Nepal 1998

Journal Entry - October 10, 1998 - Namchee (Rest Day)

Well I had to get up a lot last night but the last loose stool was this morning. My cold got a lot worse so we will stay in Namchee another day for rest. The cold has moved to the lungs now - what a joy. I got up, went to breakfast and then to the Saturday market. I have never seen or smelled such gross things.

The cool thing is Gary was able to by snickers at wholesale for 50 rupees where they would usually cost 60 here in the stores. I read a lot today and rested. Gary went up to the Dental Clinic to get some cold medicine and Giardia treatment. He donated 1000 rupees for the Dental Clinic. They use the donations for pharmaceuticals to help subsidize the Dental Clinic for the locals. We met a lot of nice people today. A couple of expatriates from the UK and NZ who now live in Irvine. Larry and "Maryanne". They have traveled extensively. Very interesting. Met a guy named Dave who is going to Base Camp but he only has one leg. What a great guy. Also met a lady named Debbie who is volunteering at the Clinic in Periche. She is from Seattle and volunteers there for the Seattle Mountain Rescue. It really turned out to be a good evening talking to all of the nice people.

I have been remiss about telling some of the interesting things I see. As I was hiking along one day I came across a very small boy trying to carry a 2-gallon container of water with a head strap. The water must have weighed almost as much as he did. I asked him if I could help but he refused. Gary said he say the same boy actually carrying it later. Some of the loads these porters carry are amazing. Saw one guy carrying 3x6 plywood sheets from a head strap. Dave said he saw one carrying a kitchen stove. Many do this barefoot or with just flip flops. The people are amazing. They have so little and yet seem quite happy - helps give us some perspective.

Journal Entry - October 11, 1998 - Namchee (Sick Day)

Did very little today. Was feeling better but my lungs are still full of stuff. I get out of breath very easily. Something about being at over 11,000 feet with a chest cold does me in. I can start to understand how the high altitude climbers feel when they are coughing their guts out.

We got up early enough to take some pictures of the stupa below Namchee as the first light hit it. Gary explained how depth of field changes with the F-stop. The higher the F-stop number, the greater the depth of field.

I ate very plain again today trying to keep the diarrhea to a minimum. We both came back to our rooms after breakfast and slept some more. I went to the post office to mail the postcards we bought. It was such a joke. The guy stamped them and then told me it takes 18.5 rupees not 15. So I bought two more stamps and put them on for him to cancel too. I don't have a lot of confidence that the letter will ever make it.

It was a very boring day. On days like these I really miss the companionship of Anne. She means to much to me. I am looking forward to being back with her. As I sit here sick and tired of staying in the same place. I get very homesick.

Gary is feeling really bad again so I am not sure that we will be able to proceed tomorrow either. That will probably mean we won't get to reach base camp. This will be disappointing but I think I can handle it (ha ha).

Journal Entry - October 12, 1998 - Namchee (with day hike to Kunde, Kumjng, Syamboche, Everest View)

I woke up feeling much better. The unfortunate thing is Gary was feeling worse. I decided to go for a day hike. I told my porter, Karma Sherpa, that I was going and asked if he would like to join me. He said he would. These two porters have had an easy go of it with all the rest days and such light paks. I see a lot of people that make the porters carry too much. I think that is cheap.

The day trip was nice although I left without my porter because he never showed. On the way up the ridge towards Syamboche Air Strip, I ran into Karma and Gary's porter whose name I have yet to master, try as I might.

I continued the day hike. Got a few wonderful pictures of Ama Dablam from just outside of Kumjungr. I continued from Kimping to Kunde where I had lunch at the Everest Bakery in Kunde and spoke to some nice people from Canada and from Switzerland. It was a very pleasant lunch with apple pie for dessert.

By the time I left Kunde the fog had come in. It was a rather unpleasant hike the rest of the way. I climbed up the hill to the Everest View Hotel. Looked around for a few minutes and continued on. A little ways down the trail, I stopped to put on my jacket. A sherpa leading a very small horse with a guy on it. He said he had flown into Syamboche yesterday and had walked down to Namchee but had arranged to ride horse back up.

I could not do that. I like to earn my hills. (Syamboche Air Strip is so high that the Everest Hotel offers pressurized rooms and oxygen outlets in every room.) I then took the steep path down on the East side of Namchee.

I enjoyed the outing. Lets hope I did not push too hard and get myself sick again. Tomorrow I might go back to Kunde. Sir Edmond Hillary will be flying in to visit the school he started there. I have already seen him at the airport in Katmandu. It was cool to see him in Nepal. I even tried to take some pictures of him. Maybe I succeeded.

Journal Entry - October 13, 1998 - Namchee (sick day)

Gary is still too sick to go up. I might have pushed it too hard yesterday because my cough came back with a vengeance. I hung out most of the day and rested and read. I finished my third book of the trip, "Chromosome 6". I really enjoyed it. I took the book into one of the shops and traded it for the "Fall of the Towers" by Samuel Delaney. It seems ok so far. Had dinner early, slept well and read a bunch more.