Everest Base Camp Buggy Ride

Last night I went to bed with two layers beneath me and five layers on top of me. It took me awhile to warm up the bed with my body heat. I attempted to sleep with a massive headache. I couldn’t sleep because I was in so much pain. I had to lean on my right side to relief some of the pressure. My fourth chakra in the front was in pain also.

In the morning, our water in the cup that was left out last night froze during the night. It was -12 degrees. Our young Tibetan host decided to smoke us out by smoking the burner and then opening the door wide open. We were all cold and we decided to get packed to leave. I didn’t have to pack because I didn’t unpack.

She nagged some more in Chinese how we give her trouble by giving her work. She barely spoke Chinese whenever there was any confrontation. She would all of a sudden loose her ability to communicate and be lost in translation. But whenever she needed to complain and just trash people she would all of a sudden be very fluent in Chinese again

I couldn't wait to get away from her. I just wanted to scream and cry. She was driving me crazy. Everybody just felt she was delightful and sensed she had a bit of attitude and kept wanting me to like her and would frown at me for being uncooperative. I want to like her. She made it very difficult. In fact she was scary to me with her switching of poor me to westerners and then to playing the nasty mean person.

For breakfast Stef and Nate left for another tent that actually was warm and served food and hot water. I didn’t join because I couldn’t handle the smell of Yak butter and meat etc. Rupert, who didn’t sleep at all because he was too cold last night decided that we could pair up and that we would head down to Rombu Monastery where our driver was waiting for us. Rupert and I started to walk, a Tibetan horse buggy rider came to get us for business. We had another Tibetan translate to him that we were not interested. As we walked he kept walking and came with his horse and buggy. He asked in Chinese, "how much" Rupert said 5y per person and 10 for both of us. He agreed we hopped on. It turned out to be a rough ride. It really hurt my back and gave me whiplash. We both squatted and didn’t even sit because it was such a rough ride. My legs were a bit numb and I think I may have pinched a nerve on my back on that buggy. We got off part way because we were in so much pain and didn’t even want to be on the buggy in the first place. As Rupert handed him money, he yelled at us and demanded 60y. I started walking, I was too tired to reason or even deal with it.. He kept yelling violently and we kept walking.

We made it to the Rombu monastery restaurant. I couldn't handle anymore smell of meat, smoke, yak butter. Who in their right mind smokes in this altitude? I sat outside in the car and meditated. I recited, and it never fails, I always feel better after I recite and meditate. What a priceless treasure, meditation and the rest of Buddhist practices.

My massive headache returned and my back was burning from the buggy ride injury. We passed the summit again and once again got to see the magnificent peaks of Everest, Choya, Mogoru. As we passed the summit, the clouds were moving in and started to cover parts of the peak. We really lucked out on weather. We headed for Sa’gya for food. I had a terrible headache and chest congestion. We sat to eat and I couldn't eat the noodles that didn't have garlic in it but had garlic oil in it. Somehow it was giving me fevers and made me tremble here in Tibet. Nate helped me finish my food. During dinner, Stef really wanted to stay at the Guest House, she had her romantic notion of it. Really, the rest of us didn't care. I just didn't have any energy to keep up with her ungrounded energy that came out of her tongue and how she needed all of us to agree with her how her ideas are most perfect and thoughtful and well thought out for all of us. I did snap at her to stop her. I couldn't take it anymore and a room all to myself for 50y a night.

Everest Base Camp

I woke up middle of the night with a massive headache. I think the lack of oxygen in this elevation is the cause.

I got very little rest. I think many brain cells died. I think I got dumber than before. I think I should retire from any work force activity. Too many brain cells died. I got up for Sunrise in the cold and then went back to bed like everyone else in my group. As it turned out, our room had the view of Everest peak and all we had to do was pull the curtain. This was discovered after we all froze our bums off in the cold outside to watch the golden sunrise. Stef gave me medicine. I took it, it was only good for 90 minutes. We started our hike up Everest Camp after lunch around 12:30pm. The hike was nice. I had to stop often to take lots of deep breathes. The hike usually takes 2 hours, it took me 3 and half hours. It was nice my group waited for me and we had tea. I walked with my splitting head ache. It was horrible. I felt like there were many thousands of drones pounding in my head. We passed by Blue Sheep. They look like deer but different. We went off road and did other trails too to cut short on the switch backs. We arrived in Everest Base Camp at 4pm. The river was partly frozen. The wind was picking up and it was bone chilling cold. Nate picked out a tent for us to stay in. I was concerned about staying warm for the night because I was shivering from the cold and could not warm up at all.

This tent was run by a 15 year old Tibetan girl. She said the tents were scheduled to come down 10 days from now but due to the weather it has been changed to tomorrow. She also said that it rained this week and we come across good weather. We were all glad the conditions were working for us. Her family had left already.

This Tibetan young girl was pulling on our sympathy strings when she told us that she wanted to be a Tibetan nun and go through the border of Nepal to be with her Spiritual Leader in India. She said many things against the idea of living for money etc..... She said that it costs 1,000 yuan to cross the Nepalese boarder, and it takes 4,500 yuan to do round trip. That her father has checked out this line and each person in their family is saving to make the crossing. We all went for it to go along with our romantic notions of Tibet and the current state of its people.

She then told us that the 40y per bed didn't go to her but to the government and only food ordered through her goes to her. I went to the kitchen to see what I can cook because I missed my own cooking. As it turns out she had instant noodles, potatos, rice, and eggs. What were we suppose to order from the menu when she didn't have ingredients for the menu? It didn’t matter she just wanted money from us. I asked for the light to be turned on and she refused unless we ordered something to eat. We also brought two friends we met on the road in for food and to hang out. They all ordered egg fried rice. I had seen the old egg fried rice on the floor from days before. I told her she could not serve old rice and needed to cook new ones. She didn't and people ate crunchy old egg fried rice. I confronted her and she flinched a little. I said you can make people sick this way. You promised to serve new fresh food. She tried to wiggle by saying Tibetans do things this way. I reminded her that was not what we agreed on. She got nervous and tried to make up for it by offering the two trekkers blankets to use for the night free. With that gesture I felt there was hope in her. But then she kept coming to me to sell trinkets. She wanted to know what we would order for breakfast. The hot water she poured for us were cloudy and barely warm. She did not keep the fire going like other tents did. She had quite an attitude and what made her happy was money. It was contradictory to her heart plucking story of her aspiration and how she's not about money.

We went to the Tibetan end of the season party. When I entered an man half serious half joking asked for our money to be at the party. Since I understood and no one else did, I left the party. I left because I was tired. I left because I knew they wanted our money. I left because they’d serve alcohol and eat raw meat to celebrate the season. I left because I wanted to enjoy some quiet and alone time in this week of being together twenty-four-seven.

Summit View of Everest Peak

We decided the weather was actually nice and we wanted to get to Everest on good weather. After getting our permits, our driver aimed for us to watch the sunset on a high summit to view Everest given the clear sky holds up. We had heard of rain and cloud the day before and did we luck out. Lang said off the years he has been in this business, he’s only had a few days as beautiful as this on viewing Everest. On the summit we had gone up in elevation and the wind picked up. I was not prepared for it. I had clothes but didn't put them on. I just jumped out of the car to snap photos. It was cold.

We decided we wanted to watch sunrise of Everest peak so we headed to Rombu monastery the last stop where all vehicles have to stop before base camp. We ended up paying 80y per bed at the monastery because it was so late by the time we got there all the 40y beds were taken and the price goes up as the night grows. We slept and alarmed ourselves to get up to watch sunrise. At this high of place, the stars filled the sky. I have never seen so many stars in the sky before and the Milkyway was clear and wide and long. It was cold here. I had me blankets on.

The guest reception saw my brand new boots and wanted to buy them from me for 30y. I got them for 60y. I told him I need them to walk in, I haven't worn them yet. He said he'd be back in the morning for my boots. I was afraid they'd be gone in the morning somehow and contemplated sleeping with them on.

Drivers lodging was a tent in the parking lot. It was cold for Lang but he toughed it and said it was his job and this is what he goes through when he comes here.