The date is October 7, 2008. Day first, then month, then year is how the Nepalese write the date. I learned this when filling out immigration forms for my two week Visa and when I exchanged my dollars into Rupees with cashier's checks. The exchange rate was 73 rupees per $1 US Dollar.
The purpose of my trip here in Kathmandu, Nepal is to trek with six other Tennesseans to Everest Base Camp (EBC). The team is Ed Smith, Mark and Ann Bortz, Wayne Cole, Doug Perry, and David Kiern, our videographer. All but Doug and I are from Williamson County. Interestedly, David Kiern is shooting a film documentary on our trip.
Upon arrival in Kathmandu, our dinner meal was at a restaurant called Fire and Ice, a cool pizza place. Walking 5-6 blocks to get there wasn't without excitement and risk. People, motorcycles, small cars zipped in & out around you at the crossroads. Perhaps the best way to describe traffic here is organized chaos. We rarely use our horns in the U.S., but here they wear them out as they weave in and through traffic and around the many people (approximately $2 million in Kathmandu alone).
We're supposed to catch our 19 person small plane flight in the morning at 7:30am to Lukla where we'll begun our ascent to EBC. Flights are notorious for delays because of the fog/clouds at Lukla airport at about 9,000 ft elevation. Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person along with local guide, Tenseng Norgay, summits Everest, and later built the air strip near Lukla to make trekking here more convenient to the Everest region. Trekking here has grown annually since.
Lukla is 9,180 ft in altitude. We'll immediately hike to Namche Bazaar to an elevation of 11,285 ft. and spend the night and a rest day to get used to the higher altitude. Along the way to EBC we'll reach a top altitude of just over 18,000 ft. Altitude sickness is the risk going that high and especially if ascending too fast. If you get really sick, it's important to descend, even at night.
I hope after traveling all this way to make EBC a conquest, instead of it conquering me. Nevertheless, trekkers here have indicated how good the route is, the views, and specifically the people along the way (simple and honest).
I'm sure I won't be disappointed.
Warm Regards,
Mike
The purpose of my trip here in Kathmandu, Nepal is to trek with six other Tennesseans to Everest Base Camp (EBC). The team is Ed Smith, Mark and Ann Bortz, Wayne Cole, Doug Perry, and David Kiern, our videographer. All but Doug and I are from Williamson County. Interestedly, David Kiern is shooting a film documentary on our trip.
Upon arrival in Kathmandu, our dinner meal was at a restaurant called Fire and Ice, a cool pizza place. Walking 5-6 blocks to get there wasn't without excitement and risk. People, motorcycles, small cars zipped in & out around you at the crossroads. Perhaps the best way to describe traffic here is organized chaos. We rarely use our horns in the U.S., but here they wear them out as they weave in and through traffic and around the many people (approximately $2 million in Kathmandu alone).
We're supposed to catch our 19 person small plane flight in the morning at 7:30am to Lukla where we'll begun our ascent to EBC. Flights are notorious for delays because of the fog/clouds at Lukla airport at about 9,000 ft elevation. Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person along with local guide, Tenseng Norgay, summits Everest, and later built the air strip near Lukla to make trekking here more convenient to the Everest region. Trekking here has grown annually since.
Lukla is 9,180 ft in altitude. We'll immediately hike to Namche Bazaar to an elevation of 11,285 ft. and spend the night and a rest day to get used to the higher altitude. Along the way to EBC we'll reach a top altitude of just over 18,000 ft. Altitude sickness is the risk going that high and especially if ascending too fast. If you get really sick, it's important to descend, even at night.
I hope after traveling all this way to make EBC a conquest, instead of it conquering me. Nevertheless, trekkers here have indicated how good the route is, the views, and specifically the people along the way (simple and honest).
I'm sure I won't be disappointed.
Warm Regards,
Mike
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