Keep on trekking



Hi everyone,
Although it may seem like it, I haven't forgotten about this blog. I could give a bunch of lame excuses but why?

Yesterday, I received a phone call from my friend, Jon Miller, (therestofeverest.com) who is on a trek in the Himalayas as I write this. It was so cool to hear his voice, broken from the satellite connection, coming to me from Gorak Shep, that I've spent the last several hours just daydreaming about being back there.

So thanks to Jon for reminding me to post the pictures from a place that constantly tugs at my soul!



Welcome to Tengboche Monestary! Magical seeming, as we walked into Tengboche at 12,887 feet, these monks greeted us with afternoon, call to prayer music. Tengboche is the largest buddhist monastery in the Khumbu region.



A monk prepares to ascend the steps leading up to the monastery.



I had a very rough night in Tengboche. I barely slept due to a terrible gastrointestinal bug. When the sun came up and revealed this view of Ama Dablam, it softened the blow a little.



Mani stones mark the entrance to the Debotche Nunnery. Built in 1928, this convent is the sister to Tengboche Monestary. I remember this day very well. Because I was so sick, I had to walk extra slow to help cope with my bad stomach. Dipendra and I made a pitstop at this place and had a delightful visit with one of the nuns living there.



Nomng Doma Tibeti, 31, prays inside the gompa. Since making the journey from Tibet, she has lived at the nunnery for 7 years.

There are approximately twenty nuns living here. The residents help nuns from all over Nepal, who come to visit, stay and learn different prayers and ceremonies in a kind of religious exchange program. Several nuns from Tibet have endured brutal circumstance in their trip to Nepal. Tibetans literally run for their lives while crossing the high mountain passes, many being shot at by soldiers while fleeing.

During my online research, I found a website that includes a project specifically dedicated to helping these nuns (and others across the globe). Click here for more information.



Part of the alter inside the gompa.



Morning chores at the Debotche gompa.



I gave Nomng a LAF(Lance Armstrong Foundation) bracelet after our visit. She decided she wanted the one on my wrist, not the one I gave her from my backpack. Of course I gave her the one from my wrist! Here we are modeling our matching bracelets. Before we left Nomng said a prayer to help my ailing stomach. I started feeling better that night. (besides the prayers, I also asked several antibiotics to rid me of this plague)



Danika, one of our guides on the trek, makes friends with a horse that was wandering around near our lunch break area. The horse was really interested in her grape juice and ended up drinking it. She liked the juice so much that she ended up searching for more and sort of stampeded through our group. It was one of the scariest moment of our trek!



The new and the old. A modern, new bridge crosses over the old suspension bridge on the way to Dingboche.



Prayer flags greet these trekkers as they descend on the new bridge.



Looks a bit different from the health care facilities in the US.



Service with a smile. Raj, our sirdar, helps serve our midday feast. Despite their assigned jobs, the Nepali staff helped with all tasks. I'm pretty sure you'd never hear a Nepali say: "that's not in my job description."



Sharpening stone...



Surrounded by magnificant scenery, one of our group members, Tracey, takes a nap before lunch. Tracey is an amazing hiker and can hike circles around me, she's very fast! I really enjoyed her company on this trip.



Dorje and Dipendra help prepare our lunch. Despite the rugged conditions, each day our wonderful Nepali staff would assemble a full kitchen and prepare three delicious hot meals for the group. Despite our begging, they rarely ate with us, instead waiting until we were done and then eating only in the kitchen. We finally dined with them at our final meal together, it was very special.



Prayer flags color the landscape as we enter the Everest Memorial area. Located at 15,774 feet, it is a solemn place filled with endless little chortens built to honor people lost in the region.



The memorial area is, of course, surrounded by the beautiful Himalayan mountains.



Weathered memorial to Babu Chiri Sherpa. There are many websites to read about this man and his legacy, you can begin here.



Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer was the first book I read about climbing Mount Everest. Scott Fischer was one of eight people who died on May 10, 1996 in the deadliest single tragedy in Everest's climbing history. It was chilling to see this memorial.



Another view of Scott Fischer's memorial. Fischer was an accomplished guide and climber. He was the first American to climb Lhotse and in the third American party to summit K2.



Leaving the memorial area, on the way to Lebuche, porters and yak hybrids carry their heavy loads in support of many trekking parties. Without them, our journey would not be possible.



From my tent in Lebuche, (16,175 feet) I could see toilet tents and horses right outside my door. Now that is a room with a view! Tomorrow I attempt to climb Kala Pattar, our highest point in the trek. The day after that is Everest Base Camp!

Please stay tuned and thanks for visiting!!

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