Tengboche
April 11, 2008
I think I have fought off the virus and I am now dealing with the after-effects–some congestion, a cough, fatigue and loss of appetite. But, every day I feel better. This must be the year of the bug in the Khumbu region. My personal sherpa and a porter are sick, so I gave them some of my medicine. One of the other Asian Trekking climbers is also sick and is laid up in Pangboche. Glad it is all happening here and not at Base Camp.
Lori and Amy are fine and are acting as the official expedition nurses. Lori follows me around everywhere I go handing me baby wipes to keep my hands clean.
We trekked from Namche (11,000) to Tengboche (12,500) yesterday, an elevation gain of about 1,500 feet. The scenery is stunning in its beauty. We all got our first view of Mt. Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam. That was so special. The experience of being in the Himalayan mountain range can only be described as mystical. Lori and Amy really enjoyed the trek yesterday, their favorite part of the trek so far. I enjoyed it too, of course, but I had to labor on the steep sections because of my lack of energy. Even so, I enjoyed it so much, and it is so special to be here with my daughters.
Lori and Amy are taking lots of photos, which is great because it frees me up to use my high definition video camera.
Tengboche is a beautiful village at the top of the mountain. There is a Buddhist Monastery here and a few shops and stores to pick up souvenirs. Our accommodations last night were pretty nasty, and Lori and Amy will have a few funny stories to share when they get home. Unfortunately, I can’t repeat them in this report.
Today, we head to Pheriche where we will catch up with the rest of the team. Pheriche is one of my favorite villages. We may even take a rest day at Pheriche.
Bill