Blogs

Next day we awoke to be whisked off to an Elephant ride through the Jungel. What kewl animals they are, I want one as my pet. Yes they have their own carports and people in the villages park them out side their house in the village. 

We got to see the Indian rhino, the ellie drivers are bloody good. They got them out the reeds and contained them between the two ellies. Mom and calf, felt like the hurding and containment was really not needed. But hay I'm just a tourist don't interfear.

Awoke early for the bus, which I walked to. Couple of km looking like a real pack horse. As I did not sell all that trekking gear yet like I had planed. 

After arriving at the rafting drop off. Made friends with an older Auzzie bloke called Peter, we were the only non Korean's. A quick change into my cozzy and rafting gear we were bopping down the river.

Spent 2 days in Kahmandu on my but mostly. Cought up with some of the ouside world, drank with Waz, Ivana and Manoj. Shopped around for a good price for a Chitwan National Park and water rafting experiance. Worked it out from the prices in the guide book and I would battle to get the same price.

Ended up booking through the same company. Had a few drinks with the gang that night and played some more pool. A good ending to the trek.

We got back from a night out in Lukla pretty late, playing snooker and some beer. Ended up being locked out oops. Beer on this trek is more expensive than a room for the night! 

Anyhow up early and spent most of day waiting for a plain that did not arrive again. Clouded in, we only got one the following day back to Kathmandu.

That was it I looked like a mountain man and sure smelt like one.. Now time to sit on my ars WAHOO. 

I made it to Everest Base Camp This week what did you do? 

Dancing to Lukla. With having to pay for showers and charging batteries. O have only been using the phone to bookmark my daily achievements as way points. The battery was almost flat and I was low on Nepalie rupies. So finally at Namche i charged that sucker and scoffed loads of chocolate.. As I could change some dollars in town, had 10 rupie (10 saffer cents) to my name.

Anyhow the night before was really worried with my knees. But had some Roxie in my hip flask my sis got me ages back for a birthday.. Allways wanted to but finally used it. Some extra chockies and my iPhone now fully charged! My knees seemed to hold out, left Waz and the guide in my dust. Kinda kewl being able to walk again. Though the downhill gradients were not that steep, sure it was the music in my ears that did the trick. Can't explain just how golden it was to have music in my ears again.

Jeez what a walk today 6hrs the decent around Tangbotche was hard. We stopped off at the monastery there and sat in on one of their chanting sessions. We had been offered some of the local butter/tebetan tea. Gosh just justed like boiled yak fat, was a bit strange.

Ivana met her Waz who came up the trail a few km to meet her. Poor guy had 5 days stuck in Namche with not much todo. Sounded like he made the most of it working in a book shop, trekking shop and he did some hiking... I would have headed all the way back and got guide to arrange the flight.

Time to leave Girak Shep. Was shitting my self with these knees and all the down hills. That's what really hurts and now had to do it with a backpack!

Plan was to get to Panbotche that was 30km down, we had averaged 11km a day going up hill, eeek.

After a bloody long walk my feet felt like someone had taken a meat cleaver to them. We had arrived in Pangbotche. I was pretty buggered we had left at 7am and arrived at 11:45 took about an hour extra with them legs.

No knock came at the door early this morning. So that meant there were no views only clouds. While munching down breakfast every thing lifted over Everest. Was my first sighting out side the lodge in Gorak Shep.

We scampered up Kala Patar and saw the monster for most of the first half of the hill. We were short 300 meters in altitude of the top, but was a happy chappy. I had checked an extra item on the list now, base camp and view of everest :).

3:15 arrived and we were off. It was not too cold as there was no wind. So took off pile jacket and was hiking in a t-shirt again. We were really having fun hiking with 1 flash light between us. Crossing the river, avoiding the yak crap and trying to get a secure footing with all the rocks. Was a blast I thought... Poor Manoj was a bit grumpy with the early morning shenanigans and time but he cheered up later.

Was flat most of the inital bit, climbing another glacer that meets Khumbu took a bit of effort. And the Lobuche pass was like entering another world. With all the rock around you, from bolders larger than houses to tiny stones it's a weird landscape.

Heading for Lobuche, we got up standard time 7am had breakfast and left the lodge after. Another day avoiding Yak shit, you look away for a second and you stand in the stuff.

With the bridge down at Dingboche we were taking the a differen route opposite the normal side of the river. First time with no real paths, the lower parts from Lukla to Phakding was almost paved rock walk ways. So fealt like first real rough it stuff. What u had imagened in my head, so enjoyed that.