Donnerstag, 15. November 2007
Apple pie under Himalayan skies
ariella, 16:31h
Wow, I am back to the mountains.
It already feels like home to be back here and apart from that the situation is much much better than a year ago. This is due to many different factors. One is that the Maoists are by far milder in their appearance than last year. Where they used to have an armed post next to a bridge to blackmail tourists for entering the trekking area, there is nothing left but a brown spot in the ground. They have moved to a nearby village and dont do blackmailing anymore but solely ask the tourist for donations. The amount of the donations are up to the individual, and they are voluntary. We did not contribute.
The next very positive fact is that I am in a much better shape than a year ago when I travelled here with a weakened body due to fighting the lymes desease for about 3 months just before the trip. This time thanks to a continued yoga practice during the summer, my physical condition is just fine and (surprise!) I can even handle high altitude much better than before. Right now we have reached 3400 m and whereas I was breathing heavily last year when climbing up the stairs to our lodge, I can now just breath as light as a feather with no restrictions at all. This makes all the difference.
The third wonderful fact about this trip so far is the best weather one can imagine. Blue sky, no clouds, sunshine all day long.... wonderful! This should not distract from the fact that the hardest thing about travelling in this area is probably the cold during nights and early mornings. This morning there was no tab water, it was all frozen... and this was just the lowest over night stay on this trek. So there is more cold to come. Trekkers on their descent yesterday said that they had minus 11 centigrades in their tents at Everest Base Camp... huuhhhh...
So all in all everything is just going fine. I am so proud of my dad who walks relatively slowly compared to earlier years, but he still makes his way, no matter how steep it goes up. This is quite impressive seeing his 72 years and no training or preparation at all. When I sleep at night the minimum I wear in my sleeping bag is some thermo underwear. He uses regular underwear and he even walks outside like that to the bathroom in the middle of the night. This is astounding to me... The only two things that can possibly warm you up here is sunlight or body movement, except for a fireplace that is usually lit up in the teahouses in the mainroom once it gets dark outside. All the rest is simply cold...
When arriving in the largest mountain village of the Solu Kumbu today, we went straight to our favourite cafe and had applepie while enjoying the last warming rays of the sun before sunset.
I wish I could share all that with my friends. The meditations are great here. They would be even greater with more than just myself... maybe one day this will come true?
It already feels like home to be back here and apart from that the situation is much much better than a year ago. This is due to many different factors. One is that the Maoists are by far milder in their appearance than last year. Where they used to have an armed post next to a bridge to blackmail tourists for entering the trekking area, there is nothing left but a brown spot in the ground. They have moved to a nearby village and dont do blackmailing anymore but solely ask the tourist for donations. The amount of the donations are up to the individual, and they are voluntary. We did not contribute.
The next very positive fact is that I am in a much better shape than a year ago when I travelled here with a weakened body due to fighting the lymes desease for about 3 months just before the trip. This time thanks to a continued yoga practice during the summer, my physical condition is just fine and (surprise!) I can even handle high altitude much better than before. Right now we have reached 3400 m and whereas I was breathing heavily last year when climbing up the stairs to our lodge, I can now just breath as light as a feather with no restrictions at all. This makes all the difference.
The third wonderful fact about this trip so far is the best weather one can imagine. Blue sky, no clouds, sunshine all day long.... wonderful! This should not distract from the fact that the hardest thing about travelling in this area is probably the cold during nights and early mornings. This morning there was no tab water, it was all frozen... and this was just the lowest over night stay on this trek. So there is more cold to come. Trekkers on their descent yesterday said that they had minus 11 centigrades in their tents at Everest Base Camp... huuhhhh...
So all in all everything is just going fine. I am so proud of my dad who walks relatively slowly compared to earlier years, but he still makes his way, no matter how steep it goes up. This is quite impressive seeing his 72 years and no training or preparation at all. When I sleep at night the minimum I wear in my sleeping bag is some thermo underwear. He uses regular underwear and he even walks outside like that to the bathroom in the middle of the night. This is astounding to me... The only two things that can possibly warm you up here is sunlight or body movement, except for a fireplace that is usually lit up in the teahouses in the mainroom once it gets dark outside. All the rest is simply cold...
When arriving in the largest mountain village of the Solu Kumbu today, we went straight to our favourite cafe and had applepie while enjoying the last warming rays of the sun before sunset.
I wish I could share all that with my friends. The meditations are great here. They would be even greater with more than just myself... maybe one day this will come true?
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