Everest Base Camp Trek Dispatch
May 14, 2009 – Our Last Day on the Trail
Here we are in Lukla. This airport town has many trekker legs working double time in the last days of their treks. It represents transport back to “civilization” and the end of their quests to reach Everest Base Camp, Kala Pattar and to visit the blessed valleys that are the homeland of the Sherpas.
We’ve seen clouds and rain the past few days but is was sunny
this morning. This young man and his mom were enjoying the
shade of their umbrella.
Our group was different. This was a bittersweet day for us and we were in no hurry to leave. We woke in one of our very favorite lodges of this trip, the place where we spent the first night of our trek. The roaring waters of the Dudh Kosi River are soothing and provide the best sleep that any of us can remember having. The lush green of this land at lower elevations, not to mention the thicker air now that we are just below 9,000 feet above sea level, add to the appreciation of life here. We are still in the land of the Sherpas, but our accomplishments in the higher elevations, the cold and demands of life adjacent to the glaciers seem far away. Here we can savor our accomplishments and our final hours of the now familiar trekking life.
Temba and Wally said to take it easy this morning as there was no reason to leave early. After breakfast we stayed and listened to the river roaring and enjoyed the sunshine.
Nim Phuti, always ready to load the Yak and Cattle crossbred Zophikos for another day on the trail, waited in her room with the saddles ready. We all enjoyed the relaxed start.
When we finally hit the trail we remembered that is was Thursday; we saw strings of porters, men and women, heading for the Saturday Namche Market
Since the group was in no hurry, Temba and Wally suggested they walk on the other side of the river to visit another Hillary School that neither of them had seen before. The Nepalese Calender date of the School’s founding is on the sign.
Class 7 in the school thought that it was great fun that we stopped by. It was an excuse to stop the lessons if nothing else.
We stopped for our last lunch on the trail. Things were back to normal. Rob’s midday nap (and his dreams) are a part of his routine while trekking.
Calli-Ann and Lida walk beside a Mani Stone – spectacular but familiar to us now.
Rob is still spinning prayer wheels, acquiring merit sewing good will.
Lida and Calli-Ann just before we walked into Namche
Now we are at Paradise Lodge with the airstrip behind us. Time for David and Rob to enjoy an Everest Beer and some Pringles.
Jeyta reminds the group to use their Purel.l