| 26 November; Photo Dispatches |
Photo Dispatches of Trekking
 November 24
The scenery really changed during our trek. Between Jiri and Namche there are all these beautiful, green valleys that seems to go on forever. From Namche to Thokla we started to see more and more mountains with snowy peaks, eventually we got above the tree line where only small bushes grow. There are a lot of rhododendrons in this area and it must be so beautiful in the springtime. This picture is taken on the way down to Thokla from Gorak Shep. Here the scenery again is very different. There are a lot of glaciers and big boulders of rock everywhere.
 November 25
Tengboche is a very pittoresque village situated on top of a ridge. It is known for its monastery where a lot of young people go into learning about Buddhism. On this picture Anna is enjoying a cup of hot lemon, this has become our most favourite drink (we're even having a glass right now as we write this!). The picture is taken around noon, just when the clouds started to roll in over the ridge. However, the clouds disappeared in the afternoon and when night came around it was a clear, starry sky that we admired for a long time.
November 22
Every day Ngima would tell us where we would go during the day and what the terrain would be like. Here he is talking about the last bit up to Nangkartang, which indeed was very steep! We climbed this peak to prepare further for higher altitudes.
 November 24
We walked from Lobuche to Gorak Shep, which took about two hours. At Gorak Shep we had lunch, noodle soup and pasta and then started the climb to Kala Pattar. It took us about two hours to get to the top. It was not as hard as we had thought, but it sure was not like a walk in the park. You breathe harder and your heart is racing because of the altitude. Kala Pattar, meaning the Black Rock, rises 5545 m. From here the views are magnificent!! We saw Mt Everest from really close and all the other high peaks like Lhotse and Nuptse. We could also see Everest base camp and part of the Gokyo valley.
November 22
Here we are on top of Nangkartang. We made it though the terrain was so steep... The view from here was really stunning! We saw the Ama Dablam and its beautiful green and blue lakes really close by and we also saw Island Peak.
 November 21
We start walking quite early in the morning, usually around 7:30. This day we walked from Pangboche to Dingboche and the first ray of sunlights has just managed to reach above the mountains. This day was the day of the Everest Marathon. The runners start at 6 am in Gorak Shep and reach Namche at around 10:30. Do we need to say that at least the six first runners were Nepali people?!
25 November; returning from Everest Base Camp |
 It is Ngima calling from Tengboche. It was not possible to call from uper Khumbu as no telephone facilities are available. We have arrived today from Tengboche and we are staying overnihgt here. A big Monastry is situated in Tengboche. It is a very beautiful monastry with a lot of monks including student monks.
It is Ngima calling from Tengboche. It was not possible to call from uper Khumbu as no telephone facilities are available. We have arrived today from Tengboche and we are staying overnihgt here. A big Monastry is situated in Tengboche. It is a very beautiful monastry with a lot of monks including student monks.
We went to Everest Base camp yesterday and returned to Thukla, after talking some  pictures. Everest base camp in autumn is empty as no expedition teams are here. It looks more beautiful in the spring when there are a lot of expedition teams. Everest base camp will be full of tents and every facility at the altitude of 5300 m. I stayed here in the spring of 2004 while I was climbing with the Working Title expedition.
Anna and Niklas are talking rest. They want to do more trekking in the area so we will be going around Thame from Namche. We will send you some photos tomorrow after we arrive in Namche. |
| |
| 19 November ; From Khumjung |
Today we are in Khumjung; we arrived in khumjung almost 12.30. We don't have any interesting news today. I will be reporting you further news of our trip soon.
| 17 November ; Acclimatizing in Namche |
It is 17 November; I'm calling from Namche. We have three days for the acclimatization in Namche and it is second day for acclimatization. We hiked to the syangboche and returned back to Namche. We will be staying tomorrow in Namche. Everything is well with us.
| 16 November; Arrived in Namche , the Sherpa's capital in Khumbu |
Ngima calling from Namche at 1.00 p.m.
Today, we arrived in Namche around 12.30 p.m. Weather is quite cloudy and not clear. After a long day trekking, its now time to take rest. We will be spending two nights at Khumbu Lodge that is one of the best and the largest lodge in Namche Bazaar.
This picture is from Lamuje with Everest in the background. It was great to see the Everest for the first time and really beautiful place. We're having a great time and it was nice to have a hot shower in namche. (Anna and Niklas from Namche)
| 15 November; Calling from Lukla, on the way to Phakding |
It is 15 November Tuesday, Ngima calling from Lukla at 11.45 a.m.
"On Sunday 13 November we started our trek at 7.30 in the morning from Phaplu to Nunthala. On the way from Traksindo we encountered with a dramatic view of different Mountains like Pike Peak, Dudhkunda Himal Thamserku etc. We reached in Nunthala at 2.30 p.m. and took rest there. Again 14 November we headed to the Puiyan.
Now, today we are in Lukla, our trek is wounderful and everything is well with us . After a while we will start our trek to Phakding and stay there".
 It is 12 November, Saturday evening; we recently got call from Phaplu by Nima Sherpa, the guide. On the way from Jiri to Phaplu, he did not get the access of communication. So we have a short discription of their activities of the trail, Jiri to Phaplu in his own word.
"On same day 7 Nov, Anna, Niklas and me started trek from Jiri to Shivalaya and stayed there. We spent a night here in Shivalaya enjoying with local people. Again 8 November, In the morning the journey begun towards Roji with well preparation. Here the route of trekking is quite different than the common where the trail is practically giving us different observation. We reached Roji at the evening and past a night there. After then on 9 November, Turture is our destination from Roji.
In 10 November, we three fellows left to the Chyangba. We reached Chyangba and Spent two nights. Chyangba is our familliar place. Most of the staffs are from this place and me too. It is a nice place and not lay in common trekking route. It is taken as a nice cultural village of Khumbu Region. Anna & Niklas visited to my house and stayed here for two nights, enjoying with Sherpa family. I showed them the School of our village. After collecting experience of Chyangba we leaved to the Phaplu on 12 November, Saturday. And reached in Phaplu at the evening".
|
Early in the morning of December 6 we took a taxi to Sarangkot. We walked the last bit up to the view point in the dark. It took about 20 minutes. When the sun came up we had no regrets getting up so early in the morning. It was a beautiful sunrise over the Annapurna massif. The sun looked like a red fireball as it made its way up in the morning fog. 
We liked the Fish Tail Lodge so much that we returned later that afternoon for a drink in the nice garden. This time we got there by raft (the hotel is situated on a peninsula) pulled by man power.
After a tireing bustrip from Kathmandu we finally reached Sauraha, Chitwan. We checked in at the comfortable Royal Park Hotel and ate a terrific lunch. Afterwards we met our guide for the afternoon activity. He took us on a village tour on ox-cart and told us about the native Thaura people and their culture.
The next morning it was time for elephant riding in the jungle. We headed straight into the misty jungle in a not too comfortable seat ontop of a huge elephant. After a while we spotted two peacocks high up in a tree. Then we saw beutiful deer, both male and female. Then nothing... then some spiderweb (really close...)... then nothing... then... Rhinos! Two big rhinos were munching on some grass by the river. Our elephant driver steered the elephant really close so we could take some really nice pictures. The driver ordered the elephant to use his trunk to clear our view from obstructing branches. Cool trick!
In the afternoon it was time for canoeing and a visit to the Elephant Breeding Center, EBC. During our half hour canoe trip we saw lots of birds, including the beautiful blue Kingfisher. We also saw monkeys and six crocodiles!
