Hotel, so after some tea, which I got enough of to share with Nuru and his friend… [Half a sentence written here… sorry!] … We made good time back down to Namche, where it turned out that Jan had bought thing neck gators as gifts [for me and our crew]. After a brief rest, we had lunch … The clouds moved in and big droplets started to fall before I made it back to our guesthouse [from an errand I was running]. Also, a sudden need for the toilet hit me and I had to change underwear – yuck! It started to rain, hail, thunder and lightning in earnest! Jan napped and I went to the common room [all lodges had a main dining/common room where guests could hang out any time] to watch the storm, which didn’t last very long.

IMG_5107 With no gadgets or books, my mind is wandering and I feel unfocused. There are internet cafes but I’m determined to stay out of touch until I return to Kathmandu.

My mood pulled a 180 during lunch without me realizing it. Maybe not bouncy, but at least not crabby now.

Hotel: Tashi Delek in Namch

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19 April 2011

IMG_5125 Slept well last night and woke up feeling energetic and happy. Yay! Apple pancake and egg for breakfast, really good but boy am I gassy today! Clouds were creeping around the mountains by the time we got going at 9am. Quite a few steps today but nothing too bad and our trek only lasted three hours, which included several breaks and a half hour visit to the Hillary School in Khumjung. Oh… we trekked Namche to Khumjung, about 2.5 hours, ~3-4 kilometers, and 200 meter elevation gain. As we arrived it started to sprinkle. Maybe two hours later, hail, then rain, then snow. Jan and I were freezing! We got on our down IMG_5134jackets and Pasang got the wood furnace in the common  room started early for us. We eventually warmed up. When the skies cleared, we got magnificent views of Thamserku, Congde and the top of Kinteka. It also warmed up considerably, although it’s still chilly.

Over lunch (before the storm), we met two nice Indian gentlemen who were friendly and talkative. Both seemed fascinated by Jan. Which reminds me! As we climbed out of Namche, I chatted with a well-spoken Nepali gentleman. As Jan caught up, I introduced IMG_5150her. It turned out that he lived in Kathmandu and Jan immediately asked if he knew of an  orphanage or school we could volunteer at. He said yes and to call him when we returned, handing me his card. It listed him as a Colonel in the Nepali Army! [Note: There are two very separate militias currently in Nepal: the Nepali Army and the Maoist military.] It was then that I noticed his attache in uniform and a plain-clothes attendant, both standing nearby. Whoa!

Hotel: Hilltop View Lodge in Khumjung.

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20 April 2011

IMG_5171 Slightly quick-tempered today… Jan talking herself into failure (“I’m so slow… how far behind are we?… oh, I don’t know if I can take five more hours of this”) … Anyway, I think I need to just be quiet ...

So, today we trekked from Khumjung to Phortse, about five hours, just thirty meters overall elevation gain and maybe 7-8 kilometers or so. However, we did have some IMG_5205 major ascents and descents in there. Overall, not too bad a day! And here in Phortse, it’s sunny and cool with lovely scenery. This village is situated on a graded mountain edge. Like Khumjung, rock walls snaking across the village demark paddocks, gardens and living areas (I think). There are cows and yaks wandering and although cloud cover obscures them, you can sense the Himalayas looming all around. Now and then a craggy IMG_5210 peak or soaring mountainside shows through.

Jan is eating next to nothing. Today she’s had two boiled eggs, one piece of plain toast, two squares of Godiva chocolate, two or three Turkish apricots and perhaps a quarter cup, if that, of plain spaghetti. She swears she feels full all the time. Me, on the other hand, I eat like a pig!

***

IMG_5216 It’s around 8pm now. Jan’s in bed and I’m in the common room by myself, edging closer and closer to the wood furnace as it cools down. Rimu, Nuru and Pasang are in the kitchen downstairs eating dinner with the teahouse owners. They almost never eat until we are completely finished with our meals. Guess it’s part of the culture of the guide companies here. Anyway, I feel like I bonded a bit with Nuru and Pasang today. I got them to teach me to play their  IMG_5224 card game, then to teach me how to count in Nepali.

[Note: Here follows a list of the Nepali words I learned that day, which I won’t list here.]

Pasang and Nuru each have spoken to me once or twice without prompting, which is nice.

Hotel: Sonam Lodge in Phortse

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21 April 2011

IMG_5232Phortse –> Pangboche today, ~5 kilometers, 4.5 hours, a bit of up and down. Not too much overall elevation gain, I think. Some great views of Amadablam and a peak of Everest, though, which is still far enough away to be unimpressive. (Turns out, 120 meter elevation gain, by the way.) … On the trek, I learned:

IMG_5249 [Note: A full page follows of Nepali words, most not written by me.]

Above was written by Rimu, who is a bit of a control-type person. This makes sense, as he is a guide and the leader of our group, but it’s annoying when he won’t listen. He also gets impatient when we don’t understand his English, which IMG_5258 is ok vocabulary-wise, but he often locks his jaw which, with his accent and bad grammar, makes it difficult. This, along with [when our guys don’t understand] Jan, is eyeroll inducing for me …

Hotel: Himalayan Lodge in Pangboche

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IMG_526322 April 2011

Today was an easy four hour walk with some elevation gain (400 meters) but mostly at a gradual rate. A third of the way through, one of our guys realized we didn’t have Jan’s black water bottle. Nuru went back for it and met us just as we arrived in Dingboche, where we will stay for two nights for acclimatization. We’re now at 4,410 meters elevation, or about 13,500 feet. It’s cold and my main concern IMG_5268is not having enough warm clothes! Jan was more positive today. Nuru is a bit distant; Pasang cheerful but maybe tired of giving me language lessons; and Rimu is the same.

[Note: More Nepali words listed here.]

Hotel: Sonam Friendship Lodge in Dingboche