Base Camp Everest Trek Part 3

Namche Bizarre

     Namche Bizarre was a larger settlement than I imagined. It was a trekkers paradise with everything you could possibly need but at a staggering high price--internet access, bookshops, trekking equipment, snacks, money exchange, even a German Bakery.
     We took a $2.50 room and decided it was time to wash some clothes. We opted to join the locals at the stream and began scrubbing our dirty clothing with soap. We hung our freshly washed laundry in the sun at our guesthouse and hoped it would dry.
     We acclimatized in Namche for two days, where we took short hikes and rested for the trek ahead...

Washing clothes with the locals

Nepalese Momo's 

        Outside the Namste Museum    
        One of the many waterfalls                                        

                                                               

     We where excited to have our packs back on as we left Namche headed for the next village, Tengboche.
It's an exhilarating feeling as you pass trekkers who are armed with guides and porters when you are hiking to Base Camp Everest without those precautions...well, perhaps, one could say I had a porter, my wonderfully strong boyfriend, who carried a few things up the mountain for me; but otherwise, we were on our own.
    We hiked for six hours to reach the ghost town of Tengboche, which was idyllic. We barley saw another hiker all day and it felt as if the land was ours. We were at peace.

     We ate our first Sherpa stew at our guesthouse in Tengboche, which is a hearty stew consisting of vegetables, dumplings, a touch of ginger, a dash of garlic, and a steamy broth--and it is delicious! After dinner, we were ready to hit the sack but as our heads hit the pillow we suddenly heard screams of joy coming from outside our room. We made way to the sound and found a group of people gathered outside the guesthouse staring at the sky:  Everest had made her first appearance in days, and, boy was she stunning.

 Our Room in Tengboche                                                                          Sherpa Stew

Wild flowers that pave the way

World's Highest Monestry

     We awoke early the next day after our first good night sleep in days and set our for the village of Pheriche. With our trusty guide book in hand we were ready for the six hours of hard trekking ahead of us. When I say it was hard work, I mean it really, truly was hard work, especially when you're carrying a large pack, as well as suffering high altitude aliments and a blazing sun.  However--and this is when I need to give a special mention to the many porters of the Himalayan hills--the porters make you feel shameful for stopping, for huffing-and-puffing, and for getting red in the face, because they carry all manor of items up the mountain on their back, and I mean all manor: wood planks, food boxes, water drums, doors, rolled carpets, beds, coffee machines, even generators, beer cases, and stones. So I should retract my previous comment about the high price of a Mars bar, as the porters have to haul the candy bar boxes up the mountain.

                                                                             The porters and their loads


      Reaching the small valley of Pheriche we bunked in $2.50 a night room. Pheriche was a misty place that would ever so often reveal the snow topped peaks that hug like giants in the sky behind the village. We rested and acclimatized here for 3 nights.

All Photo's Pheriche 

x HMS x 

   

Base Camp Everest Trek Part 2

      The plane lands, and within minutes we are walking. The Base Camp Everest trek literally starts as soon as you leave Lukla airport. Johnny is buzzing with delight because he has left the hectic Kathmandu, he does not do well in cities, but in the mountains he comes alive.

     So we walk. We walk without a guide or porter, instead we pull out our trusty Cicerone Guide Book to help us along the way. I must add at this point, that this book is a true must have to any adventurous type who wants to hike without a guide on the Base Camp Everest route. 

     The landscape is endlessly beautiful. Green, luscious trees cover the mountains, vibrant wildflowers and powder puff clouds hang in the sky. We walk for 6 hours up and down hills, through tiny villages, across sketchy bridges, and hop on stones to cross rapid rivers; we wave and say 'Namaste' to the locals and young children; we dart uphill to let Yaks herds pass us by: This is what we came to do, and jeez it is fun. 

     We finally take rest in a village called Monjo. We opt for a tiny room with two unstable twin beds for $2.50 a night, and as we hit the sheets, we finally feel our buzz wearing thin. 

     So you are maybe thinking, wow, that's cheap for a room? And, yes, it is--but you see that's how they get you. All the rooms along the Base Camp Everest trail are $2.50 a night, without a bathroom. You, then, have to share a bathroom, but the "bathroom" you share isn't exactly a bathroom, it just consists of a dirty sink and a toilet.  If you want to actually shower after a long hike, well, that will cost you an extra $5 -$7 dollars.

    As if your budget wasn't stretched enough, it is mandatory that you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at your chosen lodge/ guest house; otherwise they charge you five times as much for the room.  And let me tell you this, the food is expensive, and the higher you climb the greater the bill. Take for example a standard Mars bar, they start at 50cents a piece at Lukla Airport and climb to a whopping $4 nearer the Base Camp. 

     As hard as it was, Johnny and still kept to our budget. We shared meals, purified our own water, and ate the energy infused power bars that we brought from home. We never showered and instead used wet wipes and communal sinks to wash our bodies. I could often be spotted washing my hair over the sink and hiking with a turban style wrap to dry my locks.... 

      

1st Day

     We wake up early in Monjo. 6:30am. Quickly wash over the sink and we are ready for action. The goal for the day is to reach Namche Bizarre, the next town. We have read in the guide book that it takes anywhere from 4 - 5 hours as it is a steep trek (and it sure was!). We hiked and hiked and climbed up...up...up and finally reached Namche Bizarre in 3 hours after climbing 1800ft. 

XHMSX

     

Base Camp Everest Trek Part 1

     Johnny and I wake up early, 4:45am. We have a plane to catch--a rather small plane which the thought of has probably kept Johnny up all night because he believes small planes crash, not fly. The plane we are taking is the sixteen-seater twin-otter, which is flying from Kathmandu to Lukla at 6:30am.. This tiny aircraft will land, hopefully, at 7 o'clock on Lukla's piddly sized landing strip, which sits between a cliff and the edge of a mountain. This flight is the last thing Johnny wants to do on his birthday.
     'HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOHNNY,' I scream. He looks agitated. We gather our backpacks and head for the airport. We wait...and....wait...and wait--the plane is delayed due to bad weather.  After two hours, we hear the boarding call. Johnny is miserable.
       I present Johnny with a large 'Birthday Boy' badge and a good luck charm, and we then walk slowly and apprehensively to the aircraft. We smile at each other bravely and don't discuss the duck tap holding the plane's wing together, or how flat the tires are.
     Within minutes after being seated, we are up in the air, flying high across the giant mountains that were beyond our view in Kathmandu. The snow topped peaks are revealed from the clouds...the Himalayas. We have made it. We are on our way to Base Camp Everest.
     The plane lands successfully. We make a cheesy high five in the air. Johnny surprisingly states, 'That flight was awesome'. And, it truly was.

The Trek begins...

Wearing My Gran's Clothes

     Travelling can be an expensive business, especially when you plan an excursion to Base Camp Everest that requires a large amount of specialized gear, which means borrowing or acquiring hand-me-down equipment is ideal for saving cash. So kindly my hiking expert of a Grandmother sorted me out with most of the essentials I needed for the long hike ahead.  She Loaded me with waterproof  hiking trousers, fleeces, a super soft lamb's wool jumper, mittens, gloves, socks, fisherman's wool hat and two handy sleeping bag liners.
     So as I followed in her footsteps (she trekked the Himalayas 10 years ago) across the beautiful Himalayan landscape I was actually fully dressed in all her apparel. You were with me every step of the way, Grannie, and this blog post is for you. Thank you for inspiring me to travel and see the world in all its wonder.

Looking out at Namche Bizarre

Tricky bridge from Pherice

Posing at Shomare Village

     Now that I finished the trek, it is time for me to send home the valuable equipment that I borrowed, and to donate the rest to Himalayan sherpas, for, in ten days, BHW and I will travel to India, where the gear is unneeded. And this means I can finally enjoy my most prized gift my Grannie gave me, her very special Indian made dress, that, as a child, I adored when she wore it. I will cherish it forever. 

Gran's Indian Dress

x HMS x