tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210430392024-03-21T10:53:47.313+08:00The Kick GalvanicAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746930418479342693noreply@blogger.comBlogger215125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21043039.post-87782457583000868022014-11-16T23:44:00.001+08:002014-11-16T23:44:05.136+08:00Annapurna Base Camp Trek - Day 7: Sunrise at Base Camp<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">To read all posts on my Annapurna Base Camp trek, click <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/search/label/Annapurna%20Base%20Camp">here</a> for the complete series.</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14104595587" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="before dawn at Annapurna Base Camp by Gina Sales, on Flickr"><img alt="before dawn at Annapurna Base Camp" height="327" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3693/14104595587_d79d936141_z.jpg" width="580" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is how I'll forever remember Annapurna Base Camp. Taken at sunrise on April 23, 2014.</td></tr>
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I've been postponing this latest blog entry -- mainly due to the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-29672358" target="_blank">horrific avalanche that occurred in the Annapurna Circuit trail just last October 14</a>. This unfortunate event had resulted in the deaths of 43 individuals--a mix of locals and trekkers of various nationalities--and I just couldn't bring myself to start writing my latest Annapurna blog post.<br />
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It seemed eerie that I was just talking in <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/2014/09/annapurna-base-camp-trek-day-6-reaching.html" target="_blank">my previous post about my fear of encountering an avalanche</a> while on my way up to Annapurna Base Camp...and now this tragedy.<br />
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This has not been a good year entirely for Nepal's trekking and climbing industry. If you remember, I was in Tadapani on day 3 of this trek when <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-27160448" target="_blank">the avalanche up on Mount Everest happened</a>. And this is why I feel so strange right now as I write, because no words of sympathy and support may be appropriate enough to give tribute to the guides, porters, and trekkers who have lost their lives this year on this side of the Himalayas.<br />
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Nepal is like a second home to me. When you've spent enough time on its mountains, you learn to keep a piece of this wondrous place in your heart. I hope that by writing about my experiences in Everest Base Camp and Annapurna Base Camp (definitely <i>not</i> my last treks in Nepal), I get to honor, in my own small way, the memory of these people who have left this world too soon.<br />
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And so I continue with my Annapurna journal...<br />
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<b>Day 7: April 23, 2014</b><br />
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I'm normally not an early morning person, but there was no way I was going to miss the dawn breaking over the impressive Annapurna mountain range.<br />
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It was a wonderfully crisp and cold morning. A few trekkers were already outside, just waiting for the sun to show up. Saw the Thai twins and called out a friendly 'good morning' to them. The snow lay thick on the ground, virtually untouched due to yesterday's heavy snowfall. Since there was only a handful of trekkers who spent the night in base camp, it wasn't a huge crowd, of which I was incredibly thankful for. ABC may be the 'best-seller' route second to Everest Base Camp in Nepal, but it didn't have a commercialized feel to it. The crowd of trekkers was sure to come in an hour or so--composed of people who most likely stayed in Macchapucchre Base Camp or at lower levels the night before.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14104371260" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="South Annapurna by Gina Sales, on Flickr"><img alt="P1220520" height="333" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3708/14104371260_aed83ff980.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Twin brother and sister from Thailand. South Annapurna is in front of them, with the sunlight hitting its slopes.</td></tr>
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As such, Madan, Hari and I practically had the place to ourselves as we stood there, taking photos and waiting for the sunrise. The sun took its time, but oh, what an unforgettable wait it was. I felt so tiny and insignificant, standing in the middle of this circle of mountains, watching as the sky took on different hues of white and blue. Because of Base Camp's unique location, you are actually given a 360-degree view of the sunlight breaking over the mountains. I swivelled slowly from left to right, looking up at South Annapurna, then Hinchuli and then Macchapucchre.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14291253885" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Light slowly filling up Annapurna Base Camp by Gina Sales, on Flickr"><img alt="Light slowly filling up Annapurna Base Camp" height="303" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3776/14291253885_84973a252a.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Light slowly arriving at base camp</td></tr>
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The sun arrived in glorious fashion, spilling light everywhere and warming up the place. I took the whole view in, knowing within me that it may take a while before I see this wonderful place again--perhaps never. Travel makes me a more appreciative person as a whole, and I told myself for the nth time how grateful I was to have made it to Annapurna Base Camp and witnessed such a landscape.<br />
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By the time we finished breakfast at 7:30 am, a whole gaggle of trekkers had already arrived and the place had started filling up and looking like some mini ski resort. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14311547743" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="leaving Annapurna Base Camp by Gina Sales, on Flickr"><img alt="leaving Annapurna Base Camp" height="343" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2934/14311547743_7442a1d64b.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">leaving Annapurna Base Camp at 8:00 am</td></tr>
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The boys and I took a last batch of photo ops by the ABC marker before heading down. I was certainly in a triumphant mood -- having reached ABC as planned, with my altitude sickness completely gone, and being energized enough to face a long day of descent from base camp to Bamboo (2,300 meters / 7,544 feet).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14268235466" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="posing by the Annapurna Base Camp marker by Gina Sales, on Flickr"><img alt="posing by the Annapurna Base Camp marker" height="359" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3813/14268235466_cb0795f15c.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yup! Really and truly made it to 4,130 meters above sea level. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14311543973" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="the Thapa brothers: Madan and Hari by Gina Sales, on Flickr"><img alt="the Thapa brothers: Madan and Hari" height="360" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3820/14311543973_6dcc27d2b2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Thapa brothers: Madan and Hari</td></tr>
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Descent was a bit slippery as the snow started to melt in some parts due to the sun. Madan took my hand and guided me firmly down a slippery slope; I was laughing and trying my best not to scream, because I felt that I was going to slip on the ice any minute. Behind me, I could hear muffled squeals from both female and male trekkers as they too negotiated their way down the tricky slopes.<br />
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The weather was wonderfully cooperative and the Annapurna area looked stunning from any viewpoint as always. It's really not called the Annapurna Sanctuary for nothing; once you cross the narrow valley and enter this haven, it does feel like you're in a sacred place untouched by time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14289377192" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="the Thapa brothers at Annapurna by Gina Sales, on Flickr"><img alt="the Thapa brothers at Annapurna" height="333" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3834/14289377192_c3d5b1fc28.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I called out to Madan and Hari and asked them to stop so I could take this photo. This photo will always remind me how beautiful the Annapurna Sanctuary is.</td></tr>
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It was an incredibly long day of trekking. Although we were descending, the trail was still rough. Similar to what I did on the way back from Everest Base Camp, I put on headphones and finally listened to some music on the iPhone just to take my mind off the dreariness of the trail.<br />
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It started raining somewhere between Himalaya and Dovan, past lunchtime. Although that leg would normally take 2 hours, I was determined to cut it down to at least 1.5 hours. Clearly, everyone was tired and not in a good mood due to the rain. But because I've always felt rain was sort of my element (any Filipino would be used to it), I plunged headlong into the forested paths, with Hari and Madan following close behind. Some kind of madness overtook me; I was rushing down quite recklessly, not caring anymore if I would slip. I was bone tired, feeling rather grumpy, and I just wanted this long day to end. Sure, it was raining, but I felt comfortable enough zipping along the muddy path. <br />
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When we reached Dovan, I turned to Hari and asked, "How many hours did we take?"<br />
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He smiled and said, "One hour." An hour! Ha! <br />
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And without saying anything further and without even a water break, we made for Bamboo and reached it after another hour. It was a long and tiring day--not without its hardships, but I was ecstatic to have completed the ABC trek as planned.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14289376342" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="on the way down from Annapurna Base Camp by Gina Sales, on Flickr"><img alt="on the way down from Annapurna Base Camp" height="500" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5154/14289376342_1538e38d7a.jpg" width="354" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 7. On the way down from ABC.</td></tr>
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There isn't much to say about the next few days after leaving ABC. After staying in Bamboo for the night, we had to head next for Jhinu (1,780 meters / 5,859 feet), which is famous for its hot springs, but with the required passage through Chhommrong. If you remember <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/2014/08/annapurna-base-camp-trek-day-4-mad-dash.html" target="_blank">my previous post on Chhommrong</a>, this wasn't exactly the most convenient of trekking 'crossroads' because it's situated on a high hilltop. Leaving and arriving here would entail undergoing some pretty rough steps. Felt drained as I had lunch in Chhrommrong and ended up swapping knee injury sob stories with an Indian-Canadian whose knees were in worse shape than mine.<br />
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From Jhinu, it's a hot and dusty trek back to Nayapul (almost felt like collapsing from dehydration and heat at some point), and then from Nayapul, a short car ride to Pokhara where it all started. The actual trek took a total of nine (9) days only: six days of trekking to reach ABC with Nayapul as the starting point, and three days to get back.<br />
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As early as Day 2, I realized that Annapurna Base Camp trek required more physical strength than Everest Base Camp. It was a challenging trail, but it left me hankering for more. Throughout the trek, I knew with certainty that I was bound to return to Nepal for several more times. I had no excuse not to. I had fallen in love with everything Nepal had to offer, and I truly wanted to see more of this country. Fortunately enough, I live in the same continent, and so I could actually afford to go once or twice a year to Nepal if I wanted to; the only challenge was to save up for any trek I set my sights on.<br />
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A couple of people had asked me: if they had to just choose one trek for Nepal, which one would I recommend: Everest Base Camp or Annapurna Base Camp? I kind of struggle with the answer because it's a difficult one for me. What my real answer is? Do both. Take the trail to Everest Base Camp for the 'glory' of saying you've been to the foot of the world's highest mountain. But take Annapurna Base Camp as well if you want to see something really magnificent. EBC is more or less a barren wilderness when you get there; the Annapurna Sanctuary offers the most stunning 360-degree views. (I do love both experiences, however, so I'm quite biased!)<br />
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So what's next?<br />
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Needless to say, I've been planning with Naba and the Himalayan Planet Adventures team on another trek/climb in 2015, and I'm still ironing out the details. Am really hoping to keep you all posted on this soon. In the meantime, I'll be working on another entry or so on costs and logistics when planning your own Annapurna Base Camp trek.<br />
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I've been getting a couple of messages and emails requesting for such details, and I thought I'd do one for ABC as well, since my entries on <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/2013/09/costs-to-expect-on-everest-base-camp.html" target="_blank">EBC trek expenses</a> and <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/2013/09/tips-on-how-to-prepare-for-everest-base.html" target="_blank">'what to expect'</a> have been getting really good feedback. <br />
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So thanks, everyone! It's been a great experience so far, and it's really touching to hear from those who said they've enjoyed reading my blog updates.<br />
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For more questions, just shoot me an email at ginacsales@gmail.com. :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14291257005" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="me at Annapurna Base Camp by Gina Sales, on Flickr"><img alt="me at Annapurna Base Camp" height="374" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2906/14291257005_2114aaa815_z.jpg" width="580" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiny me surrounded by the massive Annapurna Sanctuary mountains</td></tr>
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***<br />
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<i>If you want to do an Annapurna Base Camp trek, do consider visiting the Himalayan Planet Adventures website and check out their <a href="http://www.himalayanplanet.com/destinations/nepal/nepal-trekking/annapurna-base-camp-trek.html" target="_blank">16-day Annapurna Base Camp trek package</a>.</i><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746930418479342693noreply@blogger.com3Annapurna, Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal28.5958333 83.82083333.0737987999999987 42.512239300000005 54.1178678 125.1294273tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21043039.post-11417611420866432222014-09-27T22:54:00.002+08:002014-11-01T22:55:40.101+08:00Annapurna Base Camp Trek - Day 6: Reaching the Annapurna Sanctuary finally!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">To read all posts on my Annapurna Base Camp trek, click <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/search/label/Annapurna%20Base%20Camp">here</a> for the complete series.</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14104396660" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Entering the Annapurna Sanctuary by Gina Sales, on Flickr"><img alt="Entering the Annapurna Sanctuary" height="327" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2912/14104396660_1586270b43_z.jpg" width="580" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Within the Annapurna Sanctuary at 3,200 + meters / 10,500 + feet above sea level</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><b>Day 6: April 22, 2014</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">D-Day. Always the hardest day. And certainly an unforgettable one.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">I woke up shivering in the cold inside my room at Himalaya, rather dreading what was about to happen. I knew the final push would always be difficult; it was either I make it to Annapurna Base Camp today or not.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">Even if I had made it to Everest Base Camp last year at the [literally] breath-taking altitude level of 5,360 meters above sea level, I was never complacent enough to think that reaching ABC was a done deal. Being the realist that I was, I knew a dozen things could go wrong: a terrible bout of altitude sickness perhaps, or an ankle sprain -- or even an avalanche. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">Annapurna Base Camp (4,130 m) is a sanctuary located within an imposing ring of mountains and no stranger to avalanches, which occur at times within the year. This area did pose a certain risk -- one that I was reluctant to tell my family and friends back home. It was bad enough that I got a million messages while in Tadapani on Day 3 when they had heard about the avalanche in Everest Base Camp. I think if I had mentioned that Annapurna was prone to avalanches too, my loved ones would have probably gone into collective cardiac arrest.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">That said, the locals would know best which routes to take after an avalanche or even whether to proceed OR NOT to base camp depending on the amount of snow falling. The local guides will be able to determine if it is safe to stay put and delay the trek to ABC if they feel an avalanche is highly possible. This is their territory, after all, and it would be wise to heed local advice.</span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14267902006" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="on the way to Annapurna Base Camp by Gina Sales, on Flickr"><img alt="on the way to Annapurna Base Camp" height="281" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3674/14267902006_2b07f84898.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Us small people vs large boulders. This area is prone to landslides and avalanches.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">I was anxious to start as early as possible, and so we left at 7:30 am. It was very cold, but I wore only 2 layers of thermals, my down vest, a scarf and a wool cap. I refrained from completely bundling up since Madan mentioned that the trail going up would be tough. If I was going to work up a sweat on the ascents, I didn't want to feel super hot and stuffy inside my outer shell jacket.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">The trek from Himalaya to Deurali usually takes 2 hours but we did it in 2.5 hours due to the regular route being blocked from a recent landslide. And so we had to go through the more difficult path by the river bed and scramble over some large rocks. I was suddenly feeling very, very exhausted. And when both the fatigue and headache started manifesting, I knew that I was starting to contract that all too familiar feeling of acute mountain sickness. After all, I was already past the 3,000-meter altitude mark. Hello, AMS, you old friend you.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">The way from Deurali onwards looked very dramatic; you can feel you're officially entering the Annapurna Sanctuary as you trek through this narrow, rocky pass heading into the ring of mountains. This was avalanche territory, but the quasi-terror and fatigue I was experiencing still could not suppress the general awe I had of this beautiful place. </span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14289042842" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Entering the Annapurna Sanctuary by Gina Sales, on Flickr"><img alt="Entering the Annapurna Sanctuary" height="333" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5524/14289042842_4386a156eb.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering the Annapurna Sanctuary. Madan in front of me. The path here was flat but this was where I started<br />
to contract altitude sickness.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">Everything was mostly ascent that day -- whether gradual or steep, it was all about going up, and the altitude was getting to me. I kept asking Hari in a hopeful tone of voice, "No <i>ali ali uralo</i>?" ("No going down a little bit?") And he would shake his head, replying, "<i>Ukalo </i>for today. <i>Bistaari, bistaari</i>." ("All up today. Go slow, go slow.")</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">As I trudged beside Madan, he kept casting worried looks at me. I was walking like a zombie, just trying my best to keep it together. I would whisper to him at times, "<i>Malai thakai lagyo</i>." ("I'm tired.")</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">By the time we reached snow-filled Machhapuchhre Base Camp (3,700 m) for lunch, the sky was overcast and I was totally beat and actually starving. My brain was having a hard time processing that I still needed to make it to Annapurna Base Camp before nightfall. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">Inside the MBC teahouse, a lot of trekkers crowded inside the dining hall. Majority had no intentions of going to ABC that day. Their aim was to spend the night at MBC and then trek up to ABC early morning the next day. Which was a solid plan, actually, and one that I was ready to embrace -- especially when it started to rain hard as I was wearily eating my vegetable rice.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">Madan kept looking out the window, his frown deepening as the rain continued. A small part of me wanted him to decide that we would be sleeping in MBC tonight, but the stubborn (and hence, bigger) part of me felt that I had to stick to plan and reach Annapurna Base Camp that same day. I had psyched myself to do it in 6 days, and I didn't want to disappoint myself. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">The vegetable fried rice did wonders to my energy level and I was suddenly itching to leave. When the rain finally stopped after an hour or so of waiting, Madan gave me the signal to go, and there we were, negotiating the slippery, slushy snow up to Annapurna. Hari plunged way ahead and soon, he was just a small speck in the distance. Madan stayed with me, of course, and ensured that I wouldn't be falling into deep holes of soft snow. By now, I had to bundle up and put on my outer shell jacket which protected me from rain, snow and the biting cold. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">I was getting a bit nervous because I was surrounded by mountains on all sides - these snow-covered silent, imposing mountains that were so majestic and terrifying at the same time. They looked like they were watching me, judging me, waiting for me to mess things up. Please, please, no avalanches please, I half-prayed, half-chanted silently. And then it began to snow in earnest: first from behind, and then snow started coming in all directions, pricking my face like tiny, cold needles. </span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14268139866" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Machhapuchhre Base Camp behind me by Gina Sales, on Flickr"><img alt="Machhapuchhre Base Camp behind me" height="324" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3722/14268139866_a885230209.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Machhapuchhre Base Camp (3,700 meters) behind me, as I headed up to Annapurna Base Camp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">To make things worse, I had just realized something that immediately filled me with panic. If I were in a movie, this would have been a dolly zoom moment, with the camera zeroing in on the stricken expression on my face. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">My gloves. I left my gloves inside my rucksack. Which Hari was carrying right now.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">OH. MY. GOD. I. AM. NOT. WEARING. ANY. GLOVES. AT. ALL.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">Those two hours felt like an eternity. It was to be one of the most profound and challenging experiences in my life so far. I kept trudging up, doing my best not to slip in the snow. With my face half-covered by my wool scarf and my jacket hood protecting my head, I looked like a total Eskimo. I also tried not to look at my hands, because to see them would be to fully accept how totally cold and unprotected they were. Shoving my hands into my pockets wasn't that much of an option because I needed to hold onto my trekking poles badly for stability. I was still going up, up, up on very slippery snow. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">During the first hour, I was able to encounter people who were on their way back. They were in a hurry, as the weather wasn't being cooperative. But as the snowfall worsened, it became clear that it was just me and Madan on the trail; no more trekkers venturing out into the snow that day.</span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14287929591" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Trekking in the snow without any gloves by Gina Sales, on Flickr"><img alt="Trekking in the snow without any gloves" height="333" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5536/14287929591_0656aedb87.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As you can very well see, I had no gloves. Argh.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14104717997" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Heading up to Annapurna Base Camp by Gina Sales, on Flickr"><img alt="Heading up to Annapurna Base Camp" height="281" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3705/14104717997_0090f13540.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you spot my guide Madan? I stop at times to take photos; I may never see such a dreary but <br />
gloriously lonesome landscape again.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">Earlier, I had prayed for no avalanches. This time, I was praying not to get severe frostbite. Surely, I wasn't going to get frostbite at 3,700+ meters within 2 hours of trekking, right? <i>Right? </i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">I repeatedly told myself how stupid I was. My kingdom for a pair of gloves right now! </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">My head was throbbing, the snow kept falling, and the landscape was a complete white-out. I could barely even see Madan, who was ahead of me, setting out a path for both of us. </span></span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">At some point, I got emotional and started to tear up.</span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"> I thought, was that a symptom of altitude sickness, too? </span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">Madan didn't get to see the tears forming at the corners of my eyes, but the silent mountains of the Annapurna range did. They were the only witnesses to my near-breakdown.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">The secret to enduring such conditions, I believe, is not to think too much. I tried not to think of my near-frozen hands and my numb face. I just focused on going up, one step at a time. Sure, I had a headache from the mild AMS and I felt like I was living in an icy hell at that point, but there was something I was still immensely grateful for: that there was ample -- little, but still ample -- oxygen in the atmosphere. I never felt completely robbed of breath. In the Everest region, I felt I was fighting for air most times; here in Annapurna, all I had to worry about was the rough trail and the snow.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">Oh, and the lack of gloves, of course.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
I promised myself that if I ever made it out of ABC alive, I would buy four extra pairs of gloves and just stuff my pockets silly with gloves on my next trek.<br />
<br />
After a while, I couldn't believe it when Madan suddenly stopped in his tracks, turned to look at me with a grin and said, "Can you see the ABC teahouses? We'll be there in 10 minutes."<br />
<br />
Really? We're here? I strained my eyes but because of the heavy snow falling, all I could make out was the famous Annapurna Base Camp marker, which welcomes every trekker. And then I saw a patch of blue and brown, making its way towards us. It was Hari. He was coming for us, braving the cold wind and snow once more.<br />
<br />
When he reached us, I immediately held out my hands. "Look, Hari! I forgot my gloves!" And my porter smiled the widest smile I've ever seen. "Oh! Good! You trekked in the snow without gloves. Just like a Nepali!" I think he was very proud of me...!<br />
<br />
Madan suggested that we take photos beside the ABC marker early next morning but I insisted that we have a few photos taken now. It was important that I capture that moment of arrival--snow and all. And I could finally say to myself that I made it to Annapurna Base Camp in 6 days, as planned!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14311446763" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Posing by the Annapurna Base Camp marker by Gina Sales, on Flickr"><img alt="Posing by the Annapurna Base Camp marker" height="388" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3704/14311446763_0c66225515.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Annapurna Base Camp marker with my porter Hari. Not even the heavy snowfall could dampen my joy. <br />
And yes, I made it to ABC without gloves! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I didn't realize how terribly cold it was until I was inside my room at the teahouse. Shivering uncontrollably, I peeled off all my gear made wet by the snow. Most rooms were empty because the snowfall probably deterred more trekkers from arriving that day.<br />
<br />
While the teahouse owners were preparing dinner, I felt the urgent need to call home. I knew my family was worried about me. There wasn't any mobile signal in ABC, so I had to use the teahouse's satellite phone service at Rs 200 (US$ 2) per minute. What was supposed to be a 1-minute call to my younger sister ended up being a 7-minute one because I learned that moment that my beloved 2-year old Syrian pet hamster Ginny passed away yesterday. Needless to say, I was very upset and I cried.<br />
<br />
I knew Ginny was in the twilight of her years as a hamster, but I had hoped that she would still have a few extra months to go. What devastated me was that I wasn't there when she passed away, but my mom reassured me that she died peacefully, inside her comfy hideout, without any sickness. It was just old age. I was heartsick over her passing, but glad too that she lived a very happy and contented life.<br />
<br />
It was sweet how the teahouse people fussed over me and my dinner when they found out why I was so upset. Tried to eat my pizza dinner, but I could only manage a few bites. I didn't even finish a slice! My headache was worsening as well. By 7:30 pm, I whispered to Madan and Hari that I was completely exhausted and ready to sleep.<br />
<br />
Woke up in the middle of the night to pee. My bladder felt like it was about to burst; this feeling is all due to Diamox. I bundled up, put on my head lamp, and braved the cold to go to the common toilet outdoors and peed like a gallonful. The headache was still there and I wished that it would go away by daybreak.<br />
<br />
Like an answered prayer, all traces of altitude sickness were gone when I woke up at 3:20 am. In the darkness, I mouthed a silent 'thank you.' A thank-you to God, yes, but really, it was also just a thank-you in general. A thank-you to the mountains, a thank-you to the wonderful people who helped me along the way.<br />
<br />
I had made it to Annapurna Base Camp at 4,130 meters above sea level, and I had every reason to be thankful.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14289282672" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="At Annapurna Base Camp by Gina Sales, on Flickr"><img alt="At Annapurna Base Camp" height="369" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5531/14289282672_63facbac54.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My bucket list moment :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
***<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>To be continued....</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>My next post will focus on seeing the beautiful Annapurna Sanctuary at the break of dawn. The 360-degree view is incredible. More on that soon!</i><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<i>If you want to do an Annapurna Base Camp trek, do consider visiting the Himalayan Planet Adventures website and check out their <a href="http://www.himalayanplanet.com/destinations/nepal/nepal-trekking/annapurna-base-camp-trek.html" target="_blank">16-day Annapurna Base Camp trek package</a>.</i><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746930418479342693noreply@blogger.com1Annapurna, Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal28.5958333 83.82083333.0737987999999987 42.512239300000005 54.1178678 125.1294273tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21043039.post-90853515205242115252014-08-18T20:10:00.000+08:002014-08-25T17:51:30.570+08:00Annapurna Base Camp Trek - Day 5: A Hard Day's Trek to Himalaya<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">To read all posts on my Annapurna Base Camp trek, click <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/search/label/Annapurna%20Base%20Camp">here</a> for the complete series.</i><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14291266085" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="trekking to Himalaya by Gina Sales, on Flickr"><img alt="trekking to Himalaya" height="358" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2920/14291266085_78857d23a6_z.jpg" width="580" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting closer to Annapurna Base Camp. Day 5 on the trail. Madan, my guide, takes the lead as always.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><b>Day 5: April 21, 2014</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">The goal was to trek for 6 hours from Chhommrong to Dovan (2,600 m / 8,528 ft above sea level) on Day Five. I ended up doing 8 hours of trekking that day. Instead of staying the night at Dovan, I was forced to press on further for 2 more hours and reach Himalaya at an altitude of 2,900 meters.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Let me explain why.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">It was a challenging day for me. I think what kinda bogged me down was having no choice but to hike further for a few more hours. Physical fatigue is one thing, but what really makes or breaks your trek is the level of mental readiness. </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Day 2 was just crummy most of the time, with those Ulleri steps. But I think I can safely say that on Days 5 & 6, I was quite the bipolar trekker--alternating between silent misery and excessive outward displays of cheerfulness. There were moments when the trail overwhelmed me and I would clam up, not talking to my companions. But I also wanted to dispel any negative attitude as much as I humanly could, and so I tried to compensate by maintaining a stream of chatter that lasted for minutes and minutes. Hari and Madan must have been so confused with me; I would look gloomy one moment and then switch to being ridiculously chipper in a Santa Claus ho-ho-ho kind of way.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14770886279" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="trekking to Himalaya by Gina Sales, on Flickr"><img alt="trekking to Himalaya" height="400" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5558/14770886279_9f82426d44.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hari waiting for me to cross this rickety little bridge.<br />
Challenge accepted!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Call it an attempt at mental survival, if you will. When you've been hiking up the mountains for a few days already, one tends to get a bit cuckoo at some point.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">At 8:00 am, I said goodbye to Chhommrong. The unique part about this place is that it is a crossroads for people heading to Base Camp and back. You have no choice but to pass through Chhommrong. This isn't exactly good news when you're either leaving or returning to this place. At the start of Day 5, I had to suffer through 30 straight minutes of cruising from the very high point of the Chhommrong settlement all the way down to a suspension bridge. The rough steps were too numerous to count. </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">My bad knees were screaming in protest, but I drowned out the pain by chatting with Hari all the way down. We left Madan behind. At first, I didn't understand why Madan was taking his own sweet time up at the Chhommrong teahouse; I found out later on he was talking to the teahouse owners and trying to reserve rooms at Dovan for us. (More about that later.)</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Anyway, as we swept past a whole gaggle of trekkers leisurely making their way down the steps, Hari said that we would be climbing up the same Chhommrong steps on the way back after reaching Base Camp. Good lord, I thought to myself and tried not to panic. By then, I had just walked past a trekker who was slowly climbing up the steps <i>bare-footed</i>. </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">I stopped in my tracks to ask, "Hi, are you okay??" (Well, what I actually wanted to say was, "Yo, what the hell is wrong with you, sister? Why are you walking without your boots? There's dung everywhere!")</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">But I restrained myself from any kind of verbal diarrhea. I had no idea what she was attempting to do.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">She looked up and rested her palms for a moment on top of her trekking poles while catching her breath. I think she could read my mind as I stared down at her soon-to-be-sunburned feet. "Yeah, I'm okay. I'd rather walk barefoot for now," she explained in a tired, ragged voice. "The way up is so hard."</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Gulp. </span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">I wasn't looking forward to a potential Nightmare on the Ulleri Steps, Part 2.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14770895460" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="suspension bridge after Chhommrong by Gina Sales, on Flickr"><img alt="suspension bridge after Chhommrong" height="400" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5577/14770895460_3ab209ca41.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The suspension bridge we crossed upon <br />
leaving Chhommrong.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">The descent continued until we found ourselves at the great suspension bridge. Hari explained to me that once we crossed the bridge, we would be doing a lot of ascents that day until we reach our destination. Couldn't really complain about the first few hours of going up; at least my knees could take a break from all those continuous downhills!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Before our lunch at Bamboo (2,300 m), we had a quick toilet break at a teahouse in Sinuwa (2,340 m) </span></span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">with a pretty viewpoint</span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">. It was there that I learned that if I, as the trekking client, ordered a glass of cold lemon juice (only for Rs 50), my guide and porter would each be served their own cold lemon juice for free. I couldn't think of a better way to spend Rs 50 (US$ 0.50). And it was a nice little tradition to uphold here in the Himalayas.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">During lunch, Madan gave me the lowdown on today's destination. "I checked this morning from Chhommrong, and I found out the teahouses in Dovan are full," he warned. "If I can't get rooms for us in Dovan, we need to go on until we reach Himalaya. If there are no rooms in Himalaya, we go to Deurali."</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">The last stretch of ascents from Sinuwa to Bamboo had tired me out, but at least my dal bhat lunch had managed to re-energize me. I wasn't worried about the 1-2 hour trek from Bamboo to Dovan; I knew already that Dovan was not an option anymore for an overnight stay because of the lack of rooms. The fact that Dovan, a major stop in the trek, had only 3 teahouses (18 rooms in total) was completely ridiculous though. I wondered how the trail looked like during the busiest season of the year, which is October to November. Do people end up sleeping on the dining hall tables then?</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">I then set my sights on Himalaya (2,900 m) and I needed to ensure that we got there on time to reserve rooms. </span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">I didn't relish the idea of being forced to press on to Deurali (3,200 m) which entailed an extra 2-hour trek from Himalaya.</span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"> So for me, it was Himalaya or nothing. Deurali wasn't an option in my head. I HAD to get to Himalaya on time. </span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Bed space competition was fierce here, since there were only had 2 lodges, or a total of 12 rooms. This was like being in the 19th-century Oklahoma Land Rush or something.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">As it was all ascent that afternoon through some dense forest-like areas, my energy was wearing thin by the hour. When we walked past the Dovan teahouses, I tried not to stare at the other trekkers who were lounging about, sipping tea or reading their books. I didn't want to get all green with envy.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Madan decided that he would go way ahead to Himalaya to get rooms for us three. He would just meet us there, which I thought was a good strategy. So from 3 to 5pm, Hari and I trudged up the path to Himalaya, stopping once in a while to share and munch on the big bag of trail mix I brought with me. </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">I was tired when I reached Himalaya. The rooms were indeed very limited, and I didn't have the luxury of getting my own room. So for the first time on a trek, I was asked to share a room (with 4 single beds inside it) with two Chinese individuals. Since I got there first, I was able to choose a nice bed by the window with a ledge for my stuff, some ample floor space for my rucksack, and wall hooks nearby for my trekking clothes. </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14311094513" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Himalaya teahouse by Gina Sales, on Flickr"><img alt="Himalaya teahouse" height="375" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3747/14311094513_b81cf40638.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my teahouse at Himalaya (2,900 meters / 9,514 feet above sea level)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">The two Chinese nationals--a boy and a girl--arrived around 30 minutes later. For a moment there, I thought they were a couple, but the girl had told me that they were just traveling as friends. At least I didn't have to undergo the awkward situation of sharing a room with a couple. </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">As it got dark and the sun disappeared from view, a few more trekkers trickled in. I was grateful to have reached Himalaya on time; I couldn't imagine heading on to Deurali at night to negotiate for bed space.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">It was extremely cold in Himalaya. The gas shower was moderately hot but because it was freezing cold everywhere (even inside the shower), the hot water couldn't do much to keep me warm. I think there were only two female trekkers--a Thai and myself--who actually braved the shower. Can't speak for the Thai girl, but I can definitely say most Filipino women will find a way to take a bath regardless of climate conditions.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Inside the dining hall, there was no stove, no heat, and everyone huddled together, wearing their down jackets and wool caps. Dinner was an intriguing spaghetti mix of onion, garlic, tuna and cheese, but as always, I barely touched my dish due to lack of appetite. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Because the dining hall tables were laid out in a way that you end up talking to a lot of people around you, I made friends with the Thai girl, my fellow hygiene addict. She was actually trekking with her twin brother. I had seen them on the trail a couple of times, but it was only now that I was getting to know them. She said that she had initially wanted to do the Annapurna Base Camp trek alone. But her parents wouldn't allow her to go by herself, and so her twin offered to accompany her. And she revealed, with a giggle, that her brother was enjoying the trek more than she was. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Lights out at 8:00 pm and I shivered underneath two thick layers of blankets. Today's trek wore me out but in retrospect, I figured that it was a million times better starting Base Camp Day from Himalaya than from Dovan. It meant less trekking hours on the most important day of the trek. With that comforting thought in mind, I fell asleep.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14291173515" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="trekking to Himalaya by Gina Sales, on Flickr"><img alt="trekking to Himalaya" height="436" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3749/14291173515_532a11005e_z.jpg" width="580" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As the day wore on, Machhapuchhre (Fish Tail Mountain) looked bigger and closer. One day left to reach Annapurna Base Camp!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
* * *<br />
<br />
<i>If you want to do an Annapurna Base Camp trek, do consider visiting the Himalayan Planet Adventures website and check out their <a href="http://www.himalayanplanet.com/destinations/nepal/nepal-trekking/annapurna-base-camp-trek.html" target="_blank">16-day Annapurna Base Camp trek package</a>.</i><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746930418479342693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21043039.post-83040077802891422902014-08-02T21:34:00.000+08:002014-08-02T23:07:27.057+08:00Annapurna Base Camp Trek - Day 4: The Mad Dash to Chhommrong<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">To read all posts on my Annapurna Base Camp trek, click <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/search/label/Annapurna%20Base%20Camp">here</a> for the complete series.</i><br />
<i style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></i>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14104368107" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="On the way to Chhommrong"><img alt="On the way to Chhommrong" height="436" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3723/14104368107_ece54f3972_z.jpg" width="580" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken from my iPhone. Hari, with the view of Machhapuchhre on the way to Chhommrong (2,210 m / 7,249 ft<br />
above sea level).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><b>Day 4: April 20, 2014</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">By now, I was getting used to life on the Annapurna trail. I never felt I had to worry about oxygen intake (unlike during the Everest Base Camp trek), but what occupied my thoughts were the trail paths, which were significantly more challenging in this region. I was dealing with minor knee injuries prior to my ABC hike, and the pain from these injuries felt magnified on the trek itself.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Day 4 was relatively easy, because it was all about descending from Tadapani (2,710 meters) to Chhommrong (2,210 meters / 7,249 feet above sea level). However, just because the altitude was lower didn't mean the trail would be easy peasy the whole day. Lazed a bit after my breakfast in my Tadapani teahouse and went online to do some Facebook and Instagram updates--which earned me a glare and some tsk-tsks from my ever strict guide Madan. I think he was anxious for us to leave at 8:00 am but because I dallied and took my time, we ended up leaving at 9:00 am.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">It was a 6-hour trek, excluding lunch hour, to Chhrommrong, a popular stop known for its stunning views of the Annapurna range. (To be honest, everywhere you go in the Annapurna region seems to boast of fantastic scenery, so there's actually no shortage of mountain views.) Since I left Tadapani at 9:00 am, I was gunning to reach Chhommrong by 4:00 pm.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14287709661" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="On the way to Chhommrong"><img alt="On the way to Chhommrong" height="224" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3715/14287709661_2057882fa4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a good day for photo op breaks!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">To make up for my tardiness, I sped down the rocky path. Sort of a bad thing to do. The first 2 hours would mean 100% descent. My knees took a beating again (honestly, this is beginning to be stale news already) and at some point, I was afraid they would collapse. When you're going downhill for 2 hours without breaking pace, it can get totally tough on the knees.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Then for some reason, my stomach started acting up, and I realized I BADLY needed to go to the toilet. It was <i>that </i>urgent. Fortunately, I spotted a teahouse in the middle of nowhere, and I made a beeline for it, leaving Madan behind. The teahouse looked abandoned when I reached it; I was panicking because I wanted to ask for permission to use the toilet but </span></span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">there wasn't anyone around. I wasn't sure if I could just use the toilet without asking. Went around the teahouse</span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"> a bit and hollered '<i>namaste</i>, is there anyone here?', but Nature was desperately calling. And so I let go of whatever social graces I had left, and just rushed to the squat toilet (the only available toilet, period), which had no water, no light and no windows. Nothing. It was just a little outhouse with a hole in a middle and with a door that could hardly close properly. But when I had to go, I just </span><i style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">had </i><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">to go. </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Okay, that was too much information, but it just goes to show that I've become really skilled at taking a dump at just about anywhere on this trail. Trekkers can't be choosers. </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14104621938" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="edited_P1220456 by Gina Sales, on Flickr"><img alt="edited_P1220456" height="224" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2925/14104621938_206d407757.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pretty countryside. Chhommrong was near, at this point.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"></span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. Descended some more, and in my mad rush, I overtook a lot of trekkers. My porter Hari and I kept pace with one another while Madan dawdled a bit and was left behind (but since he's ultra fast, he could always catch up with us whenever he needed to). As Hari and I tackled some uphills after lunch, I would watch him RUN up the steps effortlessly with my rucksack and his stuff on his back--which amounted to around 12 kilos or so. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">It was insane. The Nepalis never fail to amaze me with their speed and strength. They own the mountains, I'd say. I asked Hari why he was so annoyingly fast. He laughed and said that he was in the army some years back. As part of their drills, they had to run up and down the mountain paths with 25 kilos each on their backs. Okay, that explained it.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Hari wasn't as fluent as his brother Madan when it came to English, but we managed to communicate well and laugh a lot in between. He taught me some general Nepalese words, and he asked me the equivalent of those words in Filipino, which pleased me a great deal. Our mini language lessons helped pass the time, especially during the uphills--and by 3:30 pm, I had reached Chhommrong. I was ahead of plan by 30 minutes, hooray! </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">As I sat inside the dining hall of my teahouse, I watched from the window as trekkers trickled into Chhommrong between 4 to 4:45 pm. Hmmm. Could it be that I had done very well today after all? This trek was never really a competition anyway, but it felt good to test my limits and speed up on the trail sometimes. Got into a conversation with a solo Canadian trekker, and we basically swapped stories about our knee injuries. He had to take Ibuprofen every 8 hours because of the grueling trail path. I was to run into him every now and then all throughout the ABC trek.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Dinner was so-so; I didn't have much of an appetite, as usual. But the dining hall was a great place to be in, and there were loads of fellow trekking guests. Hari taught me some new card games, and so I played with the boys, with other guys standing by watching us. It seemed I really had beginner's luck that night, and won most of the games. </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Madan had warned me that tomorrow could be a challenging day for me, so I decided to rest early. And like what I did on previous days on the trail, I could only pray that my luck would hold out 'til I reached my destination.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14104500167" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="P1220458 by Gina Sales, on Flickr"><img alt="P1220458" height="359" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3670/14104500167_7ab064a222_z.jpg" width="580" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching the day end in Chhommrong. The clouds were starting to roll in. I couldn't believe that in two days, I would be at the base of THOSE mountains.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<br />
* * *<br />
<br />
<i>If you want to do an Annapurna Base Camp trek, do consider visiting the Himalayan Planet Adventures website and check out their <a href="http://www.himalayanplanet.com/destinations/nepal/nepal-trekking/annapurna-base-camp-trek.html" target="_blank">16-day Annapurna Base Camp trek package</a>.</i><br />
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746930418479342693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21043039.post-24457439958837667532014-07-05T23:48:00.000+08:002014-07-06T00:24:36.476+08:00Annapurna Base Camp Trek - Day 3: Trek to Tadapani<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To read all posts on my Annapurna Base Camp trek, click <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/search/label/Annapurna%20Base%20Camp">here</a> for the complete series.</span></i><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14104662500" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="the view from Tadapani"><img alt="the view from Tadapani" height="394" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3713/14104662500_1431b1a5a8_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from my Tadapani teahouse: South Annapurna, Hinchuli and Machhapuchhre</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></i>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><b>Day 3: April 19, 2014</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Yesterday being Good Friday, I reckoned that I had done enough penance for my sins after going up those damned Ulleri steps. When I woke up today at 4:00 am, I was feeling extremely sorry for myself and was not in the best mood to do some trekking. Along with my battered knees, my ego seemed to have shrivelled up and died and would probably only resurrect on Easter Sunday.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Madan said that the sky was very cloudy that third day of the trek and he made the executive decision of not pushing through with the sunrise hike to Poon Hill (3,210 m). A</span></span></span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">fter he did a quick once-over of my sorry state that early morning,</span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">I think he kind of knew that I was not in such great condition and he was just trying to make me feel better by using weather as the main excuse (although it really <i>was</i> cloudy). Poon Hill was considered by many as one of the highlights of the whole ABC trek, and I did struggle internally for a bit if I really wanted to go there and see the view or not.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">But my guide pointed out that there would be better views of the Annapurna range as we moved closer to our final destination. And so I wasn't totally heartbroken over the idea of resting some more that morning and regaining strength. I breakfasted on oat porridge with apple bits at 7:30 am and managed to get on the trail 30 minutes later. Our aim was to reach Tadapani (2,710 m / 8,891 ft) that day, which would take 6 hours excluding lunch hour. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14311462863" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="An hour after leaving Ghorepani, we reached the top of a steep hill"><img alt="photo by Gina Sales" height="239" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2926/14311462863_bfaf80d8dc_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An hour after leaving Ghorepani, we reached the top of a steep hill.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Tadapani was lower than Ghorepani in altitude, so there weren't any acclimatization issues at all. In fact, I barely had problems adjusting to altitude throughout the trek. What really bothered me were the cruel trail paths. That morning alone, as I left Ghorepani, I found myself doing an hour's worth of steep steps (what else was new?) up a hill. The trail was full of trekkers during that overcast spring morning, and I honestly think the majority looked really weary and feeling pressured to keep pace with everyone else.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">I knew <i>I</i> was feeling the pressure. Was out of breath most of the time, but I just kept mumbling to myself to go on--especially during those times when there was a gaggle of people behind me. We were all kinda walking like zombies. If I had less pride in myself, I would have stopped and allowed some to overtake me. But I had skipped Poon Hill that morning already, and I felt I had no excuse to give myself a break.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">After reaching the top of the hill finally, I took a good look around--and again, I wasn't totally surprised that the ascent looked challenging from my high viewpoint. Because it was. Back in my country, this would have been a day's climb to the top of a high mountain already. (Had to remind myself I was only on Day 3 of this 9-day trek. Groan.) </span></span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14287963271" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="The rough forest trail heading to Tadapani"><img alt="The rough forest trail heading to Tadapani" height="287" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3834/14287963271_7070ca9306.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rough forest trail heading to Tadapani. It was all mostly descent.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">After that climb, it was mostly a series of knee-battering, continuous descents that day. While many trekkers continued to rest on top of that hill, I was determined to press on. Told Madan I wanted to go ahead, and he acknowledged my wish with an approving smile. He and Hari followed me from a considerable distance, which gave me enough space; it felt good to walk ahead of everyone else and have some semblance of solitude as I made some pretty painful descents on the rough trail.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Made it to Tadapani at 3:00 pm; I was so pleased to have been right on schedule that I felt nearly redeemed from the misery that was Day 2. Tadapani is a quieter settlement than Ghorepani. Had time to relax, write my notes, charge my phone for Rs 100, go on unlimited Wi-Fi for Rs 200--and take a shower only for Rs 100! The low prices were unbelievable, considering how everything in the Everest region cost thrice as much. </span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14104642140" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Teahouse owner warming up the stove inside the dining hall"><img alt="Teahouse owner warming up the stove inside the dining hall" height="400" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3710/14104642140_f5e3fde9bc.jpg" width="334" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teahouse owner warming up the stove inside the dining hall</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">My teahouse is called Super View and lives up to its name. It has some fantastic views of South Annapurna, Hinchuli and Macchapuchhre--the sight of which did not make me that sad anymore for missing out on Poon Hill. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">I sat in one corner of the teahouse's dining hall right beside the stove, and watched as the owner started to light the fire. The sun hadn't even set and it was already very cold. It was going to be a chilly night, and I didn't intend to give up my spot near the stove (which, incidentally, happened to have the best Wi-Fi signal).</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">When I finally went online, I was surprised to get what seemed like a hundred notifications from people on Facebook, Viber, Instagram, etc. I heard on that same day that an avalanche had occurred above Everest Base Camp and that more than a dozen Sherpas were killed somewhere in the Khumbu Icefall area while they were preparing the ropes and ladders for that season's Everest summit expedition.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Before I went online, I had no idea that people back home were freaking out over my safety. Most of them didn't have a clue where Annapurna was, and assumed I was just a stone's throw away from Everest Base Camp when the avalanche happened.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><i>Hello.</i> I mean, really.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">I suppose I can never really convince people like my sisters (who don't make it a point to know their geography) to go check the distance between Annapurna and Everest so that they can realize that these are two separate regions. But it was sweet to get messages from everyone anyway; I just had to spend considerable time answering all the messages to assure everyone I was alive. I was in good hands with Madan and Hari, and there was always Naba of Himalayan Planet Adventures in Kathmandu who knew what to do and had a copy of my travel insurance policy should things go wrong.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">I was horrified over what happened to those poor Sherpas. Because I had done the Everest Base Camp trek last year, the Khumbu region was indeed very close to my heart. Sherpas are one of the most hard-working, nicest people I know, and they are the true, unsung heroes in every Everest expedition. All those ropes that Everest summit climbers use from base camp to the summit were prepared in advance by Sherpas, and the latter certainly put their lives on the line year after year to ensure everyone else's safety. When I think of words like <i>bravery</i>, <i>dedication</i> and <i>true grit</i>, these are words that come to life in the form of Sherpas hailing from the Everest region.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">The avalanche was the topic of the night over dinner in Tadapani. The locals were discussing amongst themselves if they knew any of the Sherpas who had died from the disaster. I still didn't have much of an appetite, but the garlic soup and the several forkfuls I had of garlic cheese macaroni were comforting. I felt like I had done well that day, and could only hope for the best in tomorrow's trek.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"> </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14291274285" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="One of my favorite forest trails on the way to Tadapani. Hari and Madan right ahead of me."><img alt="One of my favorite forest trails on the way to Tadapani. Hari and Madan right ahead of me." height="325" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5073/14291274285_c943624ebc_z.jpg" width="580" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favorite forest trails on the way to Tadapani. Hari and Madan right ahead of me.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
* * *<br />
<br />
<i>If you want to do an Annapurna Base Camp trek, do consider visiting the Himalayan Planet Adventures website and check out their <a href="http://www.himalayanplanet.com/destinations/nepal/nepal-trekking/annapurna-base-camp-trek.html" target="_blank">16-day Annapurna Base Camp trek package</a>.</i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746930418479342693noreply@blogger.com0Tadapani, Ghandruk 33700, Nepal28.396318 83.76489420000007228.394572 83.762372700000071 28.398064 83.767415700000072tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21043039.post-35857468137059396682014-06-05T20:39:00.000+08:002014-07-06T00:08:14.247+08:00Annapurna Base Camp Trek - Day 2: Trekking up the Ulleri Steps to Ghorepani <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">To read all posts on my Annapurna Base Camp trek, click <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/search/label/Annapurna%20Base%20Camp">here</a> for the complete series.</i><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14104638698" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Day 2 of the Annapurna Base Camp Trek"><img alt="Day 2 of the Annapurna Base Camp Trek - the forest trail in the afternoon" height="467" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5531/14104638698_909cf89975_k.jpg" width="580" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 2. Madan (left) and Hari (right) chillaxin' while I take photos. We had to pass through this dense forest in the afternoon.</td></tr>
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<b>Day 2: April 18, 2014</b><br />
<br />
Horrible day. Just horrible. With a lot of drama and public displays of grumpiness from my end. Why does Day 2 of a trek always have to be a miserable one?<br />
<br />
If you've been following my (mis)adventures on this blog, you'll know that <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/2013/07/everest-base-camp-trek-day-2-phakding.html" target="_blank">the second day of my Everest Base Camp trek was an unforgettable ordeal</a>--and this year's trek to Annapurna Base Camp just had to follow the same pattern. You know...the kind of hiking pattern that does cruel tricks to the mind and ego: an easy peasy Day 1 to make you feel good about your supposedly mad trekking skillz and then--kablam!--Day 2 throws you a sadistic punch to the stomach and leaves you in near-tears.<br />
<br />
I totally blame the mountain trail, of course. And to a certain degree, myself--for being quite unprepared and not reading up more on the infamous Ulleri steps.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14104644598" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Day 2 of the Annapurna Base Camp trek - crossing suspension bridges"><img alt="Day 2 of the Annapurna Base Camp trek - crossing suspension bridges" height="320" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5074/14104644598_b76acb9fd7_z.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The day started nicely enough with a few<br />
suspension bridges along the way. Then things<br />
got rough quickly...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We were out on the path by 8:00 am, and my guide Madan informed me that it would take 2 hours in the morning to finish the steep ascent from Tikkedhunga (1,577 m) to Ulleri (1,960 m). And another 3-4 hours more until we reach Ghorepani at 2,850 meters above sea level by the end of the day. Great, I can do this, I told myself.<br />
<br />
Well, see, here's the problem: I should have remembered (as early as last year's EBC trek, for heaven's sake) that the Nepalis are like super human beings; think of them as a whole nation of agile Legolas-like entities who seem to have been born with a natural speed up on the mountains. What seems like *just* a 2-hour steep ascent to them may not necessarily be the same thing for us regular folks who find it harder to defy the laws of gravity.<br />
<br />
I spent 4 hours that morning climbing up, up, up a sadistic, never-ending flight of steep rocky steps. It was like doing the StairMaster beside a ravine for 4 straight hours in the heat of the sun. Actually, to put things into better perspective, the total ascent to Ulleri was like going up the Empire State Building practically <i>twice</i>. From street level to the 103rd floor, the Empire State has around 1,870 steps. The stone stairs from Tikkedhunga to Ulleri is comprised of 3,210 steps; some say it's about 3,480. Try doing all those steps at an altitude level that's three to four times higher than that of the Empire State Building. Just thinking about it all right now makes me want to hurl.<br />
<br />
I kept moaning and groaning during those 4 hours, finding excuses to stop every 30 steps and guzzle down my water supply. Madan, who was used to my moods, knew how to take everything in stride. I must have looked like a total drama queen to my porter Hari, though. He was always gently advising me to take it easy. "<i>Bistaari, bistaari</i> ('go slow, go slow')," he would say--before sprinting up the steps with my 10-kilo rucksack on his back. And in my mind, I was sobbing out, "Yes, unfortunately, Hari, that's <i>exactly</i> what I'm doing."<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14287623151" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Day 2 of the Annapurna Base Camp trek - climbing the Ulleri steps"><img alt="P1220383" height="450" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2902/14287623151_9a262e3d6a_z.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't have photos of the steeper parts of the Ulleri trail,<br />
which is composed of more than 3,200 steps. This was<br />
taken during the 'easier' bits.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Wasn't able to take many photos on the Ulleri trail because I was frequently looking down at the steps, watching my balance, and trying my best to survive the ordeal and to avoid fainting from the overpowering stench of animal dung. Dung everywhere. The smell was so strong, I felt my clothes reeked of dung for several hours.<br />
<br />
To make myself marinate in self-pity even more, I watched taller, younger trekkers pass me by. The path itself was steep, yes, but the actual steps were also tall to begin with, and so it was all an extra struggle for me. Short-legged petite me was at such a natural disadvantage. The one prayer that kept running through my head was, please God, do play fair and let me lose at least 5 pounds on this literally shitty trail alone.<br />
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I wanted to burst into tears of relief when we finally reached Banthanti (2,250 m) for lunch. Because this was such a popular lunch stop, the locals at the teahouses were very busy cooking for everyone, and it took some time before my food (vegetable fried rice) was served. I was ravenous; that was the only time during the entire 9-day trek that I actually wiped my plate clean.<br />
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The trail after lunch was, blessedly enough, a 3-hour mix of flat terrain, gradual inclines and steep ascents. I mean, after that morning of Day 2, everything else felt easier. The Ulleri experience just completely stole the 'Worst Day Ever' Award from <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/2013/07/everest-base-camp-trek-day-2-phakding.html" target="_blank">my EBC Trek Day 2, which was basically a 9-hour trek to Namche Bazaar in the pouring monsoon rain</a>.<br />
<br />
As we headed closer to the day's destination, I was feeling sick at the realization that Ghorepani stood at an elevation of 2,850 meters. That meant, from Tikkedhunga's height of 1,577 meters, I had made a total ascent gain of 1,273 meters on this day alone. It was obviously <i>not</i> your regular trekking day. I've never even covered that much in a day's trek on the Everest Base Camp trail.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14104653118" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Day 2 of the Annapurna Base Camp trek - donkeys on the trail"><img alt="<a href=" ginasales="" height="300" https:="" photos="" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3813/14104653118_3c8cfbe8e2.jpg" title="edited_IMG_7847 by Gina Sales, on Flickr" width="400" www.flickr.com="" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Donkeys on the trail</td></tr>
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I reached Ghorepani, shivering slightly; the hot day had given way to a very chilly afternoon, and I was nursing a small cold as I hiked up. Ghorepani is like a smaller version of Namche Bazaar with many locals settled here eking out a simple living, while trekkers use this main stop to relax and prepare for the tough trail ahead of them.<br />
<br />
Every trekker in the teahouse looked worn out and was sharing his or her own tale of woe on the Ulleri trail while drying socks by the stove (where everyone gathers, as this is the warmest place in every teahouse). Personally, I must have looked disgruntled and robbed of all happiness.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
I don't think I was very good company that evening for Madan and Hari, who didn't seem to have lost their appetites. I was so tired, I only had a few forkfuls of my tomato-onion-cheese macaroni dinner; Madan ended up eating the rest of the dish. Hot shower was actually free, but my exhaustion level was off the charts and all I wanted was to crawl into bed and pray that I would make it to Poon Hill (3,210 m) by sunrise tomorrow, still in one piece.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14329273486" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Day of Annapurna Base Camp trek - from Tikkedhunga to Ghorepani"><img alt="Day of Annapurna Base Camp trek - from Tikkedhunga to Ghorepani" height="375" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5529/14329273486_139280a227.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Six hours from Tikkedhunga to Ghorepani? You lie, you signboard you! Kidding aside, I honestly couldn't<br />
do it in six. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
P.S. I write this post today, June 5. This, too, is a very special day for me. Not only is it my birthday today, but it was the same day I reached Everest Base Camp just a year ago. Within the past 12 months, I feel like my two treks in Nepal have helped me grow so much as a person. These experiences have allowed me to revel in whatever strengths I have and have taught me to accept my limitations as well. It's been an awesome year. Hope there are more to come. :)</blockquote>
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* * *<br />
<br />
<i>If you want to do an Annapurna Base Camp trek, do consider visiting the Himalayan Planet Adventures website and check out their <a href="http://www.himalayanplanet.com/destinations/nepal/nepal-trekking/annapurna-base-camp-trek.html" target="_blank">16-day Annapurna Base Camp trek package</a>.</i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746930418479342693noreply@blogger.com5Ulleri, Annapurna Conservation Area 33700, Nepal28.3567925 83.73568539999996628.355046 83.733163899999965 28.358539 83.738206899999966tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21043039.post-29550937443643320352014-05-29T21:56:00.001+08:002014-07-06T00:08:25.511+08:00Annapurna Base Camp Trek - Day 1: Trek to Tikkedhunga<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">To read all posts on my Annapurna Base Camp trek, click <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/search/label/Annapurna%20Base%20Camp">here</a> for the complete series.</i><br />
<i style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></i>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14104712008" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Annapurna Base Camp"><img alt="Annapurna Base Camp" height="371" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3716/14104712008_6f67858638_o.jpg" width="580" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annapurna Base Camp. Elevation: 4,130 meters (13,550 feet) above sea level. Photo by Gina Sales, April 2014.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It must have been the cold and fatigue talking, but when I reached Everest Base Camp last year on the 5th of June (my 33rd birthday, to be exact), I muttered to myself that I didn't need to see another mountain again for a very, very long time. At that moment, I was tired as hell, breathless, and dealing with a sunburn and a pounding headache.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But the Himalayas is like a black hole: once you get sucked into it, escape is well nigh impossible---and a second trek is highly probable. Every trekker who's been to Nepal understands the lure of this mighty mountain range.</div>
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<div>
Six evenings after reaching Everest Base Camp, I was back in Kathmandu having my farewell dinner in Rum Doodle with Naba, the co-owner and managing director of Himalayan Planet Adventures. Over fish and chips, I found myself asking the all-important question: "So, where can I trek next?"</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"Annapurna Base Camp." That was Naba's swift reply and that became my obsession in the following months. I was ready to return to Nepal in 2014 after all. <br />
<br />
As early as January 2014, I worked with Naba on an itinerary that aligned with my busy work schedule. I had a route map of ABC on my office desk to keep me inspired every day. I counted the days leading to my April 15 arrival in Kathmandu. I ran, I did yoga, I told myself I was primed and ready. I thought, oh, I've achieved EBC. I mean, how hard can ABC be after <i>that</i>, right?<br />
<br />
Wrong.<br />
<br />
As I was to discover throughout my 9-day trek, Annapurna Base Camp proved to be just as tough and challenging as Everest Base Camp. Sure, it was lower than EBC with only an elevation of 4,130 m (13,550 ft) as the end goal. I didn't realize that terrain was going to play a major factor in testing my endurance in this trek.<br />
<br />
To keep to a modest budget for ABC, I opted to take a 7-hour bus ride from Kathmandu to Pokhara and back, instead of taking the plane. The ride wasn't a total ordeal, as I chose to go via Greenline, which is like one of the country's premier tourist bus services with a good safety record. Buffet lunch was part of the package, I had good spacious seats, and there were adequate toilet stops. In short, I was a happy camper. After the<a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26222528" target="_blank"> recent Nepal Airlines plane crash that killed 18 people</a> heading from Pokhara to Jumla, I wasn't keen on taking a domestic flight anytime soon. I still get the shivers every time I think of <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/2013/07/everest-base-camp-trek-day-1-lukla-to.html" target="_blank">my flight from Kathmandu to Lukla in the Everest region</a>.<br />
<br />
The classic route to Annapurna Base Camp usually starts with an overnight in Pokhara, a lovely bustling tourist town that serves as the jump-off point for the trek. I got to rest well and sort out my gear in the hotel while bonding with my companions. I made sure from the very start of the trip planning process that Madan, my guide to Everest Base Camp last year, would be with me again on this trek. My porter was Hari--who I found out later on is actually Madan's elder brother. With the two brothers watching over me, I knew I was in good hands.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Day 1: April 17, 2014</b><br />
<br />
Started the day right with a big breakfast at my Pokhara hotel. We were out by 8:00 am and on a 1.5-hour ride via private car to Nayapul, where the trek officially begins. There was enough time for a quick snack of spicy vegetable curry and coffee (what a combination) at a Nayapul roadside canteen before hitting the trail at 10:30 am.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/14104655248" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="edited_IMG_7812 by Gina Sales, on Flickr"><img alt="edited_IMG_7812" height="400" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2937/14104655248_8789d3d8ed_k.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 1. This dog walked beside me for quite a while on <br />
the trail. My porter Hari was just a few meters ahead.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I was awash in a nice warm sensation of being at home as I started my walk on the trail with Madan and Hari. It felt like being on the EBC trek all over again; the only difference here was that the altitude level was a lot kinder since we were starting at a height of only 1,070 meters above sea level.<br />
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<i>(Side note: As I write this first blog entry on Annapurna Base Camp, I realize that today's date is May 29--a very special day. It is the 61st anniversary of Hillary and Tenzing's historic ascent to Mt. Everest's summit, and it falls on the same day that I started my Everest Base Camp trek last year. Perhaps I was meant to write this blog post on this auspicious date after all.)</i><br />
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As we were still at a lower elevation, it was a hot and humid day. Nothing exciting really happened since the first day was pretty much peanuts--4 hours of trekking on relatively flat terrain plus lunch hour. Since I was doing the trek in spring time, that meant significant 'trekking traffic' on the road. Last year, I practically had the Everest trail all to myself during monsoon season. This year promised to be different.<br />
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I encountered many American, Canadian and European trekkers. Didn't get to see any Filipinos on the ABC trail (which made me feel a wee bit lonely), but there were a lot of Chinese and a handful of Thais, Koreans and Indians. Yup, the Philippines was sadly underrepresented. And it didn't help that I kept being mistaken for a Thai or Japanese national.<br />
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Reached my Tikkedhunga teahouse at 2:30 pm--just in time to settle down before a particularly heavy rainstorm started. Whether it was spring time or monsoon season, I already had a fair amount of Himalayan trekking experience to know that one had to be prepared for any kind of weather up in the mountains.<br />
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Had potato cheese momos and hot chocolate (as in <i>really </i>good hot chocolate) for dinner and then I hit the sack at 9:00 pm. I knew we were going to do some tough trekking the next day, and I certainly needed rest in preparation for that.<br />
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<i>If you want to do an Annapurna Base Camp trek, do consider visiting the Himalayan Planet Adventures website and check out their <a href="http://www.himalayanplanet.com/destinations/nepal/nepal-trekking/annapurna-base-camp-trek.html" target="_blank">16-day Annapurna Base Camp trek package</a>.</i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746930418479342693noreply@blogger.com16Annapurna, Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal28.598709 83.82238983.0766744999999993 42.5137958 54.1207435 125.1309838tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21043039.post-37760475493521687262013-09-30T01:17:00.000+08:002013-09-30T01:35:46.607+08:00Tips on How to Prepare for the Everest Base Camp Trek <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>To read all posts on my Everest Base Camp trek, click <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/search/label/Everest%20Base%20Camp">here</a> for the complete series.</i><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWuYxQoExBK4bridRdE-ZAuGmJojZjG13pXzPElJAMyKV_h-c9HaFOnBRqyx1fObQ6rwRqz-gprFwRaZWDoyYRNMn16zGxq0zyIRulXg9_SJOGHHkLAdyFxgJsQiQguRLWvmYVw/s1600/Map+of+Everest+Base+Camp+Trek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="714" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWuYxQoExBK4bridRdE-ZAuGmJojZjG13pXzPElJAMyKV_h-c9HaFOnBRqyx1fObQ6rwRqz-gprFwRaZWDoyYRNMn16zGxq0zyIRulXg9_SJOGHHkLAdyFxgJsQiQguRLWvmYVw/s640/Map+of+Everest+Base+Camp+Trek.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seeing this map makes me realize how far I've trekked--from Lukla all the way to Everest Base Camp.<br />
Oh my God. Image Credit: Himalayan Planet Adventures P. Ltd.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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A lot of people have been asking me how I prepared for Everest Base Camp, what stuff did I bring, what life was like on the trail, etc. Someone even asked me if I had to ration my food for 12 days and cook my meals over a campfire every night. Lol.<br />
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This blog post is written for those who are doing this trek for the very first time and wish to know what to expect. I've also made a <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/2013/09/costs-to-expect-on-everest-base-camp.html" target="_blank">previous post on a breakdown of all expenses during an Everest Base Camp trek</a> as well as <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/2013/09/packing-list-for-everest-base-camp-trek.html" target="_blank">another blog entry on a complete packing list for trekkers to EBC</a>.<br />
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I wrote all these because I wanted to share my experiences, and hopefully help somebody in preparing for this once-in-a-lifetime trek. And if this blog post does convince someone to go and do it, that would make me very happy!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Go solo or go with a group or buddy? </span></b>Trek costs can be shared between friends and/or couples, especially when it comes to food, lodgings or a nice pot of piping hot chocolate. Plus, you're bound to take each other's photos the whole way going up, so there won't be any shortage of captured memories. Just be sure your trekking buddy is someone you really get along with--because you'll be stuck with one another 24/7. Joining a group can also be arranged prior to the trek. If you are hiring a local trekking agency, they normally group you with others who are scheduled to trek on the same day as you are. You can also arrange with the agency for you and your buddy to trek as a private group. Or, you can always go on those Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor forums where people are looking for fellow trekkers to trek with them on specific two- or three-week periods.<br />
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I traveled solo, and I loved every minute of it. There is absolutely no reason for anyone--especially for solo female travelers out there--to be concerned about doing Everest Base Camp alone. First of all, you aren't <i>really </i>alone. There's a guide and porter with you, and at the end of each day, you get to meet fellow trekkers in the teahouse you're staying in for the night. The trail is full of people, especially during peak season. However, independent trekkers are normally discouraged to travel completely alone; in the event that one needs medical assistance, someone may not be readily on hand to answer the call for help.<br />
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The advantage of traveling solo is that I got to do everything at my own pace. I didn't have to deal with the pressure of keeping pace with total strangers, who may be impatient and way faster than me, or may be super slow. Or they may be the type to complain a lot, talk too much, exhibit annoying characteristics, etc. If I had happened to get stuck with people I didn't really like, then I would have had no choice but to spend 12 full days in their company. <br />
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When I craved solitude, I got to have my 'alone' time. When I felt like chatting with people, I'd talk to other trekkers in the teahouse or I'd strike up a conversation with a stranger on the trail. Most of the time, I talked and played cards with my guide and porter, and those were great bonding times. But whenever I felt the need to be alone, I had enough space and time to enjoy my solitude. Solo traveling is pretty fun as it puts you in control of all your travel arrangements.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9167682872/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="in Tengboche on the Everest Base Camp trek by gina_sales, on Flickr"><img alt="in Tengboche on the Everest Base Camp trek by gina sales, on Flickr" height="408" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3746/9167682872_22ed358b9c_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I traveled solo--and my best friends on the trek were Dhan Kumar (left) and Madan (right), my porter and guide, respectively. This is my favorite picture of us in Tengboche. Everest is right behind us three.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. Getting a local trekking agency vs. Do-It-Yourself.</b></span> I didn't even include foreign trekking agencies (located outside Nepal) as an option. They are just too expensive. I mean, sorry, but what's the point of going through them? You can arrange the trek logistics yourself or search the Internet for credible trekking agencies in Nepal. There are plenty of them, and the Nepalis are honest people to deal with.<br />
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That said, once you decide to go DIY or through a local agency, this will pretty much spell out how your trip will look like. Decide between these 2 options, and everything else will follow. It all depends on your comfort level, budget, and how you want to control things. For more information on what to budget for, <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/2013/09/costs-to-expect-on-everest-base-camp.html" target="_blank">visit my blog post on costs to expect during an Everest Base Camp trek</a>.<br />
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Going DIY means hiring your own guide and/or porter and making your room and food arrangements as you go. Guides and/or porters can be hired the moment you land in Lukla. You will of course need to talk to them (and rely on your wits and gut instinct to see if you're comfortable enough to be with them for 12 days) prior to striking a deal. Most, if not all, of the Nepalis I've met along the trail are polite and friendly. Tourism is what drives the economy of the Khumbu region where Everest is, and trekkers are treated with great hospitality.<br />
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I opted to get a local trekking agency, Himalayan Planet Adventures (HPA), and I chose <a href="http://www.himalayanplanet.com/destinations/nepal/nepal-trekking/everest-base-camp-kalapathar-trek.html" target="_blank">their 16-day Everest Base Camp trek package</a>. While getting an agency may be rather pricier than trekking independently, I felt it suited my budget and my idea of how I wanted my trip to be. I didn't want to deal with the hassle of looking for a guide and porter, securing my own domestic flights, choosing a teahouse at the end of each day, and reaching for my wallet after every meal I ate.<br />
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When I arrived in Kathmandu, everything was conveniently arranged for me; I just paid for the full package cost--which included my hotel in Kathmandu, teahouse lodgings, food, guide and porter fees, permits, domestic flights, and airport transfers. With this package, I could pick any food item on the menu in any teahouse I was in, and I could also have my choice of hot drink with each meal plus a bowl of soup a day. I didn't have to worry about carrying loads of cash (or losing all that cash!), because my guide Madan took care of the lodging and food arrangements in my behalf. All I had to shell out personally as miscellaneous expenses were mineral water, hot showers, treats (like chocolate), battery charging and Wi-Fi.<br />
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When I was stuck in Lukla for a day before heading out to Kathmandu, the HPA team was the one arranging for my revised domestic flight bookings and a possible chopper ride. For me, it was all about leaving the nitty-gritty logistics to the agency so that I could fully focus on the physical demands of the trek.<br />
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Again, it all depends on your budget and the level of comfort and control you're expecting on the trail. It's <i>your</i> Everest Base Camp trek, so feel free to choose whichever option makes you happy.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Physical Conditioning.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b>Obviously, you have to be decently fit for this trek. You don't need to be ultra athletic (I'm most definitely not!); just make sure you have had some form of physical preparation a few months before EBC. Some trekkers do conditioning for an entire year prior to the trek. If you do regular exercise, you'll be fine. I do running, boxing and bikram yoga (hot yoga) during my spare time. When I was preparing 3 months before Base Camp, I just merely had to increase the rounds I'd do for boxing, or run a few more extra kilometers as endurance training. I've been doing bikram yoga for two years now, and I've realized that all those breathing exercises at the start of each bikram session really helped me during the hardest days of the trek. <b style="font-size: x-large;"> </b><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9167466824/" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="vegetarian food on the Everest Base Camp trek by gina_sales, on Flickr"><img alt="vegetarian food on the Everest Base Camp trek" height="320" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3810/9167466824_4cb43b0808_z.jpg" width="253" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm not the best in taking food photos, but this <br />
tomato garlic pasta with yak cheese tastes so good! <br />
Fresh or dried chili is always available if you like <br />
your food spicy like I do.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">4. Going Vegetarian for 12 Days.</span></b><b style="font-size: x-large;"> </b>It's not like you have much of a choice, actually. Be gastronomically prepared to go vegetarian all throughout the trek. There is no frozen storage system in the Khumbu region, and all uncooked meat are carried up and down by Sherpas. The freshness of the meat can't be guaranteed. So if you have a sensitive stomach or if you don't want to risk acquiring some gastrointestinal illness, avoid meat altogether while you're on the trek. My guide Madan said I could have meat at Namche Bazaar or at lower elevations, so if you are really craving a burger or meat pizza, you can have those at lower altitude levels.<br />
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I played it safe and avoided meat completely. I thought I would be weak for the whole 12 days but I felt surprisingly healthy and strong. The Sherpas at the teahouses can really cook up a storm, and they serve really delicious veggie dishes like garlic cheese pasta and vegetable rice. And then there is the ubiquitous staple meal of the Nepalis which they can eat day in, day out and never get tired of--<i>dal bhat</i>. It is a dish that is composed of rice (bhat) and cooked lentil soup (dal) that is most often supplemented by vegetables, potato curry, pickled chili, and sometimes with <i>roti</i> or <i>papadum</i>.<br />
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I would sometimes find myself looking forward to a steaming hot plate of <i>dal bhat</i> at the end of a cold, wet day of trekking. The best part is, the Nepalis always serve you more than one round of <i>dal bhat </i>if you're in the mood for seconds or thirds.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9167679258/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="dal bhat on the Everest Base Camp trek by gina_sales, on Flickr"><img alt="dal bhat on the Everest Base Camp trek" height="440" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3808/9167679258_941cc35fbb_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think dal bhat is the reason why Nepalis are so strong and can carry truckloads of stuff on their backs. As my <br />
porter Dhan Kumar would say, "Dal bhat power, 24 hours!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. Bring cash.</b></span><b style="font-size: x-large;"> </b>I kind of learned this the hard way. Before the trek, I made sure to withdraw enough money from an ATM in Thamel, Kathmandu, because I read somewhere that there would not be any ATMs to be found up on the trail (for very obvious reasons). No credit card machines either past Namche, of course. So <b><u>make sure you have Nepalese Rupees with you before you fly to Lukla</u></b>. This is so important. When I got back from the trek, I was kind of running low on cash and I wanted to withdraw money, especially when I was stuck for an extra day in Lukla. No ATM machines there, but you could ask your guide to bring you to a few banks in Lukla that can swipe your credit card for you, and then they will provide you with the cash equivalent. Thankfully, I didn't have to do that, as I was able to fly to Kathmandu the next day.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/10001885356/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Dhan Kumar and the yak stove by gina_sales, on Flickr"><img alt="Dhan Kumar and the yak stove" height="320" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2876/10001885356_b996885dbf_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dhan Kumar places dried yak dung into the stove. Yak dung<br />
is used as fuel everywhere in the Khumbu region to keep<br />
people warm by the stove at night. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>6. Expect basic accommodations.</b></span><b style="font-size: x-large;"> </b>This is a trek to Everest Base Camp, after all, so best to lower your expectations. Frankly speaking, roughing it during the trek is really part of the charm, and I was glad to go through such an experience. Teahouses (which are like small, more basic-looking Swiss chalets) along the trail normally offer rooms that contain two single beds each, common toilets (some have common shower facilities), a big common dining area where everyone gathers--and zero central heating system. Well, there's the stove in the middle of the dining hall that's basically the warmest place in the entire teahouse--but it's only lit for a few hours every evening.<br />
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Toilets are usually the squat kind, but many teahouses have at least one Western toilet. As for showers, you can encounter either a 'bucket shower' or a 'gas shower' in some teahouses. <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/2013/07/everest-base-camp-trek-day-7-dugla-pass.html" target="_blank">Read about my bucket shower experience</a> if you're the type who needs to have at least one or two showers during the entire trek.<br />
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Rooms get smaller the higher you go up, but are decent enough, if you're not the fussy type. All rooms have pillows and blankets, and you could always request for extra, when it's low season. Come peak season, you will need to depend on your sleeping bag and just one blanket to keep you warm--as teahouses can really fill up fast with trekkers. Trekkers who aren't able to get a room end up sleeping in the dining hall.<br />
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Most teahouses at higher elevations are powered by solar electricity; there are times when you are unable to charge your phone or camera at all because there is no electricity. So when you are in a teahouse that <i>does </i>have electricity, do grab the opportunity to charge your gadgets. You wouldn't want to run out of batt when you get to Base Camp.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9167732008/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="a typical teahouse dining hall found on the Everest Base Camp trek"><img alt="a typical teahouse dining hall found on the Everest Base Camp trek" height="415" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7394/9167732008_db163e695d_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical teahouse dining hall (with a stove in the middle) found throughout the Everest trail.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/10001823505/" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="A Sherpa man carries his heavy load up the Everest Base Camp trail by gina_sales, on Flickr"><img alt="A Sherpa man and his heavy load on the Everest Base Camp trail" height="400" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7308/10001823505_a39ccf9de1_z.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Sherpa carries his heavy load up the trail. It's just a <br />
typical day's work for them, but it's so mind-boggling<br />
to see so many of them do this all the time. Super humans!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>7. Give way to Sherpas and yaks.</b></span><b style="font-size: x-large;"> </b>Try and compete for space on the narrow trail path with a yak--and chances are, you'll be injured by its sharp horns, or worse, you may get nudged off the cliff. When a train of yaks is arriving, you need to stop trekking, step aside, and practically press yourself against the mountain wall to avoid being a yak victim.<br />
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As for Sherpas, you can't help but respect them and give them the right of way-especially when they're carrying thick stacks of plywood on their backs or heavy drums filled with goods. The people of the Khumbu region are impressively strong, but they're human, too. When you encounter them on the trail carrying heavy loads, give them a break by not blocking their path. The reason you have a roof over your head and a decent bed to sleep in on the remote trails of the Himalayas is because Sherpas carried all those construction materials on their backs up to the top.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>8. Respect the local culture.</b></span><b style="font-size: x-large;"> </b>Be mindful of local customs, and when your guide tells you to always walk on the left side of a prayer wheel or a Buddhist <i>Mani</i> stone wall, or turn the prayer wheel in a certain direction, just do so. And it doesn't hurt to learn the local language either. Basic phrases like '<i>namaste</i>' (hello/goodbye-which is also said a lot in my yoga classes) and '<i>dhanyabad</i>' (thank you) are commonly exchanged between the locals and trekkers alike. I have an affinity for learning new languages so I asked Madan and Dhan Kumar to teach me as much Nepali as they could. I had them laughing in stitches every time I'd say something funny (or naughty) in Nepali, which is a nice language to learn.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/10001881356/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Buddhist mani stone and prayer wheel along the Everest Base Camp trail by gina_sales, on Flickr"><img alt="Buddhist mani stone and prayer wheel along the Everest Base Camp trail" height="400" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7399/10001881356_c3414942af_z.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Always turn the prayer wheel in a clockwise direction.<br />
And always walk on the left side of a Buddhist <i>Mani</i><br />
stone.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
When you see Sherpas carrying their heavy load or are at rest on the trail, just say, '<i>Namaste. Ke cha?</i>' Then watch them break into smiles. </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
To be honest though, I think the one local thing I had difficulty accepting was that guests are served their food first, and guides/porters have to wait at least 30 minutes or an hour after for them to receive their food. It is understandable that Nepalese would want to consider their guests as first priority, but as a trekker traveling with both her guide and porter, I felt uncomfortable being served food while my two companions, who were equally tired and hungry as I was, had to wait some more. In my country, regardless of social or economic status, food is served to everyone at the same time and people normally eat together. </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
But the Nepalese teahouse owners were pretty nice about my requests to have Madan's, Dhan Kumar's and my food served together. They were a little surprised about such requests, but very obliging. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>9. Buy all you need in Thamel, Lukla or in Namche.</b></span><b style="font-size: x-large;"> </b>If you've forgotten to get some trekking gear in your own country, you can do last-minute shopping in the bustling backpacker district of Thamel, Kathmandu, the best place to be in for all your trekking needs. Lukla has a lot of shops too, but with lesser choices compared to Kathmandu. </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
As for Namche Bazaar, think of it as the Rivendell of your trek. It is the last point of civilization as you know it. Goods become scarcer and way too pricier as you ascend past Namche. So if you need to buy trekking gear, hand sanitizer, energy bars, multivitamins or even a deck of playing cards, Namche Bazaar is your last chance to do so. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>10. Counter Altitude Sickness.</b></span> Last, but certainly not the least! Acute mountain sickness (AMS), or commonly referred to as altitude sickness, is, I think, the great equalizer when it comes to trekking. Regardless of fitness level, age and even mountaineering experience, everyone is bound to feel AMS at some point past the 3,000 meter mark. It just depends on the degree of altitude sickness that you've contracted. Altitude sickness is no joke, and can even lead to death. <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/2013/08/everest-base-camp-trek-day-8-i-finally.html">On the day I was to reach Base Camp, I learned about the deaths of two trekkers who never made it due to altitude sickness</a>.</div>
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Mild AMS is normal and is experienced by many. But severe AMS is debilitating, and any person with moderate to severe AMS should already be given the medical attention needed. Under such cases, the trekker experiencing bad altitude sickness is already made to descend as rapidly as possible before it becomes fatal.<br />
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Mild symptoms include headache, fatigue, breathlessness, and loss of appetite--all of which I experienced at some stages and which were addressed immediately. You know you already have severe AMS if you're experiencing severe headache, disorientation, vomiting, breathlessness (even at a standstill) or if you're exhibiting irrational behavior. If these symptoms are happening at the same time or one after the other, you need to descend immediately or have your guide arrange for a helicopter evacuation, weather permitting.<br />
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Here's how to avoid severe altitude sickness:<br />
<br />
a. Proper Acclimatization - <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/2013/07/everest-base-camp-trek-day-1-lukla-to.html" target="_blank">I talked about acclimatization in this post</a>, as explained to me by Naba and Madan of Himalayan Planet Adventures. The general rule is to 'climb high, sleep low.' And for about every 1,000 meters of ascent, you will be asked to stay an extra day at that current level in order for your body to adjust and acclimatize. Your guide should be able to advise you on this. And please do not trek completely alone. Who's going to guide you down the path when you have a massive headache, and you're retching and feeling dizzy and disoriented? When I was experiencing minor AMS on the way to Pangboche on Day 4, Madan and Dhan Kumar were there to help me and monitor my condition.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/10002805143/" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="garlic soup on the Everest Base Camp trail by gina_sales, on Flickr"><img alt="garlic soup on the Everest Base Camp trail" height="400" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3766/10002805143_6eab3db727_z.jpg" width="334" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bowl of garlic soup a day keeps the altitude sickness away.<br />
I had one every night while on the trail. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
b. Drink 3-4 liters of liquids a day - Because of the demands of the trek, you will easily consume at least 2-3 liters of water a day. Never allow yourself to be dehydrated, as this helps contribute to AMS. Liquids such as hot chocolate and garlic soup also helped me a lot; garlic soup is a natural preventive method against AMS and is pretty delicious. Coffee and too much tea are actually not recommended during the trek, as these cause heart palpitations. As much as I am fond of coffee, I had to stop around Day 3.<br />
<br />
c. Take Diamox - Diamox (generic name: Acetazolamide) is the medicine one takes to counter the effects of altitude sickness. On the Internet, there are differing opinions as to when to take it--whether to start taking it 24 hours before the trek or to take it when you start feeling symptoms, or to simply avoid it at all. My advice: consult a doctor prior to the trek. Diamox can affect people in different ways. In my case, I only took Diamox <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/2013/07/everest-base-camp-trek-day-4-pangboche.html">when I started contracting minor altitude sickness, which was in Day 4 of the trek</a>. My daily dosage was 250mg--split into two, so I could take 125mg in the morning and 125mg in the evening. You can buy Acetazolamide in Kathmandu or in your own country. In the Philippines, it is known as Cetamid. Some typical side effects of Diamox include frequent peeing and a tingling sensation on your toes and fingertips.<br />
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d. Pace yourself - I honestly don't get why some trekkers feel pressured into going up to Everest Base Camp as fast as they can. This isn't a race. Nobody back home would really care about your pace per day or if you outpaced your trekmates; they just want you safe and alive. I hear and read sad stories about how there are ultra-fit, super competitive people who trekked to EBC only to descend because their bodies couldn't handle it, that they didn't acclimatize properly, that they overexerted themselves, etc. In some cases, trekking with a group even presents dangers, as people have different stride lengths, endurance levels, and pacing--and all this makes some feel 'pressured' into keeping up with the overall pace of the group.<br />
<br />
e. Avoid alcoholic beverages and cigarettes during the trek - You do <i>not</i> want a hangover to enhance your experience of altitude sickness. You really do not. And breathing the thin air through the nose or mouth is already a hard task; you won't be able to smoke properly anyway. Reserve the liquor and tobacco for your last day, when you're back in Lukla. <br />
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Sorry for the long post, but that's pretty much it! All the important stuff to know before heading off for the Everest Base Camp trek. This is my last post on Everest Base Camp (whew!) and I hope you found something useful or at least mildly entertaining in all the 10 or so posts I've written. The grandeur of the Himalayas has inspired me so much that I'm actually planning my next trekking trip to Nepal. I won't say yet where in Nepal exactly I'm going but I hope to update you on that one of these days. :)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9165499597/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="acclimatizing in Dingboche on the Everest Base Camp trail"><img alt="acclimatizing in Dingboche on the Everest Base Camp trail" height="407" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3791/9165499597_4e00fa7f39_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello, goodbye, and see you again soon, Nepal!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746930418479342693noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21043039.post-27424242657633232582013-09-09T00:54:00.001+08:002013-09-13T20:55:44.789+08:00Packing List for Everest Base Camp Trek<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>To read all posts on my Everest Base Camp trek, click <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/search/label/Everest%20Base%20Camp">here</a> for the complete series.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9691581643/" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="packing for Everest Base Camp by gina_sales, on Flickr"><img alt="packing for Everest Base Camp" height="400" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2846/9691581643_9299c85c69_z.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of my trekking stuff on my hotel bed in Kathmandu.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So--what to pack for the standard 12-day Everest Base Camp trek?<br />
<br />
It's a pretty long list, but when you assemble everything into one bag, you'd realize eventually that everything on that list is quite essential. Be ready to carry everything on your back for 12 days--or if you're like me, hire a porter to carry 15 kilos of your stuff while you bring a day pack for all your essentials.<br />
<br />
The key to staying comfortable all throughout the trek is to wear your clothes in layers. For bitingly cold weather, expect to have 4-5 layers on you. But in lower levels where it's hot and you get to work up a bit of a sweat, you must be able to easily strip off your fleece or outer layers.<br />
<br />
My trek agency <a href="http://www.himalayanplanet.com/" target="_blank">Himalayan Planet Adventures</a> helped me a lot by sending a list of suggested clothing and equipment to bring, but I've also added some items which I think are useful. Unless indicated otherwise, all the stuff listed here are items I really brought with me on the trail.<br />
<br />
<i>Note: Some of the stuff here can be bought last-minute in Thamel, Kathmandu before your trek--such as the headlamp, trekking poles and even fleece jackets and such. You can even restock on toiletries and other sundries in Kathmandu, Lukla or Namche Bazaar. Will discuss this more in my very last post on this Everest Base Camp trek series.</i><br />
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<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Trekking Clothes</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><u>Head</u></b><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>cap / sun hat</b> - Ideal for the first few days and the last days of the trek when you're at lower altitude levels and it isn't so cold. I forgot to bring one, which was quite silly of me. </li>
<li><b>wool/fleece hat</b> - to keep your head and your ears warm as you ascend to higher, colder terrain</li>
<li><b>face scarf</b> - I wish I had brought one! You will need it to keep out dust and the cold wind. Plus, it will help keep your nose (and any other unprotected part of your face) from being sunburned. </li>
<li><b>neck scarf</b></li>
<li><b>sunglasses</b></li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div>
<b><u>Upper Body</u></b></div>
<ul>
<li><b>2-3 quick-dry long-sleeved tops</b> - Use 2 for the entire trek and keep an extra one for indoor use</li>
<li><b>1 sweater</b> - I used this for indoors</li>
<li><b>2 fleece jackets</b> - I used one for outdoors and one for indoors. Again, always have a complete, clean set of clothes to change into when you reach the teahouse. </li>
<li><b>1 waterproof shell jacket</b> - I used a North Face tri-climate waterproof shell jacket which can be detached or separated from its inner fleece jacket layer. For trekking in humid monsoon weather, just remove the fleece jacket and wear the outershell waterproof one.</li>
<li><b>1 down jacket</b> - My trek agency provided me with one, although I ended up not using it, since it was too warm to wear it in May/June. But bring one for the colder trekking months.</li>
<li><b>thermal underwear or base layer - </b>You can buy those pricey base layers from Columbia or North Face, but my Uniqlo and Debenhams thermal wear kept me wonderfully warm</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<div>
<b><u>Lower Body</u></b></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>1 pair of lightweight thermal leggings</b> - These may be too hot to wear under your hiking pants on the first few days but will be useful as you head nearer to Everest Base Camp.</li>
<li><b>2 pairs of trekking pants</b> - Have a lightweight one for most days and another one that's waterproof (outer shell pants)</li>
<li><b>1 pair of fleece pants</b> - For indoor use and for sleeping. I cannot stress enough the importance of having 1 clean pair of pants to change into when you reach the teahouse after a hard day's trek. </li>
<li><b>disposable underwear</b> - This one is really more for the females. I know this isn't the most eco-friendly suggestion, but admit it--women feel a greater need to stay hygienic, especially when it comes to the sensitive nether regions. And because of the cold weather, you won't be able to launder your regular undies with soap and water since these won't dry in time. I wasn't really keen on wearing the same undies for two to three nights in a row (sorry, that's just roughing it way too much, at least for me), so I brought 10 pieces of disposable underwear with me, plus some regular undies. Every day, it felt great to change into clean underwear. I didn't see any other website that recommended bringing disposable underwear; I only saw several packs in my local Watson's store, and thought it would be a great idea to bring these on the trek. They're cheap, hygienic, lightweight, biodegradable, and disposable. Hurray! </li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<u><b>Hands</b></u></div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>1 pair of fleece gloves</b></li>
<li><b>1 pair of waterproof glove</b>s (although I never got to use them)</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<u><b>Feet</b></u></div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>hiking boots</b> - <span style="font-size: large;">Your hiking boots are the most important thing in this trek, </span>so do not forget to bring them. Invest on a good pair, or bring your reliable old ones. Do not assume you can buy boots in Kathmandu before the trek, as you may have a hard time looking for a pair that will suit you. I used mid-cut waterproof Columbia hiking boots which had great traction.</li>
<li><b>slippers / sandals / sneakers</b> - For indoor use. Although I would recommend bringing slippers/sandals instead of sneakers to let your feet breathe a bit.</li>
<li><b>3 pairs of warm trekking socks</b> - For the colder months, bring more than 3 pairs. Use a clean pair when you sleep, so that your feet remain warm.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Trekking Gear</span></b><br />
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>headlamp</b> - very useful especially when you need to make your way to the toilet in the middle of the night when all lights are out</li>
<li><b>trekking poles</b> - your lifesaver in the most difficult parts of the terrain, whether going up or down</li>
<li><b>day pack and/or back pack w/ pack cover</b> - If you are hiring a porter to carry majority of your things, just carry a day pack with you that contains the essentials. Your porter will not necessarily be with you all the time on the trail (as he may be going way ahead of you sometimes), so place in your day pack the things you need, like a water bottle, sun screen, money, camera, waterproof jacket, etc. Himalayan Planet Adventures provided me a duffel bag where I stuffed all the things I only needed at the end of the day. And then my porter Dhan Kumar just carried the duffel bag.</li>
<li><b>1-liter water bottle</b></li>
<li><b>extra batteries</b></li>
<li><b>sleeping bag with liner</b> - Himalayan Planet Adventures lent me one but I didn't really need it apparently for the monsoon season. The thick blankets inside my teahouse room sufficed. But bring a sleeping bag for the colder months, and ensure that it can keep you warm in subzero weather.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="font-size: x-large;">Doc</b><b style="font-size: x-large;">uments </b>(keep all your documents protected in a ziploc bag; otherwise they will get wet!)<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhScqtoMV5nUMBx6R0_1eWFrpVtXHZhlUB0qqB9f73Cg5h7gdEaXvUqmL-xuPoqJeEvjTqqVSWAOd5Pfi_GoiJJ1lQvMHc7ZQOMnCpkbNNvVLOGqOhKY5pqVWZx8FEGPYeoG4DUSQ/s1600/edited_adocs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhScqtoMV5nUMBx6R0_1eWFrpVtXHZhlUB0qqB9f73Cg5h7gdEaXvUqmL-xuPoqJeEvjTqqVSWAOd5Pfi_GoiJJ1lQvMHc7ZQOMnCpkbNNvVLOGqOhKY5pqVWZx8FEGPYeoG4DUSQ/s320/edited_adocs.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clockwise, from L-R: My copy of <i>Lonely Planet Nepal</i>, a handy<br />
journal and pen, a map of the Everest region, and my Kindle Touch<br />
(I NEVER go anywhere without my Kindle). Naba of Himalayan<br />
Planet Adventures gave me the map before I left for the trek.<br />
I really love this map!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li><b>passport</b> <b>w/ Nepal visa</b></li>
<li><b>Trekkers' Information Management System (TIMS) card - </b>I've discussed <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/2013/09/costs-to-expect-on-everest-base-camp.html" target="_blank">in this blog post</a> more about the TIMS card, how much it costs and how to get one. If you've hired an agency, they will arrange to get this for you.</li>
<li><b>Sagarmatha Park entrance permit - </b>Same as the TIMS card above. <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/2013/09/costs-to-expect-on-everest-base-camp.html" target="_blank">Check my blog post</a> on how much it costs and how to get one.</li>
<li><b>map of Everest region</b> (optional but pretty good to have)</li>
<li><b>extra copies of your passport photo</b> (for your Nepal visa and TIMS card)</li>
<li><b>copy of your travel insurance policy</b></li>
<li><b>international flight e-ticket and domestic flight tickets</b> (in case you need them as reference)</li>
<li><b>money</b> - keep 'em safe and dry</li>
</ul>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">Toiletries & Personal Hygiene Items</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><br />
<ul>
<li><b>personal medical kit - </b>should contain the following: Diamox to counter altitude sickness (even if you don't plan on taking it, just have some on standby in case you do need it!); pain relief medicine for headache/migraine; medicine for diarrhea; oral rehydration salts (optional but good to have); medicine for cold, cough, fever and flu; multivitamins; bandaids, bandages, other medicine you may need</li>
<li><b>water purification tablets / Steripen</b> - I brought water purification tablets with me as an extra precaution but I opted to buy mineral water on the trail, even though this would cost me more. It all depends on each trekker's comfort level. My personal reasoning is this: I spent so much money for this trek. And if I happen not to make it to Base Camp because my drinking water was not 100% sterilized and I've managed to contract diarrhea, I have only myself to blame.</li>
<li><b>standard bath toiletries, toothbrush & toothpaste</b></li>
<li><b>1 to 2 large packs of baby wipes / anti-bacterial wipes - </b>your ultimate best friend on the trek especially on those days when you can't take a bath</li>
<li><b>toilet paper & tissue paper</b></li>
<li><b>quick-dry bath towel and face towel</b> - Don't bring the regular heavy bath towel, unless you want to deal with a soggy towel all throughout the trek. Those lightweight, quick-drying ones are the best.</li>
<li><b>sunblock - </b>The higher you ascend, the more exposed you are to the sun, even if it's abysmally cold and the sun doesn't seem to be anywhere in sight. Avoid being sunburned.<b> </b></li>
<li><b>hand sanitizer / isopropyl alcohol - </b>Sometimes there is no running water and soap in the teahouses for proper handwashing. You need to sanitize your hands to avoid diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems.</li>
<li><b>lip balm and </b><b>face moisturizer - </b>Really important. The cold will really dry up your face and lips.</li>
<li><b>small comb and mirror </b></li>
<li><b>deodorant</b></li>
</ul>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Other Travel Items</span></b><br />
<ul>
<li><b>camera w/ charger and spare battery - </b>It would be very tragic if you forgot this.<b> </b></li>
<li><b>books to read</b> - Rather than carry a bunch of books, bring an e-book reader! I always travel with my Kindle and I get a lot of reading done in the airports, on the plane, and in the teahouses. </li>
<li><b>guide book - </b>Optional but still nice to have. I brought my printed copy of <i>Lonely Planet Nepal</i> as well as a Kindle version. That's how I roll.</li>
<li><b>small journal and pen</b> - Even if you're not the type to write, a notebook will be handy to jot down your day-to-day notes or even your expenses on the trail.</li>
<li><b>energy bars / trail mix / chocolate - </b>The stuff you need to keep yourself happy and energized on the trek</li>
<li><b>playing cards </b></li>
<li><b>ziploc bags</b></li>
<li><b>medium or large clear plastic bags</b> - Preferably the ones that are sold in rolls (10-20 plastic bags per roll). Compartmentalize all your stuff and place them into medium or large plastic bags. Have one plastic bag contain all your clean indoor teahouse clothes. Have one bag with your towel and bath toiletries, another for your dirty clothes, and another for your toiletries, etc. At the end of each trekking day, you're quite exhausted and one of the last things you want to do is to keep rooting around in your bag, looking for all the stuff you need. Whenever I reach the teahouse, I'd easily be able to pull up whichever plastic bag I needed. This method saves me time, and I avoid having all my dirty and clean clothes mixed up. Biodegradable plastic bags are sold widely in groceries and supermarkets.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9699863855/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="my room inside Namche Bazaar teahouse"><img alt="my room inside Namche Bazaar teahouse" height="398" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2806/9699863855_d2f2f13f18_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside my nice, spacious room at the Namche Bazaar teahouse. I get a big bed--hooray. I'm usually a neat person, but <br />
the trek left me so tired every day, that I'd end up placing my stuff everywhere! Sorry for the mess. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<i>If you want the same Everest Base Camp trek experience I had, visit <a href="http://www.himalayanplanet.com/" target="_blank">Himalayan Planet Adventures</a> and go for the <a href="http://www.himalayanplanet.com/destinations/nepal/nepal-trekking/everest-base-camp-kalapathar-trek.html" target="_blank">16-day Everest Base Camp trek package</a>.</i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746930418479342693noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21043039.post-11260907148628099832013-09-03T21:21:00.000+08:002013-09-14T23:18:30.335+08:00How Much Does an Everest Base Camp Trek Cost?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>To read all posts on my Everest Base Camp trek, click <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/search/label/Everest%20Base%20Camp">here</a> for the complete series.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9651750957/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Dhan Kumar and Madan by gina_sales, on Flickr"><img alt="my porter Dhan Kumar and guide Madan" height="450" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3699/9651750957_e018806c76_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a 5 to 10-minute break in the middle of nowhere. With my porter Dhan Kumar (left) and guide Madan (right). That thing seen at a distance is a suspension bridge. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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People think an Everest Base Camp trek is costly. I always say it depends on where you're coming from. It's definitely not dirt cheap, but it's something you can realistically save up for. The biggest expense is airfare--so if you live in Asia like I do and you want to go on an EBC trek, consider yourself luckier than those living in North America and Europe.<br />
<br />
But if you remove airfare costs from the equation, here's how much you should budget for an Everest Base Camp trek:<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Guides and Porters. </span></b>Guides are normally paid anywhere in between US $20-40/day and porters for US $10-15/day, excluding tips. The fee already includes their food and teahouse lodgings. You can also hire a porter-guide (a combination of both) if all you need is just one person to accompany you. However, I wouldn't know how much a porter-guide would charge; I had a separate guide and a porter during my own EBC trek. (I was glad to have both. I didn't feel like carrying my own stuff which is about 10 kilos, since I had a fractured collarbone years back, and it has never really felt the same before the injury. Carried my own day pack though, which was about 3-5 kilos.) <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9167740600/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Everest Base Camp Trek - playing cards with my guide and porter"><img alt="Everest Base Camp Trek - playing cards with my guide and porter" height="265" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7449/9167740600_aa68ea99a6_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtime with Dhan Kumar and Madan. We normally play cards after a day's trek.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Standard tip is usually 20%, but if you are very happy with your guide and/or porter, 40% of the total fee would be great.<br />
<br />
I've been very lucky to have a really excellent guide and porter with me. We ate together, played cards until we couldn't see in the dark anymore, and we laughed on the trail a lot.<br />
<br />
Sometimes, while waiting for a herd of yaks to pass, we would dance to an invisible beat--or worse, they would teach me a Nepalese trekking song, and I'd fail horribly at memorizing the lyrics. The Nepalis are generally friendly people, so do take some time to know your guide and/or porter. They are going to be, after all, your companions for the entire 12-day trek, so it's good to establish a rapport with them.<br />
<br />
Side note: Porters usually carry a maximum load of 20 kilos, so in group treks, it is normal for two people to share a porter as long as the combined load doesn't exceed the maximum. I asked Dhan Kumar what's the heaviest non-trek-related load he's ever carried in his life, and he replied, "105 kilos." Super Sherpa indeed. But even if they've been doing this most of their lives, I really couldn't bear seeing so many porters carry heavy packs on the trail, and I felt relieved that Dhan Kumar only had to deal with my 10 kilos for the entire 12 days.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Food, Lodging, and Miscellaneous Items.</span></b> Budgeting for food and lodging can be a little tricky simply because things get more expensive as you go up. A 1-liter bottle of mineral water, for example, can cost 100 NPR (Nepalese Rupees) in Lukla, or US $1, but can go as high as 300 NPR (US $3) in Gorak Shep, past the 5,000-meter altitude level. Everything is carried up the mountains by yak or by Sherpas, so naturally, as goods get scarcer at certain heights, the price goes up as well.<br />
<br />
Here's a rough breakdown of how much things cost on the trail:<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9655418332/" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="price list at Tengboche teahouse by gina_sales, on Flickr"><img alt="price list at Tengboche teahouse" height="320" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5340/9655418332_74c37cff38_z.jpg" width="272" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cute price list at my teahouse in Tengboche. This is how <br />
much things cost at an elevation of 3,800 meters. Yes, I<br />
would love some eXpresso coffee!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>teahouse lodging: 350-500 NPR per room per night (w/ shared common toilet & shower) and 1,000-1,500 NPR per room per night (w/ private toilet & shower). But do not expect all teahouses to have rooms with private showers and toilets. Usually, the higher one goes up, the more basic the accommodations are. One to two persons can fit in 1 room, which is normally composed of 2 single beds, a side table and clothing hooks on the wall.</li>
<li>food: 200-500 NPR per meal (when you reach Lobuche and Gorak Shep, meals start to be 400-500 NPR each)</li>
<li>water: 100-300 NPR per 1-liter bottle</li>
<li>hot tea/chocolate/coffee: 100-200 NPR per cup, 200-400 NPR per pot, 300-600 NPR per thermos</li>
<li><a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/2013/07/everest-base-camp-trek-day-7-dugla-pass.html" target="_blank">bucket shower / gas shower</a>: 200-500 NPR</li>
<li>battery charging: 100-300 NPR per hour</li>
<li>Wi-Fi: 100-300 NPR per hour</li>
<li>a bar of chocolate: I remember paying 100 NPR per bar at lower levels, and around 300 NPR for a bar of Bounty chocolate past Tengboche! </li>
</ul>
<br />
Expect to spend US $15 per day on food, lodgings and other optional niceties (as mentioned above) during the first 3 days, and then around US $18-25 per day as you go higher. Again, these are estimates, as the prices are not all the same as you go up and down the Everest trail.<br />
<br />
It's okay to have a tight budget, but try and 'treat' yourself to something nice once in a while (like a hot shower or a pot of tea). When you're tired from a day's trek or just feeling really crummy at some point, it's the little treats that help you feel better.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Other Expenses.</span></b> A roundtrip domestic Kathmandu-Lukla flight costs around US $324 (new rate as of September 1, 2013), while costs for trekking cards and entrance fee to the Sagarmatha (Everest) region vary, depending if you're trekking independently or through an agency. The required Trekkers' Information Management System (TIMS) card can be acquired at Kathmandu or at a sort of registration/check point in Monjo before reaching Namche Bazaar. This card allows the government to keep track of all trekkers within the Sagarmatha Region for safety reasons. A blue TIMS card like mine (around US $10) is issued to trekkers using the services of a trek agency, while a green card (around US $20) is given to independent trekkers. The yellow slip is the entrance permit which costs about US $28 (3,000 NPR). <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ktbyCTa7VELLO8fb98qqz1cQAFhYlnjxbyD8ykXYvDrKH9fN3w7lmhBNv9BEq4-Met8CMFizAxRIIaTMsWrhE6h_9Wnj3jMOLazuIE1BMeD8m-mJAl5SN7OYk-E9ekoy6YtkEQ/s1600/edited_aTIMS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ktbyCTa7VELLO8fb98qqz1cQAFhYlnjxbyD8ykXYvDrKH9fN3w7lmhBNv9BEq4-Met8CMFizAxRIIaTMsWrhE6h_9Wnj3jMOLazuIE1BMeD8m-mJAl5SN7OYk-E9ekoy6YtkEQ/s640/edited_aTIMS.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry, had to remove my passport-sized photo here. I mean, let's face it. Nobody looks good in their passport photo, <br />
and nobody wants to broadcast that kind of photo to the rest of the world.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And don't forget to buy travel insurance before setting out on a trek. I paid US $95 for <a href="http://www.worldnomads.com/travel-insurance/" target="_blank">World Nomads travel insurance</a>, which is recommended by Lonely Planet, as this covers adventure sports and activities such as hiking up to 6,000 meters. Good for you if you can find travel insurance in your own country that supports such 'risky' activities. I couldn't find any in the Philippines! Fortunately, you can buy a World Nomads insurance policy online, even on the day before you travel.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">So what's the total?</span></b> If you do end up trekking independently (meaning you hire your own guide and/or porter, and do all food and lodging arrangements by yourself) and not go through an agency, <u><span style="font-size: large;">you'll spend a total of around US $1,000-$1,250 on the Everest Base Camp trek</span></u>, excluding international flights and hotel/hostel lodgings in Kathmandu. The said trek costs can go lower if you share a room with someone.<br />
<br />
P.S. If you live in Asia and you're looking for budget airfare to Nepal, AirAsia offers the cheapest flight I've seen so far via the Kuala Lumpur-Kathmandu-Kuala Lumpur leg. Now, all you have to figure out (if you're not based in Malaysia) is to find a cheap plane ride from your own country to KL. FYI, I traveled via Thai Airways, but in hindsight, I should have done the whole AirAsia thing to save more on costs.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What I spent.</b></span> To be honest, I learned about some of the above-mentioned prices by asking fellow trekkers while I was on the trail; I also took down notes on costs of food and miscellaneous items I saw on teahouses along the way. However, I did <i>not</i> trek independently because I opted to have all logistics done through a local Nepalese trekking agency, <a href="http://www.himalayanplanet.com/" target="_blank">Himalayan Planet Adventures</a>. Arranging things through an agency is admittedly pricier, but it was the right decision for me. I did not want the hassle of looking for my own guide and porter, nor did I want to find a teahouse at the end of each trekking day and settle the bills for food and lodging every single morning.<br />
<br />
When I arranged for this EBC trek, my 33rd birthday was coming up, and I wanted to treat myself and allow for a no-hassle type of trek. (Just to let you know what kind of traveler I am, I went DIY and backpacked independently in Western Europe and in other parts of Asia. As for Egypt, being a Muslim country with safety requirements, I arranged for a local Egyptian agency to take me around Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel and the White Desert.)<br />
<br />
And when I computed the difference between <a href="http://www.himalayanplanet.com/destinations/nepal/nepal-trekking/everest-base-camp-kalapathar-trek.html" target="_blank">the Everest Base Camp trekking package I got</a> and the expected costs of trekking independently, the price difference wasn't much <i>in my own opinion</i>. The full package cost included my 4-star hotel in Kathmandu (splurged a bit in celebration of my birthday!), teahouse lodgings for the whole 12-day trek, guide and porter fees, all permits and fees, domestic flights, airport transfers, and other nice inclusions. The package allowed me to pick ANY food item on the menu in any teahouse I was in, and I could also have my choice of hot drink with each meal plus a bowl of soup a day. This may not seem much of an advantage when you're in lower altitude levels, but food costs tend to add up as you ascend. (I think three square meals at Gorak Shep already cost 1,700 NPR, including the hot drinks.)<br />
<br />
You can also arrange with your local trek agency to offer 3-star Kathmandu hotel or hostel lodgings in the package instead of 4-star/5-star accommodations. They are pretty flexible and can handle reasonable travel requests easily.<br />
<br />
Miscellaneous expenses I shelled out personally were mineral water, hot showers, energy treats (like chocolate), toilet paper, battery charging and Wi-Fi. Depending on how much of a shutter bug you are and how long your camera battery lasts, expect to charge 2-3 times on the way up to base camp. Better yet, bring a fully-charged spare batt to save on charging costs.<br />
<br />
To each his own, really. To me (and I'm sure other trekkers would share my opinion), there is great value in going through a local agency.<br />
<br />
But not all trekkers are the same, nor do we all have the same kind of budget or the same idea on how an adventure like Everest Base Camp should be. Some even choose to really rough it and go camping all the way up! (Which is surprisingly MORE expensive than the regular teahouse trek, by the way.) So choose whichever trekking option suits you best.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9165258943/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Everest Base Camp trek - a typical teahouse dining hall"><img alt="Everest Base Camp trek - a typical teahouse dining hall" height="391" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3775/9165258943_ce37a4fa22_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical teahouse common dining hall. Food is cooked and served here. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
* * *<br />
<br />
<i>If you want the same Everest Base Camp trek experience I had, visit <a href="http://www.himalayanplanet.com/" target="_blank">Himalayan Planet Adventures</a> and go for the <a href="http://www.himalayanplanet.com/destinations/nepal/nepal-trekking/everest-base-camp-kalapathar-trek.html" target="_blank">16-day Everest Base Camp trek package</a>.</i><br />
<br />
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<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746930418479342693noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21043039.post-16599446011213235192013-08-28T22:49:00.001+08:002013-09-08T22:42:46.600+08:00Everest Base Camp Trek - Days 9 to 12: The Journey Back to Lukla<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>To read all posts on my Everest Base Camp trek, click <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/search/label/Everest%20Base%20Camp">here</a> for the complete series.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9165469957/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Everest Base Camp Trek - at Pheriche heading down to Tengboche"><img alt="Everest Base Camp Trek - at Pheriche heading down to Tengboche" height="373" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7395/9165469957_92d1780e89_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Pheriche (4,200 meters / 13,776 feet), heading back down to Tengboche. Dhan Kumar ahead of the pack, as usual.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i></i><br />
<b>Days 9 to 12: June 6-9, 2013</b><br />
<br />
After the exhilaration of reaching Everest Base Camp (and writing about it), I know it seems a bit anti-climactic to cover the 4-day trek back to Lukla. But for the sake of people who happen to drop by this little blog and are wondering what to expect after reaching the foot of Mount Everest --well, here it is.<br />
<br />
As I've mentioned in previous posts, it takes eight days to reach EBC and four days back down, covering almost the same path. Why four days only? Naturally, descent is faster, and as you go further down, more oxygen starts to fill up your lungs. This then results in your body recovering from oxygen deprivation and you begin to feel a whole lot better. Just doing a descent of 600-900 meters already does wonders.<br />
<br />
As I trekked for four days from Gorak Shep to Pheriche to Tengboche to Monjo and back to Lukla, I was feeling stronger, faster. The triumph of reaching Everest Base Camp erased all remaining worries from my head about altitude sickness because I was heading "down" already. "Down" meant lower altitude but it did not take away the fact that I still had to deal with alternating uphills and downhills on the way back.<br />
<br />
But the body does recover significantly better after descending from a height of 5,000+ meters, so even the uphills at lower levels did not bother me anymore. I was practically cruising along the path, despite the pressure on the knees during some places where we were doing continuous descents.<br />
<br />
By this time, I was more comfortable about the path ahead; I could afford to tune out a bit from the rest of the world, put on my earphones, and listen to music on my iPhone. I let Madan and Dhan Kumar walk ahead and I just followed them, enjoying some music at last. I had been music-deprived for the past eight days because I was conserving phone battery most of the time and I did not want any distractions on the path heading up to Base Camp.<br />
<br />
On Day 9, as we headed down to Pheriche, I slipped on a part of the path that was muddy and I fell on my butt. We weren't even in completely muddy terrain. And then 30 minutes later, I tripped on a root because I was too busy singing along to The Strokes.<br />
<br />
Madan and Dhan Kumar had worried looks on their faces, but I was laughing as I hauled myself up on those two occasions. I had gone up to Everest Base Camp without falling and without any serious injuries. But here I was, the day after, falling on the ground twice. So lesson learned here is: remain safe and cautious on the trek even after you've achieved Base Camp!<br />
<br />
They were my last--and only--minor accidents throughout the whole 12-day trek. I think I've done extremely well in this trip, just getting away with two minor incidents and a blister on my right foot. I didn't even feel any sprain on the ankle nor did my butt hurt afterwards. Overall, I've been one hell of a lucky girl.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Fellow trekkers</b><br />
<br />
I kept running into trekkers who were on their way to Base Camp and I made sure to say hello to all of them. I was basically paying it forward. Many times along the path up to EBC, trekkers who were heading back to Lukla would greet me and wish me luck. When you're struggling with the altitude and the uphills, a cheery greeting from a stranger is sometimes all you need to feel better. The community spirit is incredible up in the Himalayas, and any well-meaning traveler would simply want their fellow trekkers to stay safe on the path.<br />
<br />
Two guys asked me how far it would take to reach Gorak Shep, and it felt nice to help and give them advice. An American also asked me about the weather conditions in Everest Base Camp; he was to reach it in the next one or two days, and was also planning on summitting nearby Mount Kala Pattar (5,555 meters / 18,204 feet).<br />
<br />
A Chinese national also approached me back down at Thukla; he thought I was Chinese too. I wished him luck and watched him take on that difficult hill up to Dugla Pass on an extremely foggy day. I knew all too well how that hill was such a challenge.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Tengboche</b><br />
<br />
Tengboche is one of the most picturesque places in the entire Everest Base Camp trail, so if you're doing the trek, make sure to stop here for a day to really see the area. I passed through Tengboche back in Day 4 on the way to Pangboche, but it was only for lunch. Now that we were journeying back to Lukla, it was great to arrive here in the early afternoon of Day 10, check in at our Tengboche teahouse for an overnight stay and stroll around this small village settlement.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9167682232/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Everest Base Camp Trek - picturesque Tengboche Village"><img alt="Everest Base Camp Trek - picturesque Tengboche Village" height="356" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7392/9167682232_e5d4e970e5_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Tengboche, which boasts of stunning views of Mounts Thamserku, Everest, Ama Dablam and Lhotse. In this photo, Everest is that small peak in the middle before it gets hidden by the clouds. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Madan took me to the Tengboche Monastery, where, at 3:00 pm, guests are allowed to hear the monks chanting from their prayer books. It is a beautiful and solemn ceremony. I sat there with fellow trekkers, entranced by what seemed like a graceful, never ending ebb and flow of words being chanted by the head monk, with the other monks seamlessly joining in on the chanting at certain moments. The chanting was rapid--so rapid that it had a hypnotic humming-like quality to it.<br />
<br />
We were not allowed to take photos or record anything during the ceremony. Only after it was done could we take photos of the prayer room.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9165467263/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Tengboche Monastery along the Everest Base Camp trail"><img alt="Tengboche Monastery along the Everest Base Camp trail" height="398" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5541/9165467263_d96ca73c09_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tengboche Monastery's prayer room with its intricate interior art</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9165468015/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Tengboche Monastery along the Everest Base Camp trail"><img alt="Tengboche Monastery along the Everest Base Camp trail" height="378" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5488/9165468015_01f841f245_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A shrine on one end of the prayer room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The owner of the teahouse we stayed in (with the very original name of Tengboche Guest House) was a bustling, motherly woman who prepared for me the most delicious hot chocolate and dal bhat ever. I was indeed a happy camper in Tengboche.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Reaching Lukla -- and the Delayed Flight Back to Kathmandu</b><br />
<br />
The air became significantly warmer in the last two days of the trek. Stuffed my gloves, wool hat, and fleece jacket into my day pack as we went past Monjo and were nearing Lukla. We covered around 7 to 8 hours of trekking that last day.<br />
<br />
When I did my final uphill and crossed the archway leading into Lukla, I was close to tears because I had really, truly completed what I had obsessively set out to do. I suppose Everest Base Camp puts every trekker in a highly emotional state. I know <i>I</i> was feeling all sorts of things as I crossed that archway --triumph, exhilaration, exhaustion mixed with an unusual feeling of superhuman strength, and even a growing anxiety over bidding the Himalayan landscape goodbye very soon. <br />
<br />
This 12-day experience remains to be one of my life's proudest moments, because not everyone can say they've been there and done it. It is naturally not the same as the sweet victory of summiting Everest, but hey, Everest Base Camp is still not an easy trek and it never will be.<br />
<br />
We stayed again at The Nest in Lukla, and had a celebratory pizza and pasta dinner that evening. Madan was to fly back with me to Kathmandu the next day but I knew it was Dhan Kumar's last night with us, so I was feeling some sort of separation anxiety already about my porter, who was like a younger brother to me all throughout the trek.<br />
<br />
But then, I was meant to stay another day in Lukla because as luck would really have it, there have been no flights out of Lukla for the past 7 or 8 days. I woke up the next day and knew immediately, upon seeing the thick fog that enveloped the entire town, that flying out on a plane was a no-go. This was a scenario I was indeed expecting months back when I was planning the trip, but I still had trouble believing I was in that unfortunate situation.<br />
<br />
Spent that day fretting and making calls to my travel agent, who was on standby to rebook my international flight should I really be stuck in Lukla for a while. Madan was on the phone with Naba, coordinating for a possible helicopter ride out the next day for me. He also made sure that I was on the first flight out the next day, should the weather indeed allow planes to fly.<br />
<br />
Once more, I really appreciated the value of having a guide and a trekking agency to handle such logistics in my behalf. I think many trekkers can do such arrangements themselves, but that does create some additional stress. And when you've just completed a 12-day trek and you're physically and mentally exhausted, one of the last things you'd feel like doing is arranging transport logistics for a way out of Lukla.<br />
<br />
Unbelievably enough, the skies were clear the next day. Madan and I found ourselves rushing up the steps heading to the Tenzing-Hillary airport of Lukla along with other stranded trekkers and locals -- all of us so eager to fly out to Kathmandu. I was only stuck in Lukla for a day, but I can just imagine how others (who may have been stranded for days and could not afford a chopper ride) were desperate to leave. When the siren sounded--indicating that the first flight will proceed as scheduled--everyone in the airport actually cheered.<br />
<br />
Never expect things to be completely dull up in the Himalayas.<br />
<br />
The first plane came and landed, bearing passengers from Kathmandu. We were to ride on that plane heading back to the capital. The time it took to land, taxi, for the ground crew to handle baggage and for the outbound passengers to finally board took all of 20 minutes. TWENTY MINUTES! Gadzooks. I had never seen such incredible turnaround time ever. And by the time we were boarding, the second plane had arrived and was taxiing up the short runway. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9616029428/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="leaving Lukla"><img alt="leaving Lukla" height="450" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7376/9616029428_fee7dfe168_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boarding the plane for the flight back to Kathmandu. Bye bye Lukla! Bye bye Himalayas!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As the plane effortlessly took to the skies, I sat and craned my neck for glimpses of Everest and its neighboring mountains--these beautiful giants which I spent the past 12 or so days with. Reaching Base Camp was insanely hard, and it's honestly no picnic all throughout -- but I understand now the incredible lure of the Himalayas and why people keep coming back to this country. I thought doing Everest Base Camp this year would be my first and last time to see Nepal (as there are so many other countries I want to visit in my life), but I found myself already planning on when to see the Himalayas again while sitting on the plane.<br />
<br />
The Nepalese language does not have any exact word for the term 'goodbye.' This seems wonderfully appropriate somehow because one can never really say goodbye to Nepal anyway. <i>Namaste</i> means hello in Nepali, and it is also what the locals say as a form of goodbye. And <i>pheri bhetaula</i> means 'see you again.'<br />
<br />
So yes, there are no goodbyes for you, Nepal -- just '<i>namaste, pheri bhetaula</i>' because I know that I'll be seeing you again someday.<br />
<br />
* * *<br />
<br />
<i>If you want the same Everest Base Camp trek experience I had, visit <a href="http://www.everestbasecamp.travel/" target="_blank">Himalayan Planet Adventures</a> and go for the <a href="http://www.everestbasecamp.travel/nepal/nepal+trekking+holiday/everest+base+camp+kalapathar+trek-136/" target="_blank">16-day Everest Base Camp trek package</a>.</i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746930418479342693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21043039.post-87547213671529253732013-08-09T23:33:00.000+08:002013-08-10T01:59:49.864+08:00Everest Base Camp Trek - Day 8: I finally reach Base Camp!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>To read all posts on my Everest Base Camp trek, click <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/search/label/Everest%20Base%20Camp">here</a> for the complete series.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9165482925/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Everest Base Camp trek: the road out of Lobuche"><img alt="Everest Base Camp trek: the road out of Lobuche" height="361" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3816/9165482925_d5d09ac848_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cloudy day. The trek from Lobuche to Everest Base Camp started okay, but would progressively get harder as the day wore on.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i></i><i><br /></i>
<b>Day 8: June 5, 2013</b><br />
<i><br /></i>
Normally on my birthday, I would wake up to the sound of my phone incessantly beeping, with people greeting me on SMS or on Facebook. Or my younger sisters would be waking me up by leaping onto the bed and yelling out, "Happy Birthday!"<br />
<br />
On my 33rd birthday, in Lobuche, I woke up to an eerily quiet morning with the sun's rays entering through the windows of my cold, tiny room. It was a strange feeling. I stayed in bed for a little while longer, absorbing the fact that I was now 33 and that I would be climbing up to Everest Base Camp that same day. I wanted to reach EBC very, very badly, and it felt like it was <i>the </i>birthday gift that would make me work the hardest to deserve.<br />
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Sadly enough, I couldn't get a bath on my birthday (of all days!), so once more I had to resort to my best friend--a huge pack of antibacterial wet wipes. As I dressed, I moved my phone to a spot in the room that had some mobile signal. And then all the SMS notifications started coming in. They were a mix of birthday greetings and of concerned messages from people asking me if I was still alive. <br />
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At breakfast, Madan and Dhan Kumar were there to greet me a happy birthday with amiable smiles and in their typically gentle Nepalese tone of voice--so different from my sisters' grand attempts to wake up the neighbors with their loud birthday greetings.<br />
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The plan that day was to trek for two hours from Lobuche to Gorak Shep (elevation: 5,160 meters / 16,929 feet), have lunch, and then trek for 2-3 hours more to Everest Base Camp. After EBC, we would head back to Gorak Shep and stay there for the night.<br />
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For obvious reasons, this was going to be a day I would never forget. The moment we left the basic comforts of our Lobuche teahouse, I was instantly swallowed up by the wilderness. Extremely thin air, cold wind, fog, some rain, rocky trails--you name it, I got it all on my birthday.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9167702036/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="the uphill path to Gorak Shep"><img alt="the uphill path to Gorak Shep" height="405" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3825/9167702036_ea60a646f7_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This hill looks small but it took more than 1 hour to climb to the top due to the altitude.</td></tr>
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The air was getting thinner and thinner and every gasp of breath was precious. Worse, I learned that day from trail guides we encountered on the path that two trekkers had died very recently and never made it to base camp. One was a 22-year-old female (I never got to know what her nationality was) who reached only as far as Lobuche and had to be rushed down to Pheriche due to severe altitude sickness. But by then, it was way too late for her. The other trekker was a <a href="http://www.nst.com.my/latest/font-color-red-everest-tragedy-font-body-of-everest-climber-flown-home-tomorrow-1.293471" target="_blank">25-year-old Malaysian man, who also fell ill at Lobuche and died shortly thereafter</a>--a full day before I had arrived there.<br />
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I was distraught. Two casualties--and very young people at that--already within this short span of time. I remembered the group of strong Malaysians I was with on the plane to Lukla, and I wondered if the 25-year-old was part of that group and if they had gone up the trail too fast without much acclimatization--leaving one dead and apparently another person in their group critically ill.<br />
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Now that I was on my eight trekking day, I was bone-tired and just ready to complete what I had set out to do. I hadn't expected such terrible news on my birthday, but instead of freaking out in a major way, I just turned to my guide and porter and said almost wearily, "I don't want to die on my birthday. Let's just make it to Base Camp safely and without any rush, please."<br />
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Of course, I was lucky to have such supportive companions who watched over me constantly. As we negotiated the uphill, windy path to Gorak Shep, I made sure to take it easy. On the slopes of a difficult hill, I ran into the Chinese trekker I met back in Dingboche. He was beaming as he shook hands with me; he had reached Everest Base Camp yesterday, and said it was beautiful. I was relieved to see a familiar, friendly face in the cold wilderness and was almost reluctant to see him leave as he bade me farewell and wished me luck.<br />
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By the time we reached Gorak Shep, I was ready to collapse. In my breathless, exhausted state, I couldn't believe that I needed to trek three more hours to Everest Base Camp and another three on the way back. Lunch at Gorak Shep was vegetable fried rice, and I could only eat one-thirds of my meal. My appetite was completely f*cked up at this point, and I had to practically force-feed myself. I wouldn't have even been surprised anymore if Madan or Dhan Kumar had started shoving the rice into my mouth, because we all knew we had to massively carbo-load for the 3-hour ordeal ahead.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9165477171/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="The Himalayas"><img alt="The Himalayas" height="395" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2848/9165477171_c0626325fa_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The great Himalayas right before me</td></tr>
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The path from Gorak Shep to Everest Base Camp was difficult--and rightfully so. Just like in the books and in the movies, it only made sense that the most challenging part of any journey would be the very last stretch. Those three lonely hours in that barren wasteland were unforgettable. I kept my head slightly down to block off the wind, and I just concentrated on putting one foot ahead of the other. One, two, one, two, one two, I counted numbly in my head. By then, conversation amongst the three of us had whittled down to utter silence, and I was lost in my own thoughts as I shuffled up the path.<br />
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I normally walk fast in my country, but here, at more than 5,000 meters above sea level in a climate so foreign to me, I was walking uphill at the pace of a 60-year-old--yet my heart was pounding like I was running 5 minutes per kilometer. I was alarmed at the beating of my heart, and forced myself to breathe regularly even though I felt I couldn't fill up my lungs anymore because of the thin air. We passed stunningly beautiful glaciers, and every 10 minutes or so, we would hear a booming sound. Rocks were falling from nearby hills and mountains. It was terrifying. On that barren path with the jagged, icy peaks of the Himalayas surrounding us, I had never felt so small and insignificant in my life.<br />
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Finally, we came across these massive rock boulders that we had to scramble over, and Madan said we were very near. Well, this trek sure never made anything easy, even in the last eight minutes before reaching base camp.<br />
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As I crossed and entered Everest Base Camp territory, Madan and Dhan Kumar were standing there with smiles on their faces. They had been to EBC countless of times--so this particular day meant hardly anything to them--but I knew they were happy for me. I wasn't the type to throw my trekking poles into the air and scream in pure joy that I've made it. I just stood still and enjoyed that moment of triumph quietly. I even patted the general area where my scar is--a small tradition I always carry out every time I accomplish something major physically. Profound relief coursed through my body as I drew yet another ragged breath and said to myself, "Well, that's that. I've finally done it."<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9167690598/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="I finally reach Everest Base Camp"><img alt="I finally reach Everest Base Camp" height="338" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3742/9167690598_be28a00727_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I finally reach Everest Base Camp! Elevation: 5,364 meters (17,598 feet) above sea level</td></tr>
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Everest Base Camp was desolate and treacherous-looking with no other signs of life. No camping tents, no prayer flags, since the yearly expedition to the summit of Mt. Everest only takes place around May. For the rest of the year, the camp is usually bare. It is a place that is terribly beautiful to behold during the monsoon season: a barren, rocky land with swirling mists, the clouds lying so low, and with no sound save for the wind and our voices. It is quite deadly, with only around 50 percent available oxygen in its atmosphere compared with that of sea level; at the summit of Mt. Everest, oxygen supply level is only at one-thirds.<br />
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I had not expected the Khumbu Icefall to be so near, yet there it was--a mass of treacherous, jagged ice right in front of me leading all the way up and disappearing into the clouds where my eyes could not follow. The Khumbu Icefall is the first stretch that any Everest summitter normally encounters, and it is one of the deadliest, most technical aspects of a summit expedition on this south side of Everest (the northern one being on the Tibet side). The path is hardly ever the same, as glaciers move over time--more so when the sun is out and the ice melts inch by inch--thus making the Khumbu Icefall a dangerous, unpredictable path to cross.<br />
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After taking in my surroundings, I broke into a huge smile and called out, "Hey, Dhan Kumar, remember your promise?"<br />
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Early in the trek (on day 3 in Kyanjuma I think), Dhan Kumar and I had struck a deal. If I made it to Everest Base Camp safe and sound, we would have our picture taken together--that of him carrying me on his back. And so Madan stood there, ready to take the long-awaited photo. I laughed delightedly as Dhan Kumar bent slightly backwards and hauled me effortlessly up onto his back. We were in a fit of hysterics by then, and it was a miracle my porter had not dropped me. It actually hurt to laugh, given the limited oxygen in the air.<br />
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And then it was time for my photo with Madan, whose presence I'm always grateful for. He literally and mentally kept me alive on the trail, with his great guiding skills, his jokes, and his mischievous card-dealing tricks.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9165471395/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="with my porter Dhan Kumar at Everest Base Camp"><img alt="with my porter Dhan Kumar at Everest Base Camp" height="452" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3711/9165471395_29b6c3442a_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was very windy and abysmally cold, but we still had a great time at Everest Base Camp. With my Sherpa porter Dhan Kumar.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9167691248/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="with my guide Madan at Everest Base Camp"><img alt="with my guide Madan at Everest Base Camp" height="467" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7368/9167691248_9436907289_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Madan, my guide and constant companion on the trail to Everest Base Camp </td></tr>
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I had finally achieved what I wanted to do after months of preparation, which was to reach Everest on my birthday. I may not have been the fastest, the strongest or the fittest trekker, but I had done it. And I had the most wonderful companions to thank for, for making the journey less difficult with their friendship and the endless laughs we shared.<br />
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If Everest Base Camp were easy, everyone else would have made it there. But it isn't easy at all--as most hard-earned goals are meant to be--and the ones who do make it are not necessarily the ultra athletic type. I've heard real stories of these super trekkers--young and incredibly fit--who had been forced to turn back before reaching Base Camp because their bodies couldn't handle it. High altitude affects everyone in different ways, and I felt proud that I had gone this far physically and mentally, armed with my usual determination (or stubbornness?) and a natural disposition to endure anything thrown my way. <br />
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Horribly cliched as it sounds, it is true nevertheless: the whole experience really was not just about the destination but also in the journey getting there. And as I made my way back to Gorak Shep for another 3-hour trek, I knew Everest had given me a lifetime of getting-there memories to keep.<br />
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<i>If you want the same Everest Base Camp trek experience I had, visit <a href="http://www.everestbasecamp.travel/" target="_blank">Himalayan Planet Adventures</a> and go for the <a href="http://www.everestbasecamp.travel/nepal/nepal+trekking+holiday/everest+base+camp+kalapathar+trek-136/" target="_blank">16-day Everest Base Camp trek package</a>.</i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746930418479342693noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21043039.post-1502355258861756322013-07-30T23:45:00.000+08:002013-07-31T02:25:18.356+08:00Everest Base Camp Trek - Day 7: Dugla Pass and the Trek to Lobuche <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>To read all posts on my Everest Base Camp trek, click <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/search/label/Everest%20Base%20Camp">here</a> for the complete series.</i><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9165491817/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="on the trail to Everest Base Camp"><img alt="on the trail to Everest Base Camp" height="388" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7386/9165491817_d57157aef0_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful paths situated between Dingboche and Lobuche. My guide Madan is the blue figure on the right.</td></tr>
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<b>Day 7: June 4, 2013</b><br />
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I decided to start the day right with a bucket shower.<br />
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I don't know about other trekkers, but I would not have been able to survive the whole 12 days without a single bath. I am simply not programmed to give up any precious opportunity to have a shower. During this trek, I've been lucky so far to be staying in teahouses where the common toilets are situated inside, and not in outhouses that would require you to run out into the brutally cold night with headlamps on to answer the call of nature. (This also has a lot to do with how good your trek agency is in reserving teahouse rooms for you, and I feel lucky that Himalayan Planet Adventures always made sure I had a good bed and decent toilet waiting for me at the end of each trekking day.) And I was also able to shower 8 out of the 12 days on the trail, which ain't pretty bad!<br />
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A bucket shower, I was to learn, is different from a gas shower--the latter being quite a luxury and practically non-existent this high up on the trail. The bucket shower, while very basic, has its charms.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9165492325/" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Nepalese bucket shower at Dingboche"><img alt="Nepalese bucket shower at Dingboche" height="320" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5483/9165492325_7a48aa807d_z.jpg" width="313" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The amazing bucket shower -- Nepali-style</td></tr>
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My bucket shower at the Dingboche teahouse consists of this contraption: a huge water drum on top of the teahouse roof with a hose connecting it to a shower head inside the common bathroom. Someone from the teahouse heats up water from the yak stove, carries the hot water buckets up to the roof, and fills up the water drum. All I need to do is switch on a valve inside the shower room and there you have it--hot water flowing from the water drum and right out of the shower head. It's really and truly a bucket shower! Quite ingenious and worth the price of 500 Nepalese rupees (USD 5-6). The rest of the world--especially in areas with no running water--stand to learn a lot from the Nepalis. I simply had to tell my UNICEF colleagues in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Section back in Manila about the bucket shower.<br />
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I breakfasted on milk porridge (otherwise known as oatmeal!) and hot chocolate that day. For the next few days until I returned to Kathmandu, I could <i>not</i> stomach anything else in the morning except oatmeal and hot chocolate. And I could never, ever finish my breakfast. Madan, ever the watchful guide, had this sort of disapproving look on his face every time I pushed away my bowl of barely eaten milk porridge; he would remind me that I needed energy to keep me going through the trek. What could I do, my appetite has failed me, I'd always say. I could only manage, at best, a few spoonfuls of oatmeal and a small cup of hot chocolate.<br />
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I had also gone without coffee for days, which was difficult and mind-blowing for a coffee addict like me. I had to actually stop drinking coffee around Day 3 because it was contributing to the palpitations I was already feeling high up on the trail. High altitude + coffee is a disaster waiting to happen.<br />
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We left Dingboche at 9:00 am, and even with the cold and mist, it was still a pleasant walking experience. The road to Thukla, our lunch stop, involved a green hilly landscape that eased my trek-weary state a little. But even with the easy rolling path, I had to stop walking every 10 minutes or so to catch my breath. The air was getting too thin for comfort.<br />
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Five minutes away from Thukla, we had to cross this horribly makeshift bridge of uneven rocks right above the river. Some parts were rocks, a short stretch involved thin rickety planks, and then there was some wire wrapped around the rocks to keep these steady and from eroding. Trip on those wires and you might end up falling into the river.<br />
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I wasn't able to take a photo of this bridge because I was, uh, busy keeping my balance and trying not to scream in terror. I've borrowed a photo of this Thukla bridge from another blog just to give you folks an idea of what the bridge looked like. (It really looks scarier in real life, to be honest.). Special thanks to Kwok Yeen Cheah of Outdoors Malaysia, <a href="http://outdoorsmalaysia.blogspot.com/2012/09/everest-base-camp-struck-off-bucket_24.html" target="_blank">who also writes about his Everest Base Camp experience</a>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRk8-sYHB2T6_qIaY5FS2P6S0-ryptytvtVRx3WnTll4V3VASuH4QhJAY_PHx5aHvo4Md4rkSc0V6YMKqRLjRp4MHCitWV6gKxQN_Q_1g9PBqBtKCmpTPge5LalJ3-b6TLRVJ1rQ/s1600/Thukla+bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRk8-sYHB2T6_qIaY5FS2P6S0-ryptytvtVRx3WnTll4V3VASuH4QhJAY_PHx5aHvo4Md4rkSc0V6YMKqRLjRp4MHCitWV6gKxQN_Q_1g9PBqBtKCmpTPge5LalJ3-b6TLRVJ1rQ/s640/Thukla+bridge.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge at Thukla. Photo Credit: Kwok Yeen Cheah, Outdoors Malaysia (2012)</td></tr>
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I thought the bridge was going to be the highlight of Day 7, but the Himalayas had more in store for me apparently. After lunch, I went through what I felt was one of the toughest uphills I've ever encountered. It was the same brand of misery I felt on Day 2, and the climb to the top of the hill is something I can't forget.<br />
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I was stopping every two minutes during that climb to gasp and breathe in lungfuls of air. It didn't help that my nose was terribly clogged and it hurt to blow my nose all the time. The difficulty of that afternoon's walk had nothing to do with the terrain, which looked like your typical rocky hill with some steep inclines. But the altitude level had gotten so bad that no matter how I tried to fill up my lungs, I realized to my dismay that not much air was flowing in. And I had actually thought that the air back in Dingboche was already thin to begin with.<br />
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The cold and the thin air left me numb. I was on auto pilot, dragging my feet up the hill and regulating my breathing as best as I could. It reached the point where I was solely, desperately focusing on breathing in, breathing out while my arms and legs went through the automated motions of working the trekking poles and climbing up the path. Nothing else mattered to me except the sound of my attempts to breathe evenly. I thought about all those hours I spent in the 40-degree heated bikram yoga studio back in Manila, doing all those breathing sessions--and I fervently thanked all my yoga instructors then and there for teaching me how to breathe properly.<br />
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Dhan Kumar had gone way ahead and I was to see him later after a few hours. I asked Madan to stay in front of me, as always, because I relied on him to show me the path amidst the fog that was enveloping us on all sides on that hill. Because there was no energy left for talking during that excruciating climb that took more than an hour, I just concentrated on breathing. When I stopped along the path to take a break and blow my nose, I would allow myself the most banal of thoughts, like if something bad happened to me, I'd probably never find out how Holmes cheated death in his fall in <i>Sherlock</i>'s Season 2. I also wondered, fleetingly, how the rest of the world was reacting, now that HBO's <i>Game of Thrones</i> had just aired the Red Wedding episode a few days ago--and if it was as graphic as the scene in the novel.<br />
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When I finally made it to the top, Madan was waiting for me by this long rock ledge that was momentarily blocking out most of the wind. I gladly sat down beside him to take in more breaths of air (which was barely there) and take stock of my surroundings. What I saw sent a little chill to my heart.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9167710170/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="memorials for Everest summiteers"><img alt="memorials for Everest summiteers" height="426" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7377/9167710170_5d52b1e085_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Dugla Pass, a place full of memorials for those who died on Everest</td></tr>
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There, on top of that hill, in the swirling mist, was a graveyard of sorts. The place is called Dugla Pass, and it was where many of the memorials are placed in honor of those who summitted Everest and died shortly thereafter. It was depressing to wander about and read the epitaphs--sobering reminders of how deadly and treacherous Mount Everest can be.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9165489183/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="memorials for Everest summiteers"><img alt="memorials for Everest summiteers" height="398" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3792/9165489183_0de0c54665_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many memorials at Dugla Pass</td></tr>
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It was only 3:00 pm, yet the fog and dark sky that day made us feel that we needed to hurry along and reach Lobuche as soon as possible. Mercifully enough, the next one and a half hours was spent on a rocky, yet relatively flat expanse of land. Dhan Kumar, always with a boyish smile on his face regardless of the weather and surroundings, came back for us and took my day pack even though I was not having a hard time with it. In fact, anything after that climb up to Dugla Pass felt like a breeze.<br />
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As we neared the little town of Lobuche, I was treated to wonderful views of Mounts Nuptse, Kangtega and Thamserku--beautiful and majestic mountains in their own right yet sadly dwarfed by the ever popular Everest. I said a little prayer of thanks for getting through yet another challenging day. And no matter how hard a day's trek would be, the sight of the Himalayan mountains always thrilled me to the core.<br />
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We arrived in Lobuche (elevation: 4,928 meters / 16,164 feet) at 4:30 pm, with enough time to rest, eat dinner, and prepare for the big day tomorrow--Everest Base Camp on my 33rd birthday.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9167707612/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Everest Base Camp Trek: arriving at Lobuche"><img alt="Everest Base Camp Trek: arriving at Lobuche" height="383" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7394/9167707612_aae0af57fe_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, this small settlement is the entire area of Lobuche already. Elevation: 4,928 m / 16,164 ft.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9167706330/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Everest Base Camp Trek: Lobuche"><img alt="Everest Base Camp Trek: Lobuche" height="398" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5346/9167706330_cea00b5745_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My view from my room at the Lobuche teahouse</td></tr>
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* * *<br />
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<i>If you want the same Everest Base Camp trek experience I had, visit <a href="http://www.everestbasecamp.travel/" target="_blank">Himalayan Planet Adventures</a> and go for the <a href="http://www.everestbasecamp.travel/nepal/nepal+trekking+holiday/everest+base+camp+kalapathar+trek-136/" target="_blank">16-day Everest Base Camp trek package</a>.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746930418479342693noreply@blogger.com1Lobuche, Sagarmatha National Park, Khumjung 56000, Nepal27.9595 86.789944399999968-2.1255880000000005 45.481350399999968 58.044588 128.09853839999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21043039.post-47710846437831638632013-07-23T20:42:00.000+08:002013-07-30T21:22:34.628+08:00Everest Base Camp Trek - Days 5-6: Acclimatizing in Dingboche<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>To read all posts on my Everest Base Camp trek, click <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/search/label/Everest%20Base%20Camp">here</a> for the complete series.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9167730656/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Everest Base Camp: acclimatizing at Dingboche"><img alt="Dingboche on the way to Everest Base Camp" height="345" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2870/9167730656_4d7fb546ef_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">O Little Town of Dingboche - Photo by Gina Sales, 2013</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Day 5: June 2, 2013</b><br />
<br />
Today did not turn out to be so difficult as I had expected. Or perhaps, by the fifth day on the trail, I may have had become trek-hardened already.<br />
<br />
Whatever. As if.<br />
<br />
The 'medium' headache was completely gone that morning, and I happily breakfasted on hot chocolate and apple pancakes--which I still could not finish. (I swear, people who want to lose weight may seriously consider climbing the Himalayas; one can barely eat anything at such high altitude.)<br />
<br />
I had also taken a gas shower early that morning at the Pangboche teahouse, so I was feeling squeaky clean and chipper. Gas shower, when I first heard about it, sounded like something really awful (think Holocaust!) but it's just the casual term that Nepalis use when referring to an LPG tank-powered water heater connected to a shower head. For the price of 300 Nepalese rupees, or around 3 US dollars, a gas shower at a temperature of around 40-42 degrees Celsius in such cold weather was marvelous.<br />
<br />
As I ate, I was on the phone with Naba, who wanted an update on my condition; he was glad to know that I was doing much better compared to last night. However, since I was heading for Dingboche that day, it meant I would be going past the 4,000-meter elevation mark. Naba was advising me to be more and more attuned to my body's response to the high altitude and to take greater precautions. After all, reaching 4,000 meters and above (13,123 ft+) was no laughing matter anymore.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9167739908/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Everest Base Camp: the trail from Pangboche to Dingboche"><img alt="Everest Base Camp: the trail from Pangboche to Dingboche" height="398" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2834/9167739908_69f2b1a5e0_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The scenic trail from Pangboche to Dingboche. Dhan Kumar ahead, as always.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The three of us walked at a good pace, starting at 8:30 am. The first two hours of the trek were pure sunshine and good wind. The itinerary indicated it would be a 4 to 5-hour trek from Pangboche to Dingboche. Days 5 and 6 would be my favorites in the trek simply because of the good weather and the fact that I was feeling a whole lot better, thanks to Diamox.<br />
<br />
Sure, Diamox made me pee like crazy, and it caused a bit of numbness on the toes and tingling sensations at the tips of my fingers. Those were the expected side effects anyway. But anything that made me sleep well at night and helped improve my breathing pattern in order to adjust well to the altitude was certainly welcome. I was deathly afraid of getting those headaches again.<br />
<br />
The road to Dingboche is a good one--not too hard yet not that entirely easy as well. Struggled a bit with the altitude but at least it was not a huge problem for me that day. We reached Dingboche (elevation: 4,358 meters / 14,295 feet) at 1:00 pm, just less than 5 hours of walking, as promised by the itinerary and just in time for lunch.<br />
<br />
Dingboche is a lovely little farming village settlement with rolling grasslands as well as stone walls separating crops like barley and potatoes. A white stupa with a bright yellow top and a big bungalow with the words 'French Bakery' charmingly written on its roof were the first ones to greet me. I felt at home in Dingboche right away.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9165513113/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="arriving at Dingboche"><img alt="arriving at Dingboche" height="408" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2833/9165513113_c0ba580db5_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arriving at Dingboche. Home sweet home for the next one and a half days.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Lunch was macaroni with garlic and creamy yak cheese. These Sherpas sure know how to cook. The rest of the afternoon was spent trying to stay awake. The teahouse was quiet, with very few guests in it. I met there three French Canadians traveling together and a solo trekker from China. I chatted with them a bit and found out that they had been in Dingboche for two days now and would all be heading up to Lobuche the next day. I, on the other hand, had to stay behind and complete the required acclimatization or 'rest' day in Dingboche.<br />
<br />
To while away the time, I started reading Jon Krakauer's <i>Into Thin Air</i>, which is probably what every trekker has inside his or her day pack while on the Everest Base Camp trail. It is a gripping autobiographical account of the disastrous 1996 Everest summit expedition. The book is sure to make you feel that your base camp trek problems are much smaller compared to what that expedition group faced at the summit. <br />
<br />
Played cards with Madan and Dhan Kumar as usual, until it was lights out for us at 9:00 pm. Because the teahouse was solar-powered, the use of electricity was limited in the evenings, and we had to manage with our headlamps on at night while in our rooms or on the way to the toilet.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Day 6: June 3, 2013</b><br />
<br />
Woke up at 5:30 am, disoriented. For a moment, I thought I was back home in Manila.<br />
<br />
Today promised to be an easy day because I would just be resting at Dingboche. But 'resting' is such a misnomer in the Himalayas. There is no such thing as a real rest day. I still had to peel myself off the bed, get out of my clean sleepwear, and don the same dirty hiking pants that I'd been using since Day 1. And let's not forget the morning cleansing ritual via wet wipes, shall we.<br />
<br />
Rest Day on the Everest trek actually meant 'Get Out of the Cozy Teahouse and Acclimatize by Climbing Some Difficult Hill' Day.<br />
<br />
The road up the said steep hill was actually right outside our teahouse in Dingboche. Since it was just a short half-day trek (2 hours going all the way up, and 30 minutes going down), there was no need for Dhan Kumar to join. At least he could stay in his own warm bed and have a true blue, honest-to-goodness rest day, while I had to suck it up and hit the trail at 9 o'clock that morning.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9167722072/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Ama Dablam"><img alt="Ama Dablam" height="364" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3784/9167722072_9bde635162_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for Ama Dablam (6,812 meters) to reveal herself</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The uphill trek wasn't actually that bad; Madan and I talked a lot in between catching our breaths. Talking really helped pass the time, especially since steady uphills can be such total drudgery. As I headed up, I had glorious views of the hills and the river cutting through the valley. I could see Mt. Thamserku (6,608 meters) in the distance and sneak previews of the greater Mt. Ama Dablam (6,812 meters), barely seen behind thick, passing clouds.<br />
<br />
Although it was just a short trek, I could feel the thinning air and stopped to take a break once in a while, which is what every sensible trekker should do. We were roughly at an elevation of 4,500 meters, I suppose, by the time we reached the top of the hill at 11:00 am.<br />
<br />
Prayer flags flapped in the strong wind as I plopped down on a rock to guzzle down the contents of my water bottle. We snacked on chocolate biscuits and took turns watching for Ama Dablam to appear, as she remained hidden behind the clouds.<br />
<br />
And then I gasped and pointed behind Madan, and he turned to look. The clouds had finally parted, and there was Ama Dablam herself in her full glory.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9167716046/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="The Himalayas: Ama Dablam"><img alt="The Himalayas: Ama Dablam" height="434" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7308/9167716046_742340086d_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The majestic Ama Dablam, one of the Himalayan greats</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My face was smarting from the cold and wind, but I was happy to be where I was at that point in time. For a moment, all my worries and fatigue melted away, and I just soaked in the experience of being brought face to face with one of the most striking mountains in the world.<br />
<br />
We spent about 30 minutes at the top of the hill, taking photos and enjoying the good weather. It was a halcyon day, a great day--one of the brightest spots in my challenging 12-day trek. And it was exactly the kind of day I needed to inspire me to persevere. I knew I needed all the motivation I could get to make it through the next two days, which were the most crucial.<br />
<br />
I was in good spirits when we returned to our teahouse in Dingboche by lunch time. Good weather, good trek, and zero signs of altitude sickness. That evening though, I could really feel the thin air. Tried hard to breath in as much as I could. My nose was stuffed due to a cold that wouldn't go away, and every time I blew my nose, there was some blood mixed with the snot (sorry, too much information).<br />
<br />
But other than that, I was feeling good and strong enough, as my body was indeed reacting well to the daily medication of 250 mg of Diamox. Sleep came easy enough that night.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9165494907/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Everest Base Camp: Ama Dablam in the background"><img alt="Everest Base Camp: Ama Dablam" height="420" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2830/9165494907_f7b9c8e80e_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The great Ama Dablam and wee, hobbit-y me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
* * *<br />
<br />
<i>If you want the same Everest Base Camp trek experience I had, visit <a href="http://www.everestbasecamp.travel/" target="_blank">Himalayan Planet Adventures</a> and go for the <a href="http://www.everestbasecamp.travel/nepal/nepal+trekking+holiday/everest+base+camp+kalapathar+trek-136/" target="_blank">16-day Everest Base Camp trek package</a>.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746930418479342693noreply@blogger.com0Dingboche 56000, Nepal27.8923026 86.83144689999994627.878268600000002 86.811276899999953 27.9063366 86.851616899999939tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21043039.post-38981195592659164262013-07-17T20:21:00.000+08:002013-08-10T02:10:38.197+08:00Everest Base Camp Trek - Day 4: Pangboche and the Start of Altitude Sickness<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>To read all posts on my Everest Base Camp trek, click <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/search/label/Everest%20Base%20Camp">here</a> for the complete series.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9167741086/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="my view from my room at the Kyanjuma teahouse"><img alt="Kyanjuma on the Everest Base Camp trail" height="356" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7411/9167741086_5353cfc986_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wonderful view from my room at the Kyanjuma teahouse</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Day 4: </b><b>June 1, 2013</b><br />
<b><br /></b>Woke up early the next day, sleepily making my way in the semi-darkness to the toilet. There was no opportunity to take a bath, so I had to make do with wet wipes. For someone who loves taking a shower twice a day, being forced to go without a bath for several times on this trek was a reality I had to struggle with. I think I shed a tear or two that morning as I cleaned myself from head to toe with baby wipes.<br />
<br />
Even brushing my teeth was a challenge, because it hurt to rinse using ice cold water. Oh, the perils of this trek.<br />
<br />
We were on the trail by 8:30 am, right after breakfast. Fog, fog everywhere. No views of the mountains to be had that day, and it rained at times. The path that morning was mostly descent, which was frustrating. The way from Everest Base Camp back to Lukla is the same way that one has just taken; you just do the trail in reverse. There are no shortcuts, no lovely cable cars to bring you back to civilization in a jiffy. Everything is done on foot. So any continuous downhills that I would encounter on the trek didn't feel like progress or a 'treat' for me, because I knew I would have to encounter these as uphills on the way back.<br />
<br />
There we were, going down, down, down--all the way to the river bed. And then we had to go all the way back up at some point. We were doing some serious ups and downs on the hills. It was sheer madness. Who designed this blasted trail, I wanted to scream out.<br />
<br />
Twenty-one-year-old Dhan Kumar was just pure Sherpa strength, hardly breaking his pace as he went way up ahead with my duffel bag. What a Legolas. I wanted to beg him to carry me on his back all the way up to Base Camp. But all I could do was sigh and trudge up the never-ending path to nowhere. Madan stayed with me, of course, and we kept each other company by telling stories and jokes. At least at this altitude, even with the crazy ups and downs, we could still afford to talk and laugh. On Days 7 and 8, the mere act of talking while dealing with the thin air and the rocky terrain became too exhausting to do.<br />
<br />
Lunch stop was Tengboche, which was at an elevation of 3,867 meters (12,684 feet). It was cold and foggy; the temperature was about 5 degrees Celsius. Five degrees in a city like New York would be okay for me; five degrees up in the mountains felt like a different story altogether. Stood inside the teahouse's dining hall, shivering in spite of my three layers of clothing, a wool hat and fleece gloves. Even hot chocolate wasn't enough to keep me warm, and it was too early in the day to fuel the yak stove.<br />
<br />
When we left Tengboche after lunch, we were laughing nervously because it was getting foggier by the minute, and it had started to rain again. As usual, the mud was a huge deterrent to our progress, and what should have been a 2-hour trek from Tengboche to Pangboche became a 4-hour one.<br />
<br />
A dull, throbbing pain in my head was making its presence more and more felt as the minutes, hours ticked by. I suddenly felt so fatigued; it was the strangest feeling. I knew then that I was already in the minor stages of altitude sickness. Madan was watching me closely the whole time, probably looking out for other symptoms. He even drew a line in the mud and asked me if I could walk straight on it. God, I felt I was taking a sobriety test for drunk driving.<br />
<br />
Fortunately, I managed to walk straight (and even crack a joke in the process), which was a relief to my guide. When the two of us were around an hour's walk away from Pangboche, I was so happy to see Dhan Kumar come back for us on the trail. He insisted on relieving me of my day pack and carrying it the rest of the way to Pangboche. (Yes, he is so fast on the trail, he can zip back and forth like The Flash. Who are these Sherpas and why are they so superhuman.)<br />
<br />
At last we reached Pangboche (elevation: 3,930 meters / 12,890 feet), as dusk was setting in. I practically cried for joy when I saw there was electricity at the teahouse. (This homey teahouse would end up to be one of my favorites in the entire trek.) Sat down in one corner of the dining hall, trying to withstand the headache that was slowly draining my ability to think and speak. It even hurt to turn my head from side to side.<br />
<br />
Dinner was vegetable momos (dumplings) and a small bowl of garlic soup. I could only down half of the soup and two pieces of momos. My appetite was shot--yet another sign that the altitude was affecting me. By this time, Madan had ordered me to take Diamox for the altitude sickness, and I was happy to oblige. He was talking to me quietly, but his words were stern. He was saying things like, "How are you now? How bad is the headache? Do not lie to me. If you're still feeling bad tomorrow morning, we will descend. I will update Naba on your condition." He even gave his and Dhan Kumar's room number so that I could wake them up in case I was feeling really sick in the middle of the night.<br />
<br />
I didn't even have the energy to laugh when he asked me to rate my headache: was it a 'small', 'medium' or a big headache? I wanted to say pain is relative, but I could only nod in agreement to his instructions and mumble, "Medium headache." Rain, mud, steep switchbacks, and yes, even <i>jokepes </i>had now paled in comparison to the all-too-real threat of high altitude--the effects of which are greater and more dangerous than most people realize.<br />
<br />
It was a quiet evening as I sat there, listlessly looking at the books on my Kindle, too tired to even read. I wasn't ready to sleep yet, because I wanted to get a feel of how my body would react to Diamox while I was awake. There were two other female trekkers in the dining hall, reading on their own Kindles.<br />
<br />
Suddenly, there was a ruckus in the kitchen where the family members who owned the teahouse were gathered. A fight had broken out between two brothers, and we could hear punching, shouting and some banging of kitchen pots. The boys' parents and a few other people started intervening, and we heard more shouting going on. The three of us trekkers could only sit, gawk and try to decipher what they were all saying to one another. The youngest girl in the family strode out of the kitchen, looking upset.<br />
<br />
Some fifteen minutes later, the two brothers who had fought actually sat near us by the yak stove and conversed with me and Madan like nothing had happened.<br />
<br />
There is never a dull day on this trek. Never.<br />
<br />
I had realized that day that even the hassle of dealing with altitude sickness did not stop me from falling in love with Nepal and all it had to offer: the unpredictability of the trail, the genuine warmth of the people around me, and the beauty and sheer power of Mother Nature that I was to behold each day on the trek. <br />
<br />
Bedtime was 10:00 pm and I slept like the dead--only to wake up at 3:00 am with an incredible urge to pee. Diamox is a diuretic, and I was shivering in the cold as I hurriedly bundled up and rushed to the common toilet to pee like crazy. Blessedly enough, the headache was gone by that time, and I was able to sleep right away when I went back to bed.<br />
<br />
* * *<br />
<br />
<i>If you want the same Everest Base Camp trek experience I had, visit <a href="http://www.everestbasecamp.travel/" target="_blank">Himalayan Planet Adventures</a> and go for the <a href="http://www.everestbasecamp.travel/nepal/nepal+trekking+holiday/everest+base+camp+kalapathar+trek-136/" target="_blank">16-day Everest Base Camp trek package</a>.</i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746930418479342693noreply@blogger.com2Panboche, Khumjung 56000, Nepal27.8547338 86.78876089999994327.847714300000003 86.778675899999939 27.8617533 86.798845899999947tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21043039.post-88312448666726968112013-07-16T15:31:00.000+08:002013-07-22T20:13:29.072+08:00Everest Base Camp Trek - Day 3: Trek to Kyanjuma<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>To read all posts on my Everest Base Camp trek, click <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/search/label/Everest%20Base%20Camp">here</a> for the complete series.</i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9167470162/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="on the trail to Everest Base Camp"><img alt="Everest Base Camp Trek in the Himalayas" height="419" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2816/9167470162_8f2e446351_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The views on the trail. Photo by Gina Sales, 2013</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div>
<b>Day 3: May 31, 2013</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
My guide Madan once told me that he has had some clients in the past who, after Day 2, had decided to turn back and not push through with the rest of the trek.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Well, I didn't want to be like those people. I had my heart set on reaching Everest Base Camp even if I had to brave a thousand crazy <i>jokepes </i>following me everywhere.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9165258391/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Philippine flag at Namche Bazaar teahouse"><img alt="Philippine flag in Namche Bazaar teahouse along Everest Base Camp trail" height="282" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7319/9165258391_7c2cdc9a7b_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yay, go, Bryan, my fellow Filipino trekker! Wish I brought my own flag! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Although I wasn't in the mood to trudge in the rain once more after that nightmarish second day, I was glad that my headache and slight fever were gone when I woke up the next morning. In the dining hall of the teahouse in Namche Bazaar, I was pleased as punch to encounter a Philippine flag on the wall as I was having breakfast. It was to be the first and last Philippine flag I saw all throughout my trek--and I completely regretted not bringing one. I didn't know that EBC trekkers all over the world would be so hard core about bringing flags and decorating the walls of teahouses. I promised myself that the next time I visit the Himalayas, I would carry one, and place it in one of the teahouses as proof that I've made it to Everest Base Camp and back.<br />
<br />
But on that third day, I was just so happy to see my country's own flag. The Nepalis I encountered on the trail would always remark that there aren't a lot of Filipino trekkers in the Himalayan region. Even Madan and Dhan Kumar said that I am their first Filipino trekking client. Ergo, I had become a novelty to these Nepali people I've met--and I would always get a load of questions from them about myself and my country.<br />
<br />
Before leaving Namche Bazaar, we stopped by a store so I could stock up on key items such as hand sanitizer, bottled water, toilet paper, ziplocs, multivitamins, playing cards, and chocolate bars. (Yes, chocolate bars are a great source of energy on the trek. Snickers, Mars, and Bounty are sold everywhere on the trail and will help pull you through a hard day's trek. Everest is simply the best justification for devouring all that chocolate.)<br />
<br />
Madan was raising his eyebrows as I did some panic-buying like it was wartime or something; I suppose he was wondering how I was going to cram all those inside my already-full day pack. (I ended up stuffing some items into <i>his</i> backpack, haha.) But really, the best place to stock up is in Namche, since goods become scarcer and pricier as one goes up.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9165257943/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="leaving Namche Bazaar"><img alt="leaving Namche Bazaar" height="337" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5456/9165257943_3c42fefb62_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stone staircases leading out of Namche Bazaar are rough and steep. My teahouse is located at the bottom!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The road leading out of Namche Bazaar is steep and a bit cruel. I was irked to see this cane-wielding Sherpa woman (who looked about 80 years old) pass me on the way up. Jesus. I felt <i>I </i>was the 80-year-old one. And in just about 10 minutes since we left Namche, I had already completely burnt off all that I had eaten that morning.<br />
<br />
Normally, trekkers stay at Namche Bazaar for an extra day to acclimatize. But we were heading that day to Kyanjuma, which stood at an elevation of 3,500 meters (11,482 feet)--almost the same as Namche. But to get to Kyanjuma, I would have to do a series of ups and downs for a few hours. Thus, I would still be getting the 'benefits' of a proper acclimatization: a day's walk to keep me fit and adjusted, as well as being able to sleep at the same altitude level for another night.<br />
<br />
The trek to Kyanjuma took 4 and a half hours that day. It was a gradual, sloping walk with absolutely marvelous views of Thamserku, Kwangde, and the surrounding hills. There was one mountain that particularly impressed me; I pointed to it and asked Madan what its name was. He looked to where I was pointing and shot me this incredulous look as if to say, you must be kidding. After being rendered speechless for a few seconds, he then said matter-of-factly, "That is not a mountain. That is just a hill."<br />
<br />
Face palm. I kept forgetting that the hills in these parts would already be considered mountains in the Philippines.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9165246403/" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Kyanjuma on Day 4 of the Everest Base Camp trek"><img alt="Kyanjuma on the way to Everest Base Camp" height="255" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7347/9165246403_2d07e6ddb7_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The village of Kyanjuma. Elevation: 3,500 meters (11,482 feet).</td></tr>
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Reached our teahouse in Kyanjuma past 1:00 pm. It was cloudy during the trail, but at least we weren't trekking in the rain. Throughout this EBC experience, I had learnt to be grateful for any good things--small or big--that came my way. We stayed in this homey teahouse called Ama Dablam where the motherly owner prepared some really delicious vegetable momos and pasta with tomato sauce and yak cheese.<br />
<br />
The entire afternoon and evening were spent playing cards with the boys. Seriously, there is nothing else to do after a day's trek except read, write notes, eat, play cards, stay warm by the fire, and sleep. That basically sums up life on the trail. Madan refreshed my memory on the card game 'Crazy 8' and then he also taught me 'Mr. President' and this super silly game called 'Hello King, Hello Queen, Hello Jack' which had the three of us laughing hysterically all the way into the night. It would end up being our favorite game during the trek.<br />
<br />
Still no electricity that day. My iPhone's battery had died already that afternoon and I was running low on camera batt. We played cards with our headlamps on until we realized that it was time to go to bed--at 8:00 pm. Even though it was so cold in my room, I slept comfortably that night, snuggled under thick blankets with my camera close to my chest to prolong its battery life through body heat. <br />
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* * *<br />
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<i>If you want the same Everest Base Camp trek experience I had, visit <a href="http://www.everestbasecamp.travel/" target="_blank">Himalayan Planet Adventures</a> and go for the <a href="http://www.everestbasecamp.travel/nepal/nepal+trekking+holiday/everest+base+camp+kalapathar+trek-136/" target="_blank">16-day Everest Base Camp trek package</a>.</i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746930418479342693noreply@blogger.com0Khumjung, Nepal27.8166667 86.71666670000001927.3677737 86.071219700000015 28.265559699999997 87.362113700000023tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21043039.post-14711176741931882422013-07-09T00:17:00.001+08:002013-07-22T20:14:29.337+08:00Everest Base Camp Trek - Day 2: Phakding to Namche Bazaar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>To read all posts on my Everest Base Camp trek, click <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/search/label/Everest%20Base%20Camp">here</a> for the complete series.</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9165265449/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="on the trail to Everest Base Camp with my guides"><img alt="on the trail to Everest Base Camp with my guides" height="398" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2893/9165265449_5187b215c7_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I enjoy taking stolen shots of these two: my porter Dhan Kumar (left) and my guide Madan (right) </td></tr>
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<b>Day 2: May 30, 2013</b><br />
<br />
This was, without a doubt, one of the worst days on the trail.<br />
<br />
During the trek briefing back in Kathmandu, Naba of Himalayan Planet Adventures (the trek agency I chose) told me half-jokingly, "If you don't cry by the end of Day 2, that means you're fit enough to do the Everest Base Camp trek."<br />
<br />
And so I woke up that second day, knowing that I would be facing a long trek with some particularly challenging uphills. Our destination was Namche Bazaar, the biggest Sherpa settlement in the Himalayan region which stood at an elevation of 3,440 meters (11,283 feet). That meant a total ascent of 788 meters (2,585 feet) for that day alone. My heart sank when we left the teahouse at Phakding, for I had noticed that the light rain that had started falling early that morning seemed to show no signs of letting up.<br />
<br />
In fact, it rained the whole day. Gloomy weather altogether. What was supposed to be a 7-hour trek that day became 9 hours of misery because of the muddy, slippery trail that we had to deal with. The trekking poles were a blessing, especially in the last three hours of painful uphills past Jorsale village at the end of the day.<br />
<br />
I was doing alright that morning in spite of the weather. A combination of uphills and downhills quickly got me worked up into a sweat, and I was already dying to peel off the layers of clothing I had. I was covered head to toe in waterproof gear (God bless Columbia for making such excellent waterproof hiking boots; my feet stayed completely dry) which shielded me from the rain and the cold--but sadly enough, I was totally sweating inside my softshell jacket and light thermals.<br />
<br />
One of the things I enjoyed most in the trail were the suspension bridges. There were around nine of them, I think, and I considered them a welcome break from the monotony of trudging up and down muddy, dung-filled paths. It was a good thing I wasn't afraid of heights, because the bridges were a bit scary in their own right--narrow, slippery at times, with the great Dudh-Kosi river rushing beneath. I stopped somewhere near the middle of a suspension bridge just to take a quick video using my iPhone.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwrPsmjxgg_HPxAznF1wWhae7Ba-_faf3jhPrOFnwrDwXwt-L2H3c-p9pOur_GJcxpY4gTI7TnXeFM' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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My first sobering experience during this trek happened on a suspension bridge. I was conversing with Madan after we had easily crossed a bridge. And then to my surprise, four Sherpas seemed to burst from out of nowhere, carrying a stretcher with someone lying on it. They ran--<i>flew</i> was more like it--across the bridge, because obviously the life of whoever was on that stretcher depended on their speed.<br />
<br />
I was flabbergasted. I knew Everest Base Camp wasn't a rainbows-and-unicorns kind of trek and I was even expecting to half-stagger, half-crawl into Base Camp--but I hadn't counted on seeing someone on a stretcher. <i>On my second trekking day</i>, for heaven's sake. I was jolted into the reality of the situation; on rainy, cloudy days such as this, a helicopter rescue is pretty much a no-go. For anyone needing critical medical rescue on the trail under such bad monsoon weather, it was either rapid descent on foot, rapid descent via stretcher, or staying put wherever you were (with the last option likely leading to death, as medical facilities are virtually non-existent on large stretches of the trail).<br />
<br />
I remember saying, "Oh my God, oh my God, I don't want to die...!" And the boys were looking at me in semi-amusement, with Madan hastening to say, "No worries, you're with us mountain men. And I have a medical kit!" And Dhan Kumar just grinned at me and said, "Don't worry, chicken curry!"<br />
<br />
I nearly died laughing. Who was I to worry when I had such excellent companions on the road to Everest?<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9240692320/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="jokepe, a hybrid of yak and domestic cattle, can be found frequently on the trail to Everest"><img alt="jokepe on Everest Base Camp trail" height="320" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5512/9240692320_0db6449fac_z.jpg" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The jokepe, a hybrid of yak and domestic cattle,<br />
can be found frequently on the trail to Everest</td></tr>
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I mentioned earlier that I had to deal with dung on the muddy trails. The rain had turned some parts of the road into pools of slushy mud that had rocks and dung everywhere. It was hard to tell at some point what I was stepping on. The reason there's so much dung on the road is because many animals ply this route up to Base Camp and back--horses, yaks and <i>jokepes</i> (a hybrid of yak and domestic cattle)--which all carry food, water, trekking equipment and trading goods up and down the mountains. The yak is the main beast of burden in this country, but is seen higher up on the trails. So what I encountered a lot in the first few days were the <i>jokepes</i>, who are not as hairy as yaks but have the same scary-looking horns.</div>
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Every time a herd of <i>jokepes </i>is encountered on the trail, everyone needs to step aside and practically hug the mountain side. Stay on the edge of the mountain or hill, and chances are, a <i>jokepe </i>can nudge you off the cliff with its horns. Good luck with having to deal with them on a suspension bridge. Because when you do, you need to turn back and run and wait for all of them to pass, because the bridge is too narrow to fit a person and a herd of <i>jokepes</i>. These animals kinda scared the living daylights out of me, and I always made sure to avoid them in a major way. Death by <i>jokepe</i> doesn't seem like a dignified way to leave this world.</div>
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By the second half of the day, the rain had gotten worse. My boots and the lower part of my hiking pants had mud streaks--and in all likelihood, <i>jokepe</i> dung as well--all over. Met a group of trekkers on their way down, and one of them (a female) slipped right in front of me, falling on her butt. I was lucky not to have been hit by her; otherwise, I might have slipped as well, or worse, fallen off the cliff. </div>
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We were somewhere past the 3,000-meter elevation mark, and I was breathing heavily already from the high altitude. By that time, I was feeling a slight headache and I wondered if that was the start of altitude sickness. I forced myself to take it easy, and do it one step at a time up the steep and slippery paths. The uphills in the last few hours were a challenge, and I knew that this was the difficult part that Naba was talking about. One trekker--an American man in his fifties--on his way down yelled out to me encouragingly, "You can do it!" </div>
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On this trail, all trekkers are the best of friends. You all just simply had to be, regardless if you knew the person or not. No one can feel your pain as acutely as your fellow trekkers.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9241090938/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="altitude can kill by gina_sales, on Flickr"><img alt="altitude can kill" height="450" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7342/9241090938_76bdfabec5_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
"Altitude can kill." This was the sign that greeted me before I entered Namche Bazaar territory. Such cheer. (Oh, and free movie, anyone?) </div>
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It was a blessed relief to have finally reached Namche Bazaar at the end of a long day of traipsing in the rain and mud. Near the entrance to Namche, I even had to deal with this annoying <i>jokepe </i>who followed me everywhere I went; when I stopped, it stopped. And when I started huffing up the path, it followed me closely from behind. It took all of Madan's willpower not to laugh because I kept saying to the <i>jokepe</i>, "Go away, stop following me! Madan, make it go away, please!" </div>
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The difficult trail on Day 2 did not make me cry, but that <i>jokepe </i>sure drove me close to tears. I was so petrified of that ridiculous animal, I could barely stop and admire the large Sherpa settlement of Namche Bazaar. The busiest and most populated part of the Himalayan region, Namche Bazaar consists of a sprawling mass of colorful houses, restaurants, and tea lodges all prettily laid out by the side of a hill. </div>
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We stayed at The Nest teahouse in Namche; it was owned by the same person or family managing The Nest teahouse by the Lukla airport. When we got to the place, there was no electricity; that entire part of the region had to go without because the government was doing repairs of some sort that affected the power. My room was spacious and I had my own bathroom, but the hot shower was practically non-existent. Was feeling so extremely dirty from all that mud that I peeled off my clothes without hesitation and braved the cold shower. Which was a mistake, really, because by the end of my bath, I was shivering in the cold and nursing a headache that was getting a bit worse.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9240694006/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="arriving at Namche Bazaar"><img alt="arriving at Namche Bazaar" height="450" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2808/9240694006_933d84e8e0_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We reach Namche Bazaar. Elevation: 3,440 meters (11,283 feet)</td></tr>
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Madan wanted me to take Diamox (altitude sickness medicine) already at that point, but I pleaded and said I'd wait and see first. I was feeling slightly feverish after nine hours in the rain, and I took flu/fever medicine and Dolfenal (a painkiller) for the headache. I didn't want to add Diamox into the mix, as I wasn't sure how my body would react to it combined with all those meds. But I had to follow at least the order from my guide to have garlic soup along with the dal bhat I had for dinner. Apparently, garlic soup naturally helps ward off altitude sickness.<br />
<br />
I collapsed into bed in my pitch-black room after dinner. It was 9:00 pm. Fell into a deep, blessed sleep but I woke up at around 2:00 am when I felt <i>something</i> fall by the side of my face, on my hair. Then it fell off my bed and I heard it skitter across the floor in the darkness. Under normal circumstances I would have screamed; it sounded like a mouse or a rat. But I was too exhausted and sick to care, and so I went back to sleep, mumbling to myself that at least it wasn't a frog.<br />
<br />
No tears at the end of Day 2. If I had managed to survive nine hours in the rain plus a headache, a lovesick <i>jokepe</i>, and sharing a room with a rodent in the darkness, then sure, I could handle anything in this trek.<br />
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* * *<br />
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<i>If you want the same Everest Base Camp trek experience I had, visit <a href="http://www.everestbasecamp.travel/" target="_blank">Himalayan Planet Adventures</a> and go for the <a href="http://www.everestbasecamp.travel/nepal/nepal+trekking+holiday/everest+base+camp+kalapathar+trek-136/" target="_blank">16-day Everest Base Camp trek package</a>.</i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746930418479342693noreply@blogger.com8Phakding 56000, Nepal27.7400403 86.712555227.7365268 86.7075127 27.7435538 86.7175977tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21043039.post-71281337219831203372013-07-03T20:30:00.000+08:002013-07-16T12:12:52.312+08:00Everest Base Camp Trek - Day 1: Lukla to Phakding<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>To read all posts on my Everest Base Camp trek, click <a href="http://thekickgalvanic.blogspot.com/search/label/Everest%20Base%20Camp">here</a> for the complete series.</i><br />
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<b>Day 1: May 29, 2013</b><br />
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My guide Madan showed up at my hotel lobby at 5:15 am; I was barely awake. Our flight to Lukla was at 6:30 am, and so there was obviously no time for breakfast at Shanker. The hotel had prepared a big breakfast box for me to bring so that I could eat on the way to the airport.<br />
<br />
I nearly gagged when I saw the contents of the humongous brekkie box: two sandwiches, an apple, a banana, jam, butter, two muffins, two boiled eggs, water, and juice. Shared some of my food with the driver and with Madan and stuffed the rest into my daypack. I'm not a big breakfast person (all I can usually manage in the morning is a cup of hot chocolate), and I just planned on eating the leftover stuff while on the trek.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9165269549/" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="on the plane to Lukla"><img alt="on the plane to Lukla" height="400" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3724/9165269549_8650903fc1.jpg" width="261" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">on the plane to Lukla</td></tr>
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Kathmandu's domestic airport was crammed with people at that ungodly hour. A siren sounded, and Madan explained to me that that meant extremely good news: planes were flying out to Lukla today. Hurrah!<br />
<br />
As I sat in the pre-departure area, bleary-eyed and craving for hot chocolate, I noticed a big group of Malaysian men and women decked out in full battle gear. They had the words 'Everest Base Camp & Kalapathar Trek 2013' and the Malaysian flag splashed across their long-sleeved tops. They looked strong, they looked fit--hell, they were carrying all their gear on their backs. <br />
<br />
I watched as they posed for the camera, doing G.I. Joe-like stances. They seemed so ready to tackle Everest in a heartbeat--and I wondered again, for the nth time, what the hell I was doing on this trek.<br />
<br />
Madan and I found out that our 6:30 am flight was pushed back to 7:30 am due to adverse weather conditions in Lukla. I was beginning to feel nervous; surely, things shouldn't go wrong this early, right? But finally, the boarding call was made over the airport's public announcement system around 7:00 am, and there was an almost mad rush towards the plane. I guess the other passengers to Lukla were as jittery as I was.<br />
<br />
I snagged a seat on the left side of the plane which apparently was the one with the better views of the Himalayas. As it was only a 14-seater plane, there was just one flight attendant who quickly distributed mint candy (for motion sickness) and cotton balls (for the ears) to all passengers. The flight lasted for about 35 minutes, offering incredible views of the Khumbu region.<br />
<br />
I was about to doze off in a bit, when I noticed that we were heading straight towards a mountain. My fellow passengers were craning their necks, holding up their cameras as a tiny airstrip loomed into view. This was the infamous airstrip of Lukla's Tenzing-Hillary Airport, widely considered to be the most dangerous airport in the world. The runway is so horrifically short, you'd feel like laughing at the insanity of it all. And because it's on a mountain (with a 10,000-foot drop, should things go terribly wrong), the runway isn't completely level. One can feel the incline as the plane lands and taxies. These Nepalese pilots must have guts of steel.<br />
<br />
It was also a good thing that we were on a Dornier 228 turboprop, which makes for excellent Short Take-Off and Landing, or STOL (which, in all my years of handling SEAIR and Dornier prior to working for UNICEF, I knew very well), and I felt that there was no need to panic. <br />
<br />
But as we landed on the 460-meter runway, I then saw it: a mountain wall located at the end of this bandaid of an airstrip--and I found myself wondering how fast the plane could come to a full stop.<br />
<br />
It's not called the world's most dangerous airport for nothing.<br />
<br />
The temperature in Lukla was around 16 to 18 degrees Celsius, a welcome respite from muggy Kathmandu. At 2,800 meters (9,184 feet), Lukla has almost the same elevation as that of Mount Apo, the Philippines' tallest mountain. (Whenever Sherpas asked me about the mountains in my country, and I would give them this factoid, they would wheeze with laughter. One doesn't need brains to figure out that Mount Apo's 2,900-meter height ain't much by Nepalese standards.)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9165269073/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="landing at Lukla's Tenzing-Hillary Airport"><img alt="landing at Lukla's Tenzing-Hillary Airport" height="407" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3715/9165269073_d842d0e893_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The plane, after a short landing, needs to do a swift right turn to avoid crashing into the mountain</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9165268347/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="at Lukla's Tenzing-Hillary Airport"><img alt="at Lukla's Tenzing-Hillary Airport" height="352" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7346/9165268347_fee2750a18_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello from Lukla! I'm so glad to be alive!</td></tr>
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Madan brought me to The Nest, a teahouse located right smack beside the airport, for a bit of rest before we proceeded with the trek proper. It was at The Nest where I met Dhan Kumar, my Sherpa porter. The three of us were finally together, and I would be spending the next 11 and a half days on the trail with them. Guides and porters <i>do</i> make or break a traveler's experience, and so I was anxious to have us all get along. I mean, if this were the Fellowship of the Ring heading off into the wild, it would have to be like a tight Aragorn-Legolas-Gimli kind of trio (and with me being the shortest, I suppose I'd be Gimli in this case, lol).<br />
<br />
I was in high spirits at The Nest, because I had just realized at that moment that it was the 29th of May. On this day, exactly 60 years ago, Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Mount Everest, the very first ones in history to do so. I felt that with May 29 being such an auspicious date, nothing could go wrong for me that day.<br />
<br />
For about thirty minutes, I got to have hot milk coffee and was able to go on the Internet to tell everyone back home that I've made it to Lukla safely. Wi-fi connection at The Nest was excellent (much better than at Shanker Hotel) and little did I know that it would be a full 11 days until I would be able to go online once more.<br />
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Our destination at the end of the day was Phakding, a 3 to 4-hour trek away from Lukla, according to the itinerary that Himalayan Planet Adventures gave me. With an elevation of 2,652 meters (8,700 feet), Phakding is indeed lower than Lukla. You may ask: why am I descending instead of ascending? One of the golden rules of high altitude trekking is to 'climb high, sleep low.' So in order for the body to properly acclimatize at a certain altitude level, one needs to descend right after reaching a specific height and spend the night at a lower altitude. <br />
<br />
This would be the pattern running all throughout the trek: we would ascend about 300 to 570 meters (1,000 to 1,900 feet) every day and do a descent of 100 or more meters afterwards to rest for the night. The classic Everest Base Camp trail itinerary is designed to give a specific level of safety to trekkers to allow their bodies to adjust accordingly to high altitude. But it is also up to the trekker to be responsible enough to avoid contracting severe high altitude sickness by going through precautionary measures--such as staying away from tobacco and alcohol for the duration of the trek; by not overexerting one's self and not climbing up at a rapid pace; by staying hydrated and drinking 3-5 liters of water a day, etc.<br />
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I had been thoroughly briefed by both Naba and Madan on acute mountain sickness (AMS), and I had read up on AMS as well, so I was already being my usual cautious self when we started the trail. I was slow at first, trying to adjust to the feel of the mountain path underneath my new hiking boots. <br />
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(Side note: Yes, I know I should have broken them in--my boots, I mean--but I had no time and I basically used them straight out of the box. And just so you all know, I did not suffer any major foot pain. After 12 days of trekking on the Everest trail using these brand new boots, I got away with only one little blister on my right toe. Excellent job, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Columbia-Mens-Big-Cedar-Hiking/dp/B0068ZWTE6" target="_blank">Columbia Big Cedar mid hiking boots</a>! Ankle support and traction were top notch.) <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9167485710/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Day 1 on the Everest Base Camp trek"><img alt="Day 1 on the trail" height="364" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7288/9167485710_a761e77742_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 1 on the trail. Still fresh-faced--yahooo!</td></tr>
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Anyway. There I was, figuring out my pace and getting accustomized to the trail. The path consisted of ups and downs, mostly on rough switchbacks, or stone staircases cut into the mountains. Many times, I would come across little Sherpa villages, prayer wheels and these massive <i>mani</i> stones with carved or painted Buddhist inscriptions. The trail was scenic and made me temporarily forget the demanding goal of reaching Everest.<br />
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Because our flight was an hour late, we also reached our lunch stop a little later than usual. After a filling lunch of dal bhat (with delicious potato curry) and milk coffee, I felt re-energized and kept pace with Madan.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9165264033/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Buddhist Mani stones"><img alt="Buddhist Mani stones and prayer wheels" height="354" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3757/9165264033_6e8f5b7af3_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Buddhist <i>Mani</i> stones and prayer wheels found on the trail</td></tr>
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In the case of Dhan Kumar, he would usually go ahead, carrying my 10-kilo duffel bag on his back. Throughout the trek, Dhan Kumar would sometimes walk with us or, as porters in high altitude terrain normally do, would trek at a far faster pace and just meet us at the agreed lunch stop and the overnight destination at the end of the day. After all, he's a Sherpa and has been accustomed all his life to this kind of altitude, so this whole trek is practically a walk in the park for him. A large park, that is.<br />
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Madan, as my guide, naturally had to be with me at all times and suffer through my 'foreigner-in-Nepal' trekking pace, haha. I'm sure I must have been awfully slow for him--he who is so sure-footed up in the mountains and has been guiding trek clients in the Himalayas for 5 or so years now.<br />
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We reached Phakding eventually, and checked into this teahouse called Hotel Beer Garden. Woohoo! What a name. Obviously, I couldn't enjoy Beer Garden's alcoholic beverages; if I did, I would probably never have made it to Base Camp.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9202145858/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="my room at Phakding"><img alt="my room at Phakding" height="398" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7376/9202145858_11da488ba4_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my room at Hotel Beer Garden, Phakding</td></tr>
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My room at that teahouse had good space and yay, a private toilet with a shower. I was surprised to have one, since I was expecting common toilets all the way. As you can see from the photo above, the room doesn't seem like much--but when I think of all the teahouses I've stayed in throughout the trek, this room was one of the biggest I've had. The higher one goes up, the more basic the accommodations on the trail. Rooms get smaller and colder, toilets are located at the far end of the teahouse or sometimes outside, and there is no electricity in many instances.<br />
<br />
So yes, basically what you're seeing is something that was bordering on luxury level on this trek. As for the main dining hall (where everyone gathers in the evening), it was warm, inviting and wonderfully peaceful during the off season.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9165260377/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="the main dining hall"><img alt="the main dining hall" height="398" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5496/9165260377_2c86f6c13a_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the main dining hall of Hotel Beer Garden, Phakding</td></tr>
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First day came and went nicely enough--and I managed to do okay. Day Two's circumstances, however, would be dramatically different.<br />
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* * *<br />
<i>If you want the same Everest Base Camp trek experience I had, visit <a href="http://www.everestbasecamp.travel/" target="_blank">Himalayan Planet Adventures</a> and go for the <a href="http://www.everestbasecamp.travel/nepal/nepal+trekking+holiday/everest+base+camp+kalapathar+trek-136/" target="_blank">16-day Everest Base Camp trek package</a>.<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746930418479342693noreply@blogger.com4Lukla, Chaurikharka 56000, Nepal27.68859 86.72780590000002127.674529500000002 86.707635900000028 27.7026505 86.747975900000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21043039.post-59030559625709547052013-06-30T22:51:00.001+08:002013-07-06T16:11:59.546+08:00Everest Base Camp Trek - Day 0: Kathmandu<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I had spent months worrying so much about my Everest Base Camp (EBC) trek, that I was just quite anxious to get it over and done with and just live to tell the tale. Not exactly the best way to enjoy 6 months' worth of savings, I told myself ruefully as I sat and watched our plane land and taxi towards the red orange brick structure of Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).<br />
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TIA is an exercise in patience--well, at least for the arrivals bit. The line at the visa and immigration area took forever, and it wasn't even peak season. One of the nicest things about Nepal though is that the government grants visas to everyone on arrival; because I was going on the EBC trek, I took the 30-day visa which costs only US $40.<br />
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I was greeted at the arrivals area by Madan, who, I was to find out later on, was going to be my guide for the entire 12-day trek. He greeted me by placing a garland of flowers around my neck, which was quite a surprise for me, as that kind of welcome is normally done to VIPs when they arrive in the Philippines. I had no idea that was how Nepalis welcomed their guests. I looked around, and sure enough, other tourists who had just arrived were wearing the same kind of flowers on their necks.<br />
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Kathmandu is a riot of colors, a total assault on the senses. Dust and prayer flags everywhere, with motorcycles whizzing by and cars zipping past at an equally dangerous pace. The city reminded me of Cairo--frenetic road activity, local music blaring out from various sources, people in colorful garb, and earth-toned structures lining the streets.<br />
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I checked in at Hotel Shanker, this old palace that was converted into a 4-star hotel. The place, in its own charming way, had a layout that seemed to have no rhyme or reason. The way to my room was a bit roundabout; I had this sensation of wandering through palace corridors indeed. And my room had all the delightful amenities I was expecting.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9167493572/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="my room at Shanker Hotel"><img alt="my room at Shanker Hotel" height="397" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5471/9167493572_745571c4bf_z.jpg" width="598" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my room at Shanker Hotel</td></tr>
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I literally just dropped off my bags and immediately headed for the Himalayan Planet Adventures (HPA) office with Madan. I was to meet, finally, Naba, my 'penpal' for the past 4 or so months, who was going to give me a final briefing on the trek before I headed off into the wilderness.<br />
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HPA's office is located in the backpacker district of Thamel, where all the action is. Normally, briefings don't take so long, but I felt comfortable just sitting there chatting with Naba for an hour or two. <br />
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The three most awesome and important things I learned from Naba were:<br />
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1. No leeches on the EBC trail (with Madan affirming this piece of good news). And no frogs too. YES!<br />
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2. The weather had recently improved after several days of zero flights from Kathmandu to Lukla, and it seemed that the skies would be clear for tomorrow's flight. Could it be that I was a lucky girl, after all?<br />
<br />
3. In the likely event that I would need to be flown out of Lukla via helicopter after my trek due to plane flight cancellations, I didn't need to shell out $500 in cold cash. HPA could handle the advance and the fee could be charged to my credit card later on. Seriously, it pays to have a trekking agency watching out for your welfare.<br />
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<br />
Of course, any helicopter medical rescue (in case I would contract moderate to severe altitude sickness) would be shouldered by my travel insurance company, <a href="http://www.worldnomads.com/travel-insurance/" target="_blank">World Nomads</a>. Plane flight cancellations are a different matter altogether, and I was relieved to know that Naba and his team were going to take care of such things on my behalf. Basically, all I had to do was haul my ass over to Lukla and climb up to Everest Base Camp.<br />
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After the briefing, Madan took me around Thamel because I said to him and Naba that I needed to shop for some gear last-minute and to withdraw some money from the ATM. I was told that there would be virtually no ATMs along the Everest trail, so I needed to have cash with me for any unexpected miscellaneous expenses that I may incur. <br />
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Thamel has a superabundance of trekking gear shops, crammed together side and side and bursting with all the trekking apparel, gear and accessories you can think of. After all, this country is home to the Himalayas--so whatever mountain gear you need, you're sure to find it in Thamel, Kathmandu. I drove a hard bargain with the owner of the store where I bought trekking poles, a head lamp, extra fleece jacket, extra hiking socks, fleece gloves, and all that. Not sure if it was all really a bargain, but I was just tired from the flight and the shopping.<br />
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Part of the 16-day itinerary of my trek (12 days for the trek proper and 4 days in Kathmandu) was a welcome dinner that first night. I was actually exhausted and dying to pack my stuff, but I also didn't want to miss my first experience of Nepali cuisine.<br />
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Had dinner with Madan at Nepali Chulo, which is 10 minutes away from Shanker on foot. The restaurant has that authentic Nepali vibe to it, with low tables, mats and pillows, and people sitting cross-legged on the floor while having their meals. Our dining area was on the second floor, and Madan gestured for me to go up the narrow flight of stairs leading to our table. "Climb your best," he said with an impish grin. I was to remember his words all throughout my trek.<br />
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Naturally, we ordered the special Nepali dinner set which consists of 11 dishes, and as we waited for our food, I had the unexpected pleasure of meeting a fellow Filipino that evening. Nepali Chulo's low dining tables were set up so close to one another in such a way that a person can practically tap his/her fellow diner on the shoulder. My new Filipino friend Marlo was seated right next to me, and it was such a nice experience to converse with him, his Nepalese work colleagues, and with Madan that night.<br />
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Nepali Chulo's fixed dinner set consisted of popcorn (the strangest appetizer I've ever come across, as this is normally a snack you'd have at the cinema), steamed momos (Nepalese dumplings), curry, wild boar meat (!), some delicious cold yogurt for dessert, and the traditional <i>dal bhat </i>as the main fare. Dal bhat, the ultimate comfort food of the Nepalis, is basically rice (bhat) and cooked lentil soup (dal) supplemented by vegetables and sometimes with <i>roti </i>or <i>papadum</i>.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9176468794/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="authentic Nepalese cuisine in Nepali Chulo, Kathmandu, Nepal"><img alt="authentic Nepalese cuisine in Nepali Chulo, Kathmandu, Nepal" height="416" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3679/9176468794_6c9388d1ab_z.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">authentic Nepalese cuisine at Nepali Chulo</td></tr>
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Because Nepali Chulo is usually the place you bring foreigners to for a taste of Nepalese cuisine, there were cultural dance presentations held throughout the night. I was tired, but I enjoyed the food, ambiance and conversation that took place.<br />
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As I crawled into bed that night after an hour of packing and re-packing stuff I needed for the trek, I fell asleep in the middle of praying. I don't think the Lord could blame me; the lure of a comfortable bed was too much, and I needed a lot of rest before tackling the first leg of the trek the next day.<br />
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* * *<br />
<i>If you want the same Everest Base Camp trek experience I had, visit <a href="http://www.everestbasecamp.travel/" target="_blank">Himalayan Planet Adventures</a> and go for the <a href="http://www.everestbasecamp.travel/nepal/nepal+trekking+holiday/everest+base+camp+kalapathar+trek-136/" target="_blank">16-day Everest Base Camp trek package</a>.<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746930418479342693noreply@blogger.com0Thamel, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal27.7151556 85.31021940000005127.7151556 85.310219400000051 27.7151556 85.310219400000051tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21043039.post-8397921928946523602013-06-29T22:33:00.000+08:002013-09-09T01:16:27.038+08:00Everest Base Camp Trek - How It All Started<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginasales/9165474659/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Everest and the Himalayas"><img alt="Everest Base Camp Trek Himalayas" height="385" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7394/9165474659_0d7ffa68a4_z.jpg" width="598" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Himalayas - photo by Gina Sales, 2013</td></tr>
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Yes, I've made it to Everest Base Camp this year. And yes, I'm pretty much unscathed, unscarred from the experience--and raring to do it a second time in 2014.<br />
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Just to make it clear from the very start, I'm no trekker. At least not the kind that joins local mountaineering groups and heads for the mountains every weekend. I've done a few treks here in the Philippines, since I enjoy the outdoors (as long as I don't encounter any frogs, I'm fine) and I like to keep fit. But that basically classifies me as a casual, one-off trekker, and not some person who ogles the stuff at R.O.X. and owns camping gear and whatnot.<br />
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So why the sudden and insane leap to do Everest Base Camp? Even I have managed to surprise myself. <br />
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After my trip to Egypt last October 2012, I was scouring the Internet in January 2013 for ideas on my next--okay, I'll say it, even though it sounds so hokey--big adventure. My window of opportunity this 2013 was only between end May to July (and to hold it in July was pushing it, due to my work commitments). I thought about going back to Europe and I was, like, meh, never mind. Western cities can wait even until I'm old with wobbly knees and a bad back. Machu Picchu (one of my biggest dream destinations) was at the top of my bucket list, but the whole trip and its corresponding expenses--plane ticket, the trek, accommodations, etc--was something I couldn't afford right now. The air fare alone was too rich for my blood.<br />
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Those on my 2013 travel destination short list were:<br />
1. Machu Picchu, Peru<br />
2. Petra, Jordan<br />
3. the Ancient Silk Road within China<br />
4. the TransMongolian Railway route from Russia to Mongolia to China<br />
5. Myanmar<br />
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Italy-Austria-Czech Republic nabbed the desperate, I-don't-know-what-else-to-think-of 6th place. I was getting frustrated during my online travel researches; I wasn't keen on doing Jordan yet because I just got back from Egypt. I wanted to do the Silk Road and the TransMongolian Railway journey in my late thirties, and Myanmar was said to be better in December. And Europe was, well, oh I don't know, uninteresting at this point in time.<br />
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I had my heart set on doing the 4-day trek to Machu Picchu, and I was feeling depressed about the astronomical costs, but then suddenly, in a totally wild Eureka-like moment--Everest Base Camp popped into my head. A few seconds of disbelief at the utter absurdity of my idea; a snort (I snorted at my own craziness) followed by a fit of nervous giggles; a heart-pounding, looming realization that, hello, Everest is in Nepal, and Nepal is in Asia, and that meant a more affordable trek--and then two minutes later, there I was, typing madly to see what good old Google could come up with in terms of 'Everest Base Camp trek' searches.<br />
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The Internet is teeming with information on local trekking organizations in Kathmandu who offer Everest Base Camp (EBC) trek packages. I wasn't planning to wing it by flying to Kathmandu and just picking a guide and porter there on the spot, hell no. I'd normally crave my share of adventure, but I like being organized about it. Some people like to live a little more on the dangerous, unpredictable side and just plan travel arrangements as they go--but you see, travel costs money, and I subscribe to that school of thought that proclaims it is more cost-effective if I plan my travels well before flying out to my chosen destination.<br />
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I sent out several email inquiries to Nepalese trekking agencies on my not-so-short list regarding their trek package costs. When I went online the next day, I was, like, whoa, why is my inbox flooded already and why are all these Nepalis asking to be friends with me on Facebook? Was I (my name, my identity) that searchable so much online? To their credit, these Nepalis were amazing in terms of speed of response to my inquiry, and I liked how they were so, um, proactive in searching for me on Facebook, haha. <br />
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But there was one particular trekking agency that stood out from the 20 or so that emailed back. It wasn't the cheapest nor the most expensive. The package was just right. What made me choose this agency was the quality of response and the thoughtfully prepared 9-page trek brief (saved and sent to me as 'Everest Base Camp - 16 days - for Gina') that was attached to the email. Yes, I'm a sucker for good client service and packaging.<br />
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More importantly, it made sense for me to choose that agency because the trek dates were fortuitously scheduled in such a way that the date I was to reach Everest Base Camp was June 5, my birthday. <br />
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That was honestly the clincher. I wanted to do something big (a.k.a. the Machu Picchu trek) on my 33rd birthday this year, and Everest came in as the sweet and much-anticipated answer to all this narcissistic searching for a birthday adventure. <br />
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Suddenly, Machu Picchu looked so corny compared to the mighty Everest.<br />
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So, from January to April 2013, I was corresponding frequently with Naba--owner and managing director of <a href="http://www.everestbasecamp.travel/" target="_blank">Himalayan Planet Adventures</a>--who must have thought I was the most obsessive-compulsive traveler alive. I had all these neurotic questions about the trail, what to expect, how to deal with altitude sickness, what the weather would be like (I was going to do the trek during the monsoon season, after all). And Naba answered them all, patiently and thoroughly. He must have had years of experience already of dealing with weird questions from travelers like me.<br />
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At some point during all this interrogation and online research about other people's EBC experiences, I was horrified to find out that trekkers could get stuck in Lukla (the starting and finishing point of the EBC trek and a 35-minute plane ride away from Kathmandu) for days due to adverse weather conditions. DAYS. I felt I wasn't ready to commit myself to a world of what-ifs, it-depends and we'll-sees--all brought about by fickle mountain weather. When I travel, I'm always Little Miss Fixed Itinerary. And the weather had always cooperated with me. So far.<br />
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I must have realized that at some point though, I was embarrassing myself enough with all these never-ending questions to Naba, and I just had to gulp down my fears and finally say yes, I'll do the trek and I'll just pray to the highest heavens that I won't have to be flown out of Lukla via helicopter after a 5-day delay and that I won't die of altitude sickness, and sure, I'll be sending you my 20% deposit tomorrow, thank you very much.<br />
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As the date of my scheduled flight to Kathmandu drew near, I was getting more anxious. I told myself that this was NOT going to be a good trip. After all, who the heck worries this much over travel? I was losing sleep already over leeches, possible ankle sprains, the perpetual online debate over whether Diamox (altitude sickness medicine) should be taken right before or during the trek, and the crushing agony of being forced to go without a bath on the trail for 12 days. The Lukla Fear Factor (a.k.a. being stuck in that place for days and being forced to shell out US $500 for a helicopter ride) was enough to make me consider calling the whole darned trip off.<br />
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Some nasty inner voice was telling me I had it all wrong and that I had no business climbing up to 5,364 meters when the highest I've climbed in my life was 2,900 meters and all I've done was 2-3 months of conditioning through boxing and running before the Everest trek. Hell, I've read stuff on the Lonely Planet forums that many first-timers to EBC do conditioning <i>a year before</i> their treks.<br />
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And the worst part was that I didn't even know <i>anybody</i> in my circle of family and friends who had done the Everest Base Camp trek before. Some of my friends were saying I was insane to push through with it even though I'm physically fit; the ones who know me more (sometimes they know me even better than I know myself) assured me that I <i>was</i> going to make it to Everest Base Camp because I had the capacity and endurance to do so. But I was still beside myself with terror and I kept telling those close to me that in all likelihood, I wouldn't be able to reach Base Camp, that I might be forced to go back down after all due to altitude sickness.<br />
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All these fears (and my stupid desire in wanting to reach Everest even if it may literally kill me) didn't make for a good start. And it was way too late to back down now, I realized on the 28th of May, when my plane touched down on Kathmandu.<br />
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* * *<br />
<i>If you want the same Everest Base Camp trek experience I had, visit <a href="http://www.everestbasecamp.travel/" target="_blank">Himalayan Planet Adventures</a> and go for the <a href="http://www.everestbasecamp.travel/nepal/nepal+trekking+holiday/everest+base+camp+kalapathar+trek-136/" target="_blank">16-day Everest Base Camp trek package</a>.<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746930418479342693noreply@blogger.com5Mount Everest27.9858181 86.9235957999999327.9717961 86.903425799999937 27.9998401 86.943765799999923tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21043039.post-12772401512840034852013-05-03T18:23:00.000+08:002013-05-03T18:23:00.353+08:00New York 2011: Museums<br>Hello, my name is Gina, and I'm a museum addict.</br>
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<iframe align="center" src="http://www.flickr.com/slideShow/index.gne?set_id=72157630573076976&text=New York 2011" width="500" height="500" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><br /><center><small>Created with <a href="http://www.flickrslideshow.com">flickr slideshow</a>.</small></center>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746930418479342693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21043039.post-75679978215462413752013-05-02T20:32:00.001+08:002013-05-02T20:32:28.721+08:00New York 2011: City Sights<br>Still in the mad process of organizing all my photos on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/ginasales">my Flickr Pro account</a> (although I don't feel so Pro at all -- just the average traveler with a camera, haha).</br>
<br>I hate how incredibly busy I've become, and I hardly have the time to write about my travels anymore. Hopefully, these slideshows will make up for my blog drought somehow.</br>
<br>Anyway, here is New York in the summer, in all its hot, humid glory.</br>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746930418479342693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21043039.post-33154415289367089692013-02-03T23:33:00.000+08:002013-02-04T00:01:39.686+08:00Made With Paper: Florence's Duomo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgh-2VcqKfdvGbqiPOMvn3_TJMb-UJauDc36kMs_At2Ukko8bL2BC5miELHFRnyNiHfAbUAeHkkN0fCMVtsbd2V6tYAs_xFOMtLIOuYImZmgaseWSsb-KPf65kY-hP6vYs3baEWw/s1600/Florence.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgh-2VcqKfdvGbqiPOMvn3_TJMb-UJauDc36kMs_At2Ukko8bL2BC5miELHFRnyNiHfAbUAeHkkN0fCMVtsbd2V6tYAs_xFOMtLIOuYImZmgaseWSsb-KPf65kY-hP6vYs3baEWw/s640/Florence.JPG" width="550" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sketch by Gina Sales, 2013</td></tr>
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This sketch took me two days to finish on the <a href="http://www.fiftythree.com/paper" target="_blank">Paper App on iPad</a>, and I consider that hurried enough already. It's very rough, really, and doing all those strokes on the iPad takes some getting use to. At some point, the touch screen wasn't cooperating, and I was thinking, oh my God, this never happens to me when I'm using a real pen!<br />
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I've always had this sinking feeling that I didn't learn enough about light during art class (which was more than a decade ago, and these weren't a lot of classes, I tell you)--and so I really did struggle with the lighting here. Thank God I could play around with the gray and black colors of the pen tool, because if I had to do all those strokes using pure black, I would have failed miserably.<br />
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I'm still being stingy here and haven't bought yet the pencil and watercolor tools. So, yeah, pretty heavy treatment on the eyes. But my younger sisters love it and seem to think that my hands do weird magic while I'm slumped on the coach in an apparent state of ennui. The youngest already wants me to make another sketch (insert sigh).<br />
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At any rate, I'm so happy that many friends of mine liked it when I posted it on Facebook. Thanks for the praises, everyone. Your compliments warm the cockles of my heart. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746930418479342693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21043039.post-40790818393166370722013-01-27T23:31:00.000+08:002013-01-27T23:31:30.550+08:00Made With Paper: initial sketches<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A few weeks back, my youngest sister shoved her iPad under my nose and asked me to try out the <a href="http://www.fiftythree.com/paper" target="_blank">Paper</a> app. Since she doesn't draw, she wanted me to populate her Paper Sketchbook on the iPad.<br />
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I was never under any delusion that I could draw amazing stuff from memory, and most of the things I sketch, I sketch using a photo or an actual model/sculpture as a visual reference. So my sister asking me suddenly to draw something somehow made me feel I was in a bit of a tight spot.<br />
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Because I was hungry, rather cranky, and craving for sweets, the first thing I drew was this:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIicwpPpO8lZ19sxOam45FmMJD1BFbxJaF9iD878Hy8iBUhJpIZDt9sNitQqMOEV-IhzVWByt6d5SWrn4qA6XxiwJ1qYm-6JXc_qGfhy-NdZA24QkvZZnkmqs8pjGO6Mhyy5Tv7A/s320/photo.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sketch by Gina Sales, 2013</td></tr>
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Not my best sketch, obviously, but Steffi looked pleased and asked for another one. (I swear, younger sisters can take on this demanding attitude sometimes. I don't know why I oblige.)<br />
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When all else fails, and I can't think of anything to draw, I make trees. I must be the laziest 'tree-maker' around, because all the trees I make are barren.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEK_MNqanX3BvH2Xr-ENiOvdS1WyMv6XwggmOUIdVmWsUnY1G6FHIIopUyy3Ws0E4pQE57BO5o1rxeEtQholGEQ4Cd1EbYEZHhWpgxWrgvKaeHmHeoHlffDJOeP7lYOmlHjFSq9w/s1600/photo(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEK_MNqanX3BvH2Xr-ENiOvdS1WyMv6XwggmOUIdVmWsUnY1G6FHIIopUyy3Ws0E4pQE57BO5o1rxeEtQholGEQ4Cd1EbYEZHhWpgxWrgvKaeHmHeoHlffDJOeP7lYOmlHjFSq9w/s640/photo(2).JPG" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sketch by Gina Sales, 2013</td></tr>
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Had some difficulty using the Paper App at first, but one can get used to it. Too bad the free version only allows me to use a standard pen tool, eraser and basic color palette. Buying the pencil tool and the watercolor brush would cost me $2.58 each, and I wasn't <i>that</i> ready to commit to an App yet. I still had my Moleskine sketch book and tech pen, thank you very much.<br />
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But when I casually posted the tree sketch on Facebook, I was pleasantly surprised that people came up to me and actually said that they liked my tree. Wow. Had no idea sketching on an empty stomach can create something likeable. <br />
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At any rate, this Paper App is turning out to be loads of fun. The degree of control isn't as great as holding an actual pen, but it works. At least I have a better reason to use an iPad these days.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746930418479342693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21043039.post-37929258394877886972013-01-16T15:05:00.000+08:002013-01-27T22:53:42.106+08:00Happy birthday, blog!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Wow, my blog turns 7 years old today!<br />
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I can't believe it's been that long. As the years progress, I write less and less--not that there's much to write in my opinion (okay, maybe that too) since I don't lead a super exciting life, but because I suppose my aging thirty-something self has too much to do. Work is tough and keeps me busy, and what little leisure time I have left I spend reading or taking care of my hamster. Or just hanging out. Or downloading US TV shows. Or just uploading photos of my travels on Facebook and Flickr because I'm always paranoid of losing my photos, lol.
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I feel like I'm always catching up on things, making sure that the little details of my life are captured, whether through photos or iPhone videos or that shamelessly useful thing called social media--so that I always have something to look back on when I grow old. And it's this blog that always suffers, because, face it, not everyone these days has time to write (unless you're a writer, which I'm most emphatically not).
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I still look at my past entries, and depending on the post or my mood at that time, I either cringe now, or smile with joy. Some entries I'm proud of, some aren't definitely my best writing moments--but they're all here so I won't forget.
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I have this inane fear of forgetting things, and so I need to capture whatever I can. May this blog always keep that fear at bay.
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746930418479342693noreply@blogger.com0