Arriving in INDIA

DEHLI

Wednesday 6 March

We are lying on our bed in the Hotel Delhi Aerocity after an exhausting two flights from Jo'burg. We left last night after dinner and Alex drove us to the airport, the Oliver Tambo Jo'burg one and not all the way to Lanseria, Moira got it right this time. I keep waiting for something to go wrong but it has continued to go smoothly. No problems with our luggage plenty of weight to spare and they took more than one bag into the hold despite Alex frightening us by saying all airlines are restricting passengers to one piece of luggage. The first part of our journey was to Dubai where we had an hour and a half to transfer to the Delhi flight. We were both very tired not having slept very well but the walk through the Dubai air terminal revived us. It was only two and a half hour flight then to Delhi. The Delhi airport is new, built for the Commonwealth Games about three years ago. It was a pleasant surprise from the chaos we experience when we were here five years ago at the old one. This time it was quiet, airy and modern. Everything work smoothly from a quick passage through immigration control to only a few minutes wait to collect our baggage from the carousel. Outside a driver was waiting to whisk us to the hotel which was just outside the air terminal. The hotel was all right and we had a large comfortable en suite room.

As soon as our bags were dropped In the room we lay down on the bed for a rest. It had been a very tiring journey with very little sleep. Later Moira went down to reception and arranged for a car to take us to the airport in the morning for our flight to Katmandu. While she was doing that the manager obligingly booked trains for when we come back. The trip we are taking will be to the old Raj mountain settlement at Shimla instead of spending our last week in Delhi.

For dinner we booked a pizza from room service and had an earlier night.

From INDIA to NEPAL

 DELHI to KATHMANDU

Thursday 7 March

We had a good night's sleep and wakened thoroughly refreshed for the next stage of our trip, on to Nepal and Kathmandu. The start of our journey was hair-raising as the drive from the hotel had our driver heading along a one way street against the three lanes of oncoming traffic and round roundabouts the wrong way. Eventually he joined the traffic flow in the correct direction and we reached the airport in one piece. The airport is certainly a surprise, the open expanses of the check in hall were practically deserted and it was only a few minutes to check in and get through passport control. The security check was a slow while they carried out a very thorough search of everyone.

The flight with IndiGo airline was right on time and it was very busy with lots of obvious Trekkers on board. It took only an hour and a half to Kathmandu compared with the two days it took us last time by bus and train. It was difficult to distinguish from clouds what we thought to be snowy topped peaks, I photographed them from the plane anyway. When we arrived at Kathmandu there was a long wait and  and form filling to get and pay for visas ( $100 each ) and our baggage was all waiting for us when we eventually got through immigration.

From the airport we got a taxi into the sprawling city of Karhmandu and he took us to a small hotel. It wasn't anything special and the beds were very hard, I hope it is good for my back. A tour operator accompanied us in the taxi and wanted our business for arranging our trek, getting a porter and permits. We told him we were tired at the moment and he is going to come tomorrow and try again. We will probably use him, we have to have some assistance and one is as good another.

After dumping our bags we headed out for a walk in the centre of Kathmandu. Certain places we recollected but couldn't find the nice restaurant we used regularly. We found another quite good one and had a chicken and mutton curry. We shared them with rice and nan bread. We couldn't tell the difference between the two, and neither resembled chicken or mutton, maybe it they were horse which is all the rage in the UK at the moment. Otherwise the thick hot spicy gravy was delicious. On the way back to the hotel we stopped off at a trekking shop and I got a larger daypack and a pair of hiking gloves, we both purchased trekking poles. As we were about to leave the shop there was a clap of thunder and the rain poured down. We waited until it eased but eventually had to quickly run back to the hotel.

The lights were off in the hotel, no power. They said it was a scheduled cut and not due on again for three hours. Moira said it was like this the last time we were here but I don't remember. We lay on our beds and read, fortunately the lights came on before it got too dark. It was a other early night for us, the traveling and the clock changes are taking their toll and it will,take us a few days to acclimatise.

NEPAL and KATHMANDU

KATHMANDU

Friday 8 March. 

The mattress and pillows were like rocks, it would have been just as comfortable sleeping on the floor. Surprisingly we did manage some sleep though when we got up it was to stiff necks and sore backs. The showers refreshed us as the water was cold. We decided we would look for another place to go for tonight.

Our hotel in Kathmandu.

We went out for breakfast and dined at a place we remembered from our last stay here. I had the continental while Moira enjoyed a big plate of omelette and bacon. We had a stroll around next and found the hotel we stayed at on our last trip and enquires about a room. It was a bit more expensive at $25 but it was a much nicer looking hotel. We decided to move there. We also called in at a trekking agency and they quoted for our hike to the Everest region. When we got back to our hotel the other agent was waiting. We complained about the rock hard beds and he told the people to move us to another room, put an extra mattress on the bed and get soft pillows. We changed our mind and would stay if things improved. We then walked to his office and he quoted for our trek. He seemed a bit more knowledgable about the requirements bit was the same price as our other quote. We paid him and we leave tomorrow.

When we arrived back at the hotel nothing had been done about changing our room or improving the mattress or pillows in the other room.I told them we were leaving and got a taxi the Tenki Hotel that we had checked out earlier. We actually got the room a couple of dollars cheaper. The room was much bigger and the bed much more comfortable. We had lunch in the dining room, a home made garlic soup and garlic bread. The garlic bread was actually a garlic sandwich, our breaths will be smelling for a week. After lunch we walked through the city centre streets looking for the best rate to exchange our traveller's cheques before setting off tomorrow. All the money changers had the same rate, 85.3 rupees to the $, that was down nearly 1 rupee from yesterday.  

We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in our room at the hotel, reading and watching old BBC comedies on YouTube. The WiFi is good at the hotel. At 6:30 pm we went to the agents for our trek and met the guide who will accompany us and made arrangements for leaving in the morning. The guide, Brin, will pick us up at 7 am.After that we had a lovely meal at a restaurant we frequented regularly during our last stay in Kathmandu. The meal, a lovely curry, was as good as we remembered. After that it was back to the hotel for an early night and get ready for the start of the road to Everest

Kathmandu, Themal

EVEREST TREK : Kathmandu to Shavalaya

Kathmandu to Shavalaya

Saturday 9 March

 

Bus station at Kathmandu

Today's bus ride to the start of the trek was an adventure in itself. The first part from Kathmandu to Jiri was normal for Nepal and we had experienced it before. The roads after an initial stretch of dual carriageway deteriorated into a narrow winding route up and down over mountains. The driver had two helpers who would lean out the side of the bus and indicated that he still had sufficient clearance, when overtaking and meeting a truck coming in the opposite direction on a particularly narrow piece of road, by thumping with their fists on the side of the bus. I don't know what signal was given if they were going to collide. The scenery along this stretch was rural with terraces running from the valley up the steep sides of the hills. They were still hills by Nepal standard we have still to glimpse the really big ones. Every time the bus stopped in villages or at bus stops the market traders invaded with anything from water to watches to cauliflowers. Their were also accompanied by beggars some of them young woman with babies in their arms, the bus driver tended to chase them. Most of the seats were taken when we set out and it was like that for a few hours but gradually passengers got on and the aisle was full of people and their baggage. I think there a few on the roof as well.

The road to Shavalaya

 The fun began after Jiri on the mountain track to Shivalaya. We could have walked quicker than the bus took. It was only 8km by the walking track but the bus went round all the villages picking up people and dropping others off. The trip took 3 hours. An Italian couple, that we got talking to, had done it before and then the bus went the more direct route in 40 minutes. After 8 hours to Jiri the extra 3 hours would have bad enough but it was made worse by the road conditions. This would have been a reasonable walking track but with its ruts and rocky climbs, not to mention the roller coaster downhills, it was very uncomfortable being bounced about and the white knuckle rides along a cliff edges. When we return we intend to walk to Jiri rather than go through that experience again.

The day started very well after a bit of a sleepless night. The bed was comfortable but Moira couldn't get to sleep earlier because of the noise outside while I was wakened in the middle of the night by people slamming doors and a generator running for half an hour. It the morning the water in the shower was at least piping hot. We left our spare bags with the hotel and our guide, Brin, arrived at 7 am on schedule with a taxi. We were early for the bus and had 45 minutes wait before it left. There were plenty of loo stops, some just at the side of the road, ladies one side of the bus and men the other. At mid-day the bus stopped at an eating place for lunch. We didn't fancy anything that they had cooked and settled for a cup of tea and a hard boiled egg. A Canadian couple had sampled the curried potato and let us try a piece. It was very nice so we had a plate as well.

Our bedroom

The tea house that the guide took us to in Shivalaya was fairly basic but the bed seemed soft as did the pillow. We both had egg fried rice for dinner and a large pot of tea which turned out to be an enormous thermos flask. The service was surprisingly quick. We read for a while before getting to sleep and we both have a peaceful night for a change.

EVEREST TREK : DAY 1

The Trek Begins: Day1 Shivalaya to Bhandar

Sunday 10 March

Breakfast before starting for Everest

It rained during the night but when we got up at 6am it was dry and the road outside looked like there hadn't been raining. We read for an hour then had breakfast, cornflakes and apples, the coffee was very sweet and milky. It was after 8 am when we made a start and the track out of the valley was very steep for the first hour. The bright red rhododendron bushes that skirted the edges of the path managed to distract us from the tough ordeal. Once the initial steep section was over the path got wider and though still going up it wasn't so tough.

Climbing out of Shavalaya

 The views back down into the valley with the houses of Shivalaya nestling beside the river, that wound down the valley, were beautiful and getting steadily smaller the higher we climbed. There were still lots of habitation dotted along the path and some small hamlets with tea houses and lodges. The houses had small plots of land and our guide point out some garlic growing in one of them. The livestock on these tiny smallholdings were mainly goats, a few cows and lots of tiny chickens chasing after the mother hen. Halfway up we came across a group that had left Shivalaya a while before us, they were French and having a break. They had been over in Pokara to do the Annapurna treks but there was too much snow and had transferred to the Everest region instead. We walked with them towards the top but they stopped earlier at a lodge to have lunch while we carried on.

Mani walls at Deorali

Moira was struggling on this first day not having done any steep hills for some time. I was managing all right and I carried her daypack for the last hour to Deorali, 2705 metres, where we stopped for lunch. It was a group of lodges clustered on a ridge that separates the valleys of the Khimti Khola (khola = river in Nepalese) and the Likhu Khola. In the centre of the street between the lodges was a series of mani walls, stone tablets with Bhudaist prayers inscribed with mantras, similar to the prayer wheels we saw in the centre of towns and villages in the Anapurna region. We had a nice lunch at one of the lodges, vegetable noodle soup with Tibetan bread to dip in, and our usual flask of tea. We were joined by the Italian couple we met yesterday and had a chat about walking in different countries. Before continuing our walk we visited the loo which was found in a building where they made yak cheese, the equipment was still there but production had ended. As we were leaving we saw the Canadian couple from the bus having lunch at another lodge.

What are these goats looking at?

The name of the village, Deorali, means pass and it was situated on a col. We had come up one side and now began the descent down the other. It was steep to begin with and our hiking poles assisted us, I only fell once. Soon the path began to level out and we were much quicker, reaching Bhandar in just over an hour from leaving Deorali. On entering Bhandar there was a large gompa or Buddhist temple with two chortens or shrines, shaped like an elaborate cairn. Our accommodation for the night was slightly further on and as soon as we got in had a lovely hot shower followed by a flask of tea. The weather was turning cold and it was bitter sitting in the dining room, we soon headed for our room and lay on the bed in our sleeping bags reading until dinner time. The French group we saw earlier passed, they were continuing on to the next village of Kinja. This was probably a better idea rather than sitting around with nothing to do in the cold. But Moira was sore and tired so the rest was better course of action and she would be strong for tomorrow.

Buddhist temple at Bhandar

For dinner we had another bowl of hot noodle soup and some Tibetan bread then shared a vegetable curry and rice. It wasn't very spicy hot but was filling. It was still cold down stairs so it was back up to the bedroom and into our sleeping bags, by 8 pm we were sleeping. During the night there was another violent thunder storm and the rain was heavy but in the morning everything was dry again and a bright blue sky.

Our lodge at Bhandar

EVEREST TREK : DAY 2

Day 2. Bhandar to Sete

Monday 11 March

Yesterday the state of the trail with litter was dreadful. Tins, packets, paper, even old shoes lay strewn about. We didn't remember the Annapurna tracks being spoiled like this. In contrast this morning the children from all the houses of the village were out with brooms brushing in front of their houses and the village square. It was spotless when they had finished.

Keeping the village clean

For breakfast today it was a hard boiled egg, pancakes with honey and a flask of milky coffee. It was a nice day after the cold and the storm of last night and it wasn't long on the trail before our fleeces were off as the sun came shining down. It was an easy walk of 3 hours to Kenja mostly gentle downhill or along the contours of the hill. As we dropped down to we could see the river far below us with Kinja at the top of the valley. The hills on the other side were criss-crossed with paths leading to houses perched high up on the steep slopes. All along the way the route was scattered with little farms with their plots growing vegetables and a few animals. At one of these small holdings a woman was spreading out corn on a blanket to dry before manually grinding it for flour. 

The drop to the river and Kinja

When we were down to the level of the river a few house appeared but Brin said it was still 10 minutes walking to the city centre. This involved crossing and re-crossing the river by narrow suspension bridges before coming to a police control point for our permits to be checked before entering Kinja proper. There we found a restaurant for a break and a welcomed cup of coffee.

For those not familiar with the term, a Munro, this is a mountain in Scotland over 3000 feet or 905 metres. So this afternoon to Sete we had a Munro to climb and another one tomorrow morning first thing to take us to Lamjura La at 3530 metres the highest point before reaching Namche Bazaar and the climb towards Everest. The start of the climb was steep and we took it slowly now being more affected by the altitude and the thinning air. As we climbed we could see Kinja below getting smaller and smaller and the path running downing the hillside from Bhandar where we had begun earlier. On the trail we met a group of Sherpas with enormous loads on their backs and only flip flops on their feet. The group from France we met yesterday caught up with us, they had lunched in Kinja, they hadn't walked that far last night. We stopped at a restaurant halfway up the hill to Sete and had a bowl of noodle soup and a coffee. This revived us for the final assault on today's ascent.

Gateway to Kinja

 It eased off a little when we started off again and the Canadian duo were just appearing. They pushed on as did the Italian pair who passed us later. We could see further up and the snow on top of the ridge running to Lamjura La, but that was for tomorrow as Sete was now in sight. It was a boost to us seeing our destination for the night and it put a spring in our steps. We were soon at the lodge and settling down in our room.

There wasn't any hot water in the shower so the owner gave us a huge bucket of hot water which we poured over ourselves with a ladle. We got into our sleeping bags to keep warm until dinner, it became very cold again when the sun went down. I got cramp in my calf muscle and was screaming until it eased, I don't know what a Danish couple who were next door thought about the noise.

We just had soup for dinner tonight, mushroom from a packet, it was all right and had some Tibetan bread and jam for a sweet. It was cold in the dining room so we went to bed and read for an hour before getting to sleep.

EVEREST TREK : DAY 3

Day 3. Sete to Junbesi

Tuesday 12 March

The Danish couple that arrived at the lodge last night hadn't taken the bus on the section from Jiri to Shavalaya but walked it, faster than the bus. They continued to Deorali for the night then to Sete yesterday, all in two days. 

It was cold last night and I had to wear my track suit bottoms in bed. I had managed to get an extra mattress for my bed and it was nice and comfortable, giving me a good night's sleep. The weather was looking very nice when we went down for breakfast, blue skies over the snowy tops. We wore our boots today, Brin said there would be a lot of snow to go through.

Early morning view of the mountains

The route was very tough today and the higher we got the thinner the air and the harder it got. To distract us from the strain and the heavy breathing the views were magnificent with snowy ridges and peaks all around. This wasn't the high Himalayas, so there is better still to come. A lot of the route climbed through pine woodland and bright red rhododendron bushes, through the trees there were always enticing glimpses of the snowy tops. The Canadian couple passed us early on and we didn't see them again until our lunch break just before the pass. The Danish pair, Katrine and Peter, overtook us next but we kept meeting them again at tea houses where they seemed to be always having a break then catching us again. 

Our guide Brin

At an extremely steep section I could see a lodge through the trees. I pushed on and it was a struggle, I thought it was the top. The Danes were there having tea and the guy said there was still 200 metres to go. Unfortunately it wasn't in distance but in height. Brin confirmed this and said it was another 45 minutes to the top. I had to give Moira the bad news when she got there, we had left her behind as she wanted to take it slow and easy. The place was Goyam and it was another very steep section to the Himalayan Lodge where we met the French group who were having lunch. They had spent last night a half hour's walk after Sete.

The snow is getting close

From the lodge it was much easier as the track followed the contour of the hill. It was through snow and mud and we were glad we had taken Brin's advice and put our boots on. Big peaks were now visible behind the ridge and pass, they were sparkling white in the reflected sunlight, our first view of the really high ones. We stopped at a restaurant just before Lamjura La, Numbur View Lodge.where we had chicken broth for a change.

It was still half an hour to the actual pass and when we got there an Australian couple were busy having lunch, Dhal Bhat, the Nepali staple of vegetable curry, rice and lentil soup to pour over the rice. They were from Perth but had come out from the UK, Blackburn, 25 years ago. They had definitely lost their Lancashire accent and sounded very Aussie. Now over the top the scenery change the beautiful views of the snowy peaks disappeared and it was just tree cover slopes with a dark ridge running round like an amphitheatre. The descent was very steep at first with the track winding its way though trees. It soon eased and it a dropped gently to a wide valley with plenty of lodges and tea houses along the route, but none very attractive. Although  now gentle in descent it was very rocky and tiring on our legs. The air was presumably getting thicker but it wasn't immediately noticeable.

The high peaks are becoming nearer

Coming up to the pass it was Moira that struggled but now she was strong and I was feeling the pressure. We think we weren't eating enough and made a plan to have a good feed tonight. Brin kept encouraging me by saying it wasn't far to go, just round behind the next hill. When we got round the hill Junbesi could now be seen but it was still a long way down to where it nestled on the valley floor. There was nothing to do but keep going and Moira seemed to be taking part in a race, I struggled to keep with her.

At last Brin led us to our accommodation for the night. It was a bit better than the previous ones and there was heating in the dining room. The Danes, Peter and Katrine, the Italians, Rita and Franco, and the Canadians were there and the English/Aussies arrived later. A few other people were staying that we hadn't seen before and we assumed that they had stayed over for a day in Junbesi. We had a shower, Moira's hot, mine warm then made our way to the dining room which was as promised wonderfully hot. We had a good dinner comprising, fried noodles with cheese and tomato, a cheese omelette, and for sweet, apple pie. We both felt much better after a good filling meal.

Our lodge at Junbesi

EVEREST TREK : DAY 4

Day 4. Junbesi to Nunthala

Wednesday 13 March

I didn't sleep very well last night and I was cold, we had worn long-Johns to keep our legs warm but I had to put on my fleece later, it was very cold. I was looking forward to breakfast as I expected the fire to be on again but no such luck. I had a hot bowl of porridge which got some life into me, Moira had her usual boiled eggs.

Scattered Nepali farms

It was a lovely day when we left and we expected to get our first view of Everest when we reached Everest View Lodge but when we got there cloud had gathered over it and the other high peaks. The route climbed fairly steeply initially but other than a few short sharp hills it then tended to follow the contour. The farms here were a bit bigger with a few of the terraces below the houses under cultivation. We passed two houses that appeared to be abandoned but Brin said the owners lived in Kathmandu, came in spring to plant the crops and returned for the harvest, a long way to come for a second home. At the tea house with the view point we had some yak cheese it was delicious.

Solar cooking

The walk after our tea break was easy following the contours and we made very good time. Where the route began to drop the Canadians caught up and passed us, their names are David and Julie, he works for the forestry in Canada. Before heading down Brin pointed out where we were heading on the hillside on the other side of the valley. Another village down by the river, Ringmu, was where we intended to have lunch, and our destination just a little further up the hill.

It was an easy descent and we kept up a good pace on smooth paths to a metal suspension bridge. From there it was a very steep climb to Ringmu, we had misunderstood Brin and our guide book said that Nunthala was over the pass, Tuksindu La, and on the other side of the hill. We needed our noodle soup for strength for the coming ascent. It was a lot longer and harder than we thought. The guide book said one hour but we took 30 minutes more. There was a large chorten at the pass and Brin was waiting as we struggled up the last slope. A German woman and her porter were at the top as well. She was at the lodge in Junbesi last night and had lunch at the same restaurant as us earlier. She left before us but we passed her again a short distance down the other side. As we were leaving David and Julie were reaching the pass.

A well earned rest

The long downhill to Nunthala was hard going, more or less stairs made from big slabs of rock but the height of each step wasn't regular. There was a lot of mud where the trail had been used by mule trains transporting goods over the pass. A couple of them passed us when we were climbing to the pass. Nunthala was supposed to be visible soon after descending but the mist that was now covering the top prevented this. Brin did point out a blue roof in the haze and said that Nunthala was a it further down after that. When we reached the blue roofed house we could see Nunthala half an hour away. It was still hard going and the tea house was a welcome relief when we saw Brin waiting to usher us in. After dumping our bags in the room a cup of tea and a hot shower were the order of the day.

A wellcome to the lodge at Nunthala

The dinner tonight was, for me anyway, the best yet. We started with the local wine, it tasted like vodka but thankfully not as strong, it was called Chang and fermented from millet. I then had Muno, a sort of doughy dumpling and a vegetable curry. They gave me some curry powder to sprinkle over the vegetables and it made it a very hot, and delicious meal. Moira had an omelette and we finished off by sharing an apple pie.

There were three single beds in our room so I put the extra mattress on my bed and was much more comfortable than last night. It wasn't so cold but we were both well wrapped up anyway keeping nice and warm.

EVEREST TREK : DAY 5

Day 5. Nunthala to Bupsa.

Thursday 14 March.

We both slept well last night, it was another glorious day as we went down for breakfast. The village surrounded by a circle of magnificent peaks. I had porridge again and half Moira's pancake. She said it was too doughy and should teach them how to make a proper Scots one.

Suspension bridge over Dudh Kosi (Milk River)

The trail this morning continued its rocky route all the way down to the suspension bridge over Dudh Kosi ( Milk River). I was stiff at first and my knees were sore with all the jarring from the high steps from rock to rock. The route was a lot drier this morning even though used by mule trains. A lot of the mules were stabled where we stayed last night at Nunthala.

Once over the suspension bridge we were going to stop at a small tea house for tea but they had no milk. We continued to climb up the other bank of the river to Jubing where Brin found a nice place that had milk for my tea. Earlier the Canadians overtook us but we didn't see them at the stop but the German woman that we had passed on the trail soon joined us.

Porter with his normal heavy l;oad

From Jubling the guide book said, one hour to Chokha then a further hour to Kharikhola where we planned to have lunch. It was a steady, steep in places, climb all the way. Moira got to Chokha with only one stop, she is improving, and we passed the German woman who had started before us. After Chokha it was steep and hard going with a lot more stops. Brin pointed out the Gompa on the ridge above us that marked the entrance to Kharikhola. There was a couple of Sherpas with enormous loads that we passed each time they stopped for a rest but soon caught us up, being much fitter and nimbler on their feet. Brin said they were business men not porters. They bought noodles, wine, toilet rolls, chocolate bars, and other luxuries cheap then hauled them to the higher villages to sell at a profit.

David and Julie having lunch

Even though it was hard we did this section from Chokha in an hour as well. We are now doing the times suggested in the guide book. The route passed by the Gompa and we were in the village, David and Julie were already there at the first eating place and had just finished lunch. We stopped there as well and had a flask of tea, noodle soup and what was left of the yak cheese Moira bought yesterday.

The guide book said there was a heart pounding climb from Kharikhola to Bupsa but when we started off it was a gentle downward slope. Brin pointed out Bupsa high on a plateau half way up a mountain on the opposite bank of the Dudh Kosi river. Kharikhola proper with some nice modern lodges was nearer the river and higher up the valley. A suspension bridge took us to the other side. Now the really testing hill began, it was steep and unrelenting all the way up. We took it easy and had lots of rests waiting for countless mule trains to pass. About half way up Bupsa became visible on the crest of the plateau and this gave us encouragement to push harder. We had another long rest when we stopped to talk to a chap from Switzerland who was on his way back from Everest.

Kharikhola

Soon we were in Bupsa with Brin waiting to lead us to our accommodation. We had a nice room with thick mattresses and soft pillows next to the loo. After a hot shower and dinner ordered for 7pm we relaxed with a hot cup of tea. Tonight we tried the Dahl Baht. We shared the rice and the Dahl or lentil soup that you pour over the rice but ordered an extra vegetable curry. By sprinkling chilli power over the curry it made it nice and hot and spicy. It turned out a very delicious dish. With some apple pie and coffee that tasted like coffee we had a good feed.

It didn't seem so cold tonight but we both wore our long-Johns again. I also kept my fleece on while Moira donned a vest. There was a socket in the room and I was able to charge up the iPad over night.

EVEREST TREK : DAY 6

Day 6. Bupsa to Surke.

Friday 15 March

Another beautiful day and a good night on the best mattress since arriving in Nepal. After the usual breakfast it was on to the trail and more climbing. The German woman who decided to carry on from Kharikhola stayed at the same lodge and left before us. Her name is Margaret and we didn't catch up with her again until our tea break 2.5 hours up the trail at Khari La pass. We didn't see David and Julie and aren't sure if they actually stayed at Bupsa.

Snowy peaks on the horizon

The profile to Khari La was up but not relentless. There were short steep climbs interspersed with easy flat sections that allowed us to recover. We took it easy appreciating the different colours of the rhododendrons, deep red, pink and sparkling white and the various birds nesting in the bushes. Really high peaks glistening with snow were now appearing on the horizon.

At a lodge halfway up the hill there was a woman with six month old twins. Brin said one was suffering with diarrhoea. Moira gave the woman Imodium pills to take, hopefully this will help the baby through her milk. She had to fly from Lukla to Kathmandu to the hospital there for a Caesarian delivery. The two babies were chubby and looked very healthy. 

The tea house with the view to die for

 Our tea break was at Khari La pass, in a tea house on the edge of a hill with the most magnificent panorama of mountains before us and right at the foot of the valley were the waters of Dodh Kosi. We watched the regular planes coming in and leaving from Lukla through the valley. I said to Moira if there had been a motorway and a Tesco close by this property would be worth millions.

Having my tea break there

After leaving Khari La there was another climb before the trail turned into a side valley of the Paiya Khola. Brin indicated the village of Paiya on the other side but we had a long walk to the head of the valley before dropping to this village. The trail kept mainly to the contour but undulated with some short steep ups and downs. The drawback was the underfoot conditions, thick mud. Fortunately the mud was fairly firm with plenty of rocks to jump on, it wasn't squelchy marsh that we encounter in Scotland. The mud was mainly caused by mule trains and the dense covering of trees preventing the sun drying out the ground. The forest scenery was wonderful with rhododendron growing all down the hillsides and different native birds. One unfortunate thing on this section was that we picked up a character who offered his services as porter and wanted to carry my daypack. He wouldn't stop talking and eventually we had to stop and wave him through, he took the hint and went. Brin said that he drank too much.

For lunch in Paiya

At Paiya we joined Margaret who was seated at a lovely tea house, where she was waiting for her lunch. We had potato soup for a change but wished we had ordered the veggie noodle Margaret was having, it was huge with plenty of vegetables, a meal on its own. Margaret is now nearing the end of her trek, she is only going to Lukla and flies from there to Kathmandu on Sunday. 

Margaret and her porter/guide left before us but we caught and passed them within 5 minutes. The track more or less followed the contours down this side of the valley until just before joining the Dudh Kosi again  there was a very steep ascent to the Chutok La pass. From this high point we could see Lukla sitting on a shelf at the top of the valley but our destination, Surke, was down on the Surka Khola a tributary to the Duhd Kosi. It was a long way down with lots of irregular stepping stones that jarred the knees. It is good to see where you are going but can be frustrating when you never seem to get there. High above the village we could see a few lodges and when Brin said only two minutes to go we assumed we would stop at one of these. When we got there he changed his mind saying that they weren't very good places to stay, so it was another 20 minutes of exhausting downhill to the river and the village proper. Fortunately it was the first lodge in Surke that we stopped at and the room was OK, they gave me an extra mattress for my bed. 

A cave on today's route.

After relaxing for half an hour to recover from the taxing descent we showered. Once we changed into warmer clothes it was down to the dining room for a pot of tea and place our order for dinner at 7 pm. It was fried noodles and vegetables with an omelette on top. Margaret who had arrived while we were washing joined us and had the fried noodles as well. She didn't have them all, it was too much for her and I got half, so I was well fed tonight with an apple pie to follow. While we were waiting for dinner I played cards with Brin and Margaret's porter. They taught me a Nepali game, very similar to rummy.

We went to bed after dinner, it is difficult to get comfortable on the benches in the dining room. We lay on our beds in sleeping bags and read for an hour or so. It was a bit milder tonight and we had gone to sleep all wrapped up as usual but had to strip a layer off durning the night.