Today is our first day of acclimatization which is very common when trekking at these elevations. A number of helicopters are ferrying up and down this valley to and from EBC. In addition, there are planes that fly around the Himalayan peaks with tourists. A lot easier than trekking!
The toilets here don't flush so you take a separate pail and dip in the large tanks of water to flush your toilet. You never put any toilet paper or other paper in these toilets. There is a basket in the room where you fold and place your toilet paper/kleenex. I take my 1/2 tab of 250 mg Diamox prescription for the high altitude. One symptom though can be tingling in your fingers early in the morning.
I purchased an nCell SIM card in Kathmandu, but to date it has not been useful on the trek as it doesn't seem to have coverage here. The wifi is working so I can send some pics via email.
Breakfast was good and we say 'goodbye' to Wolfgang as he needs to return to Lukla with his porter this morning. This will take him at least two days trekking.
This is day 4 of our trek and Wolfgang's last morning with us.
Typical backdrop in Tangboche!
Famous Dawa Choling Gompa Monastery of Tangboche. It is a very large Tibetan Buddhist monastery of Sherpas. The Sherpas tribe left Tibet many centuries ago and settled in the Khumbu/Everest region of Nepal.
What a fantastic setting for this massive monastery located on the highest part of Tangboche. Check out the beautiful colours.
This area of Tangboche is just below where we are staying and pretty much concludes the extent of this village. Another yak train coming!
This is the 76 year old Sherpa owner of the lodge we are staying in. What a character! I mentioned him in yesterday's blog. His english is pretty good. Jim, myself and Dorjee have a good long fun-filled talk with this unique individual.
Yes, it was that warm! Monastery in the background. Very fresh air, although not a lot of oxygen compared to sea level. We relax on the patio deck in the 24 - 32 degrees Celsius heat and direct sunshine. I am wearing shorts! As a contrast the hallways in our lodge are freezing cold.
What incredible scenery surrounding the lodge and Tangboche. You can never get tired of the sheer beauty of the Everest region.
Another view from Tangboche. Easy to pass the time here and marvel at the sights that are all around!
There are other trekking groups staying here at the lodge. One group has kids aged from around 5 or 6 to 11 or 12. This must be quite the experience for each of them. We sit in the dining room chatting with other trekkers, inclusive of the young Swede and a German/American couple.
In the mountains it is peaceful and quiet, except for the clanging from the bells that always hang around the necks of the yaks. There is a horse wandering freely around the village which we speculate is used for injured and sick trekkers to get them to Lukla. Jim describes a "yak as a cow with horns and an attitude..."
The five colours you find on the Buddhist flagpoles as the five different kinds of Buddhism and the past/present and future Buddha.
Speaking of Buddhists, our guide Dorjee's full name is Ngima (born on a Sunday) Dorjee (fight against demons) Lama (tribe/family name). Dorjee is a practising Buddhist and educates us with the meaning of most Buddhist things we encounter. Sherpas are Buddhists.
We are relaxing on the patio and take our lunch there. Earlier, Jim had washed some socks and a shirt and they are already dry! Wow, this is incredible with the clear warm weather. We decide to visit the Monastery across the way with Dorjee. When inside the Buddhist temple you must take off your shoes and hats. Inside the monastery it is very cold. So many beautiful colours of the interior and exterior of the Gumpa. In the temple there is a gigantic Buddha. Many seats for monks and stupa in the interior of the grounds.
Later, Jim and I visited an "eco centre" run by the Monastery focusing on ecology of the Tangboche valley. As well, there is a bakery down towards the bottom with an outdoor wooden table. We enter the bakery and immediately struck by the pleasing aromas. The choices on the counter are a chocolate cake and then a huge piece of chocolate brownie for 400 Rupee!
We discover that in the early afternoons the clouds move in to cover the peaks. This will mean we always need to be getting our pictures and views completed by late morning or early afternoon. The contrasts of weather at this elevation are extreme. Around 32 degrees in the afternoon and below 0 at night! Once the clouds cover the sun, the temperature drops quickly.
Acclimatization is necessary, otherwise, you risk the symptoms and illness that comes at this elevation. Some people will die from high altitude sickness. You walk slowly, hydrate, take Diamox and ensure you don't ascend too quickly. A Sherpa guide is a fantastic resource and educator. It is easy to be ambitious and take it lightly, but the results could be disastrous.
Dinner at 6:30 pm as usual. Dorjee doesn't usually eat with us as the guides get together later. The hot cloth we received last night is now dry and lukewarm. Jim and I play backgammon while the others crowd around the fire stove for warmth. We get back to our pitch black room around 8 pm and of course the electricity/lights are not working. The walls are paper thin so you can hear the fellow trekkers sneeze, cough, snore and talk. All doors have latches with key locks.
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