April 10, 2009
Namche Bazaar
Not to worry, I feel GREAT!
But, poor Bud Allen developed an intestinal problem on the trek to Namche Bazaar and wasn’t feeling so good. When he arrived in Namche, his conditioned worsened, and he started feeling flu-like symptoms (e.g. chills, fever, etc.). This is exactly what happened to me in Namche Bazaar in 2008, and it was the beginning of the end of my trip. However, unlike me in 2008, Bud brought appropriate medicine (CIPRO for his symptoms), and, this morning, he feels much better. We plan to stay in Namche for a couple of day to allow Bud time to recover, and we will move up to Tengboche the day after tomorrow. Bud is going to be just fine.
Last night, I bunked with Will Cross so as not to expose myself to the bugs Bud is battling. Will is a super nice person and quite an accomplished mountaineer. He has also journeyed to both the North and South Poles, and his stories of those adventures are captivating and harrowing. If you want to get to know him better, you should visit his website: “willcrossmotivates.” I have put a link to his website on my website. Will makes his living giving motivational speeches.
On the trek to Namche, my high definition video camera conked out. This is a real bummer, because I bought the camera last year just to record my trip to Mt. Everest. I spent a good part of last evening on the telephone to Canon trying to troubleshoot. No luck. I plan to make one more call tonight to the technical help center at Canon. True to form, Dawa Steven came to the rescue and loaned me a spare video camera that he had brought along. The camera uses the same cassette tapes as my Canon, so I’m back in business no matter what happens in the call tonight.
The rest of the group left for Thame today to visit Apa Sherpa’s home. Apa Sherpa is part of the Asia Trekking team. He has summited Mt. Everest 19 times, more than any other person. He is very quiet and humble, and we all feel fortunate to have him on the trip. Dawa Steven featured Apa Sherpa in one of his recent posts on the Asian Trekking website. You should check those posts frequently as Dawa is a very good writer. The link to Asian Trekking website is on my website. Bud and I will catch up with the group in Tengboche.
Tomorrow, my Sherpa, Mingma, is taking Bud and I to the village where he has a home, just about 1 hour out of Namche. He is going to introduce us to his Mother. We will have lunch and then return to Namche Bazaar.
Usually, I save this for the end, but I want to acknowledge at the beginning of this trip the great job my Life and Everest Trip Partner, Sharon, does in getting these reports up on my website. I know it is a lot of work, and it gets even harder when I am on the mountain without access to a computer and in locations where the satellite telephone reception is not always so good. It sometimes takes her hours to decipher my messages, and she has been known to enlist help from my 4 children when she can’t figure out what the heck I said in a satellite telephone message. So, thanks Sharon, and I love you.
Bill