Dole-13,235 feet
October 30, 2016

Namaste Family & Friends:

This was a long, hard day.

We left Namche Bazaar at 8 am and arrived in Dole at 2:20 pm. We gained 2,500 feet of altitude in the move from Namche Bazaar to Dole, but we ascended well over 4,000 feet because of the alignment of the trekking trail as it winds its way up and down the mountains and valleys. The distance traveled was  8.3 miles, and we landed 22,485 steps.

I’m not complaining about the long, hard day. I passed a fellow carrying  some very large planks of wood and several steel poles. He was bound for Gokyo where the  goods he is carrying will be used to build a large sign at the Asian Trekking lodge where we will stay.  The freight he was carrying on his back weighed 190 pounds. Yikes!  I’m guessing he gets paid about $15/day for this hard labor. Here’s a suggestion: frame the photo below and hang it in your children’s room. Then, start saving for college.

At the beginning of the trek, just outside Namche Bazaar, we had some great views of Mt. Everest and Ama Dablam, the “Jewell of the Himalaya.”  Later on the trek, we were joined by Naga, Shera and Samdem, who were coming from Khumjjung where they live. So, now the team is complete.

My room is very primitive-just a wooden bed, with no toilet or shower. The room is  about the size of a walk-in closet. The common toilet down the hall is basically a  room with a hole in the floor.  Oh,  and don’t forget to bring your own toilet paper.

The lodge has no heat and it is very cold inside & outside. Can’t wait for them to fire up the pot-bellied stove in the dining hall where we will have dinner in 1 hour.

Please don’t interpret this post as complaining. I stayed here last Autumn, so I knew what to expect. I just want you to have a minds-eye view of what we are experiencing. We are having a  really great time.

Please check out “Where’s Bill” on my website to see where we are.

Tomorrow, we move to Machermo.

Bill

David & Bill with Ama Dablam on the right and Everest directly over David's head

David & Bill with Ama Dablam on the right and Everest directly over David’s head

Ama Dablam & Everest

Ama Dablam & Everest

Trekking to Dole

Trekking to Dole

Trekking to Dole

Trekking to Dole

Phortse and Ama Dablam

Phortse and Ama Dablam

Porter

Porter

The Team-David, Bill, Shera, Samdem Naga

The Team-David, Bill, Shera, Samdem Naga

Rock Stairs

Rock Stairs

Dole

Dole

The dining hall with guests huddled around the stove

The dining hall with guests huddled around the stove

The toilet

The toilet

My spacious, 5 star, room

My spacious, 5 star, room