It's 3pm already, the sun is still shining and the clouds haven't filled the valley yet. What a glorious day! We are sitting in the lodge's dining room, listening occasionally to some traditional Nepali music.
As soon as I woke up this morning, I decided to walk to my favourite place to make sure that I got the best possible view. I grabbed a cereal bar and ... off I went! The little climb always makes me breathe quite rapidly, but when I got there, it became almost normal again.
I was so pleased to see my beautiful peaks again: Everest, the black pyramid, "smoking" as always, the Nuptse ridge, Lothse and Ama-Dablam! I could spend here the whole day! I sat on a bench with this view in front of me, with birds chirping happily in the pine and fir forest; two birds of prey also flew nearby, too quick for me to take a picture. I would have liked to climb slightly higher, but the warning sign and the sight of the nearby army people stopped me in the end.
I started my return journey very happily though and decided to have a look at the view from the other side of the ampitheatre, where the helipad is. I didn't fancy the idea of going to the lodge first for breakfast, as this meant climbing down and up again. I continued straight (relatively) towards the helipad. I passed the little hospital, which we visited a few days ago, and then the monastery, with lots and lots of prayer wheels on a nearby wall.
The trail was dotted with many "Mani" stones and walls, inscribed with Tibetan prayers. Some of them were carved; others were painted in white or other colours.
As I reached the helipad, young men were coming down the path with three huge stones each, dropping them off just a little distance down the trail and then going back again. I read about a quarry somewhere nearby, towards the village of Khunde, where Edmund Hillary's school and hospital are.
On the way back I decided I take the long way round again, to avoid the "killing steps", as I call them, through the village. I joined Eddie (who is recovering nicely) for a very nice breakfast.
Just as we were finishing our breakfast, Eugen called. He reached the lodge at Gokyo and hopefully, tomorrow he'll get to the ridge above the lakes. He's very well and has no altitude problems. He'll start to descend tomorrrow and might get to Dole by the end of tomorrow.
0 comments:
Post a Comment