Its Johnson Brother's blog day...I actually offered to assist Mike, but appears I must put down a few thoughts on the blog.

As I left KTM with a cold and enough particulate matter in my airway to qualify as a "superfund cleanup site," my day started with coughing up something disgusting at 4:30am and awakening Michelle from a coma induced sleep. Obviously I was not going to join the group on the Thame marathon hike today (see Mike's note). A group of us who wished to "conserve" our energy went on a great walk from Namche to the Sherpa museum, then off to the Everest View Hotel, Khumjung for apple pie at the world's highest bakery (~12,500ft) and then off to Kunde and back to Namche. A great view of the local mountains and Ama Dablam, but Everest was clouded in today.

It should be noted that altitude illness tends to be less in those who are older, maybe because their brains have shrunk over the years. Hence my older brother Mike is tolerating the altitude well and was one who joined the "fit" group to Thame....