Riet and Marcel are still a bit sick . I decide to go to teh Swayambunath temple (also known as Monkey temple) by myself. The map in the lonely planet was a bit vague, but I found my way relatively easy. A boy on a bike started talking to me. they tell you facts about your own country. How does he know the highest 'mountain' in the Netherlands is 300 metres high??? I didn't know. Anyway. Of course he wanted to give me a tour of the temple and I let him. Nice. It's my first buddhist temple. His story sounds like a cassette tape that plays too fast, but is pretty interesting. Too bad there's always a hassle afterwards about the money (I pay him, he wants more).
Met up with my future trekking compagnions in Kathmandu Guest House and we had lunch. I had some momo's (doughy pastry with vegetables inside). Was really good.. Ulrich (german guy) hasn't decided yet if he wants to come with us and do what he describes as: a very hard and cold trekking. Or go with another group to annapurna. Problem is that he doesn't think they're well prepared. (I don't really feel very prepared, but apparantly more than they are.
We go and buy bustickets for the bus to Jiri. Someone advises us to get some extra seats to put our bags on (instead of putting them on the roof). We ask taxi driver to take us to bus station. He takes us way out of town. When we reach an army base, we've had enough and tell him to turn around (we don't want to get robbed on the last day before our trek). Finally we find the bus station and buy the tickets.
The group (and people we kept meeting along the way):
Cedric - Brisbane Australia : the doctor (doctor doolitlle)
Avril - Brisbane Austrialia: IT trainer (Ced's girlfriend)
Parker - Sydney Australia: Mainframe operator (or something). Also known as 'Crock'
Matthis - Germany/ Spain: Chef (real name Martin)
Ulrich - Germany: Physics PhD (mister Acclimatisation)
Axel - Germany: Firefighter (Also known as James (because of his watch with everything on it))
Heiko - Germany: Chemistry PhD and volutary firefighter (friend of Axel)
Departure Monday March 18th
We meet at 6 a.m. Taxi takes us to bus station. We find our bus in the middle of a big pile of busses honking and filling the air with fumes. Bus itself is not too bad (they call it an express bus, and yes it goes pretty fast around those corners). Seats are a bit wet, but comfy. After first half, a woman sits in the middle of the bus (close to me) and starts to throw up (luckily for me, she missed my feet and it doesn't smell too bad). We arrive in Jiri at 3.30 p.m. and are surrounded by lodge owners who want us to stay in their guest house. We decide on Sagarmatha (Nepali name for Mount everest) guest house.
Food is good (vegetables with noodles - vegetable chow mein). We met Axel on bus. He is joining us!
Tuesday March 19th
We leave Jiri (1900 m) at 8.15. Had big breakfast before (toast and eggs). In Jiri, the buses leaving for Kathmandu start honking their horns at 6.15 so we were awake pretty early. After about 30 minutes on the trail, we found out we went the wrong way (already). Luckily some girls pointed us in the right direction and we arrived in Shivalaya for lunch. Everybody is a bit dissapointed about their fitness. Especially Cedric and Avril who had been working out a lot back home in Brisbane.
After lunch: climb climb climb. Very difficult. May porters on the road carrying sometimes more than 60 kilo's per person. For some reason they make fun of me. Must be my red face. But I go faster ! Ha!
We arrive dead at the top of the pass (forgot the name right now). but the last bit went much better than expected.
Wednesday March 20th
Left at 8.30. Down all the way! Beautiful scenery. Too bad views are not too good (bit hazy) Lots of villages. One nice stupa (buddhist temple). Cedric has some knee problems (going down). Most of the group is trekking with poles (like ski-poles). I always thought they were for old ladies, but apparently jounger people use them too. After long descent it should be one more hour to lunch. Well, it felt like much more than that!!!Heavy and Hot. (we're only at 1600 m altitude right now). We met up with Axel again, but he needs to go faster to meet a friend (Heiko) in Lukla.. After lunch 1000m uphill! Our goal is the town of Sete, but we decide to stay in Chimbu (an hour before Sete).
Very small family owned lodge.
Now something about the toilets. Most asian toilets are squat toilets (like in French Autoroute stops). Chimbu had the best one of them all. A shed outside, with a hole in the floor. Besides that a big pile of fresh smelling leaves that you use to cover your droppings and to wipe your butt! Felt really clean. Best one of the whole trip by far.
Group is lightening up. Everybody is having good time.
Thursday March 21st
Avril is sick (diarrhoea). First cedric thinks it's altitude sickness (we don't think that, we're still so low) and later on decides it must be some stomach bug called giardia. They don't want to hold us back, but we're fine to stay and rest a bit. Some of us walk up to Sete (really nice without packs) and buy some vegetables there. Back in Chimbu Matthis instructs the family to make a nice vegetable curry! In the afternoon avril feels better and we go up to sete to spend the night.
Next Page
Top picture: this is what Cedric does whenever he is in a rememberable spot: brown-eye
Middle picture: views from Jiri to Lukla
Bottom picture: first view of everest (the little hump at the left end of the mountain range)
