Day 6 - Phakding.
The plane holds about 20 people. It is about a 35 minute flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. The plane banks sharply deftly hitting the bottom of the runway. The short runway ascends about 12 degrees up the hill. Gravity brakes. The plane turns right at speed and stops in the parking lot. We tumble out into a small village area surrounded by mountains. it is 8am and about 5 degrees centigrade. Our trek begins.
Breakfast. 3 hours trekking, lunch and a break. I get out the Sarangi I bought in Nepal. It is like a local violin about 12 inches long. 4 strings but the 2 central strings seem to be tuned alike. We take turns making screeching noises. It is wood and I can't see myself carrying it around the world.
Afterwards we head up the hill to a 500 year old monastery. Yahweh seems small and distant. What does the God of Abraham know about Himel? Blake's England is right next door to Jerusalem. This is another world.
It is my birthday. I am 44. I get concerned as I think about growing old. Then I laugh. This is a good way to grow old.
After dinner our tour leader Tekay has organised a birthday cake. The kitchen staff come out singing happy birthday and a ceremonial white scarf is placed over my shoulders. I have chocolates to share with everyone - a farewell gift from Melbourne. They are appreciated.
Day 7 - Namche Bazar
The morning walk was pleasant. For lunch I had Sherpa Noodle Soup. The local noodles are like an irregular thick fettuccine. It has vegetables and the base is curry with maybe some dahl. After lunch we ascend to Namche Bazar. The walk is not too hard but I am tired. At times I feel as if I am in a trance. We get to Namche at 3:30. Michael and I share a room. Our view overlooks the town with a backdrop of nearby mountains. Huge waterfalls are frozen white on the face of the mountain.
I am feeling nauseous from the altitude but a cup of tea masala (chai) and half an hour later I am feeling better. I am sitting in the dining room of our lodge with the same view of the mountains. It has varnished floors, walls and tables. The bench seats have thick carpets on them. A girl puts dried yak dung in the stove in the centre of the room. Tonight we will watch "7 years in Tibet" on DVD.
Monday, January 12, 2009
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