Sights and sounds from the front steps of the hotel....some amazing sights...all the motorcycles have guards on the front to protect the driver's legs from cars etc. The driver must wear a helmet. But not the passenger. ? Duh....no one gets hit..amazing with the volume of walkers and vehicles on a narrow street.

Had a very nice breakfast..on top of the hotel..comfortable..nice waiter...tipped him 100 rupies..which is like a dollar..and that is a generous tip.

Going on tour all day tomorrow...will tell me then where to go on the followup days.

My treking group shoukd have reached base camp yesterday and starting back down today..will take 3 days and then fly back to Katmnandu on the morning of the 4th.

So as I said on Facebook..I got out of the hospital for 900 bucks...then went to the hotel to go though  mybstored bag to get my flight information...thisvmay sound easy but gridlock upon gridlock..and it is normal. Motorcycles and scooters worming their way in and around cars..cars inching along..left trail..now to thevright..back to the left.

We then went to the airlines office..so we thought..they had moved..no one knew where..finally got there.

Hey a couple days delay but move my ticket for April 7th up...please...stern concentration and then a "no...sorry". All seats filled...no way to get out til the 7th..

Might as well accept it and make the most of it.

As you can see from the pictures I could focus on what wires go where....unbelievable. ...so much wire.

Anyway I meet today with the trekking company..I have a  full day guided tour coming...might as well do that tomorrow and then do specific followup sights as warranted.

View from my room..needed to change

Well..I have just been released..the trekking company is picking me up in an hour and a half.  My blood pressure is stabilized..they have me on an increased dosage of my meds til I get home and see my doctor. The stomach bug is gone..the antibiotics worked. Pulse is down..getting at a lower altitude and less stress helped that...they are continuing meds for my cold..the least of my worries.. although I wonder why this is my 4th cold this season.

What now...get my ride..go to hotel and gather all my stuff I have left there.   Call or go to the airport to Southern Chinese Airline to arrange moving my flight up....hope to stay one more day at least to do the city tour provided in my trek package.

They make you go to the hospital.  They won't let you out. They want to monitor blood pressure for one more day...then...they have this guy..on your outside wall ...using a drill and a hammer...which resonates into your room...raising your blood pressure...duh

IT IS L-O-U-D ! ! ! ! !

Laisha sent the attached saying today..well...(hesitate) well...(hesitate)...well, it is true.. one has to evaluate the risk vs the benefit. I think I was doing just that...although a lot of internal forces were in play.

I didn't get out of the hospital today, even though I was dressed and ready to go...one more day at least...to monitor the vitals particularly the blood pressure....which tipped it all over in the beginning.

The power is out..so no tv..no air conditioning....yuk.

The other day I talked about religious objects...the mani stones and the mani or prayer wheels...these pictures are of STUPAS. They represent the Budda because he wanted his ashes left in a stupa. There are eight different designs of stupas .

On other pages of the blog you see prayer flags. They are every where including all the bridges we crossed. There are 5 colors to signify the elements..yellow to signify earth....red for fire...green for wood...blue for sky and water and white for iron.

It is said anyone building or showing a religious monument or object gains spiritual merit.

Helicopter ride out...can one imagine who thought up a machine where you felt like you were rattling in a tin can...hanging under a big propeller....doesn't feel that safe to me....of course it was a small one not a corporate fancy one.

The pictures show the terracing in Nepal..it is so hilly, they have created massive amounts of terraces for their farming. Land is passed down through generations.

Some interesting door arches in Namchemas well as a few of the many little outdoor shops. One has to be careful as much are "knockoffs" of North Face, etc. etc

Buying presents for my sweetie.. a couple of days ago in Namche

Blood pressure back to normal....pulse is normal....maybe I am now normal....except a nasty cold.

Definitely got an infection right on the get go....

Not sad to have not gone all the way up the hill....the adventure was great for what I did.....I mean.....crossing a total of 7 suspension bridges, one of which was hundreds of feet in the air....wasn't my thing with vertigo..but I did it.

Was reading the blog of a couple of guys who did the trek last year....their summary of the trek was "what were we thinking?"...would they do it again..."no". I won't be doing it again but it was a grateful experience.

I am reading another book about summiting the highest peaks on the seven continents.....I finished the other book written by the son of the first sherpa to be on top of Mt. Everest....well worth reading.

Somewhere in the past couple of days I read a piece that brings all this together...it basically talks about people making these plans to go to Everest Base Camp or the like with a "sea level mentality"....isn't that the truth...that was definitely me....I missed the parts about being barely able to breathe and to get there...it is all up hill.

My next adventure.....too soon to tell...focus on getting out of this hospital and pray that the Chinese will allow me to hop a plane with my ticket for the 8th of April now. Time will tell.

Well....old Dave...had a bad night..not that he has had good ones....they had to send a helicopter in and transport me to Kathmandu....in the hospital...but all will be ok....have numerous things going on..but basically a high pulse which has been with me for days..blood pressure out of control....stomach bug...a throat infection....the doctor here..trained in the US..said it was a good thing I was sent out....get out of the mountains and get to her.

They are keeping me til tomorrow at least..meds are all changed up...details I don't fully understand because of language....also need much rest.

Anyway the travel insurance folks called from the US..so those details are to be taken care of.

The trekking company reps are here..they are going to develop a plan with me tomorrow getting my airlines tickets  changed but letting me rest..then my day of sightseeing in Kathmandu. They said stuff happens all the time

Guess I just wasn't supposed to be a trekker at high altitudes.

More later

ps..riding in that helicopter over those high ridges and all would cause one to have hig blood pressure alone..closed my eyes a lot....

What have I learned..perhaps altitude is not  for me.....don't go higher then a ski lift.

Avoid back country jaunts....

Staying close to home is ok....

I am close to 67...act my age...

I have a wonderful home and a wonderful bride. stay close to home and the bride...

And there is more for sure...

I do want to say that Nepal is beautiful..the people are great...and the trekking I did was outstanding..well except for the last 2000 vertical feet. AND I did do 7 suspension bridges including one very ridiculous high one...bridges are not my thing.

I noticed today...that one of the pictures I took this morning from the helicopter pad showed just the top,of a peculiar mountain...I believe it is the top of Ama Dablam.....here is what they say: Ama Dablam is a mountain in the Himalaya range of eastern Nepal. The main peak is 6,856 metres (22,493 ft), the lower western peak is 6,170 metres (20,243 ft). Ama Dablam means "Mother's necklace"; the long ridges on each side like the arms of a mother (ama) protecting her child, and the hanging glacier thought of as the dablam, the traditional double-pendant containing pictures of the gods, worn by Sherpa women.

The following was taken from a Nepali site.....

Here are some Nepalese proverbs. The text in bold are the literal translation of the proverb so included are some lines to help better understand the proverbs.

Khane mukhlai junggale chhekdaina. An eatng mouth is not stopped by the mustache. This proverb is used to say that anything can be accomplished if you are determined. The english equivalent of thes would be "Where there is a will, there is a way."

Indrako agadi swargako bayan. Explaining heaven to the King of Gods. This proverb is used in a scenario where a person tries to give advice on certain field to the person who is an expert in that field; a person giving tips on healthy food habits to a nutritionist.

Nachna najjanne aagon tedho. Unable to dance because the stage is crooked. This proverb is used when a person does not acknowledge his incompetence and makes excuses; person who cannot dance complains that the stage was crooked.

Aalu khayera pedako dhhakh lagaunu. Eating potato but boasting to be eating sweets. This proverb is used when a person boasts about something that is not true. For example, a person boasts that he climbed Mt. Everest when he used a helicopter to get to the top.

Jun goruko singh chhaina tyesko nam tikhe. The bull without horns is called Sharpy. This proverb is used when a person's name is completely different than his character, behavior or action. For example, a con artist whose name is Mr. Truth.

Dhhungga khojda deuta milnu. To find god while searching for a stone. This proverb is used to describe unexpected luck. For example, getting a car as a gift when you were expecting a gift card.

Hune biruyako chillo pat. The sapling that will, has slippery leaves. This proverb is used to say that a person who is successful was talented from an early age or a gifted child is destined to be successful.

Pap dhuribata karaucha. Sin cries from afar. This proverb is used to say that any wrong doing will be exposed even if it takes a long time.

Kam garne kalu makai khane bhalu. Work done by Kalu but corn eaten by bear. The story is that there is a guy named Kalu. (Kalu rhymes with bhalu. Bhalu means bear.) He farms corn and does all the work but at the end his corn is destroyed by a bear. This proverb is used to say that the reward of your hardwork is given to someone else. 

Badarko hatma nariwal. Coconut in the hands of a monkey. It is used to describe how valuable gadgets or things end up in incompetent or irresponsible hands. Like, if you bought a new gameboy for your small brother but he broke it within a week.

Mukhma ram ram bakalima chhura. God's name in mouth but knife in pocket. Ram is the name of a hindu god. This proverb is used to say that a person is good only in appearance and in front of you but is bad or will hurt you in some way when not looking. Like, a person is always being friendly and nice with you but is spreading untrue rumors about you behind your back. 

Donkeys and dzopkyos everywhere..outta their way!

Great lunch today..hot and sour soup with lots of vegetables..particularly carrots...seems to be a lot of carrots around...and my new favorite..lemon tea.  Visited the monastery today..got to see the Gonda which is the prayer hall.......and the museum...all the Buddists were were so very friendly...they were impressed that I had seen the Dali Lama last spring. I have brought the scarf he blessed with me on this trip.

Religious objects are very important to Buddists....Mani Stones are carves prayers or mantras into rocks...the pictures show tablets of rock and big rocks ....Mani Wheels are prayer wheels..they are every where and in many sizes. Turning the wheel by hand amplifies the prayers written on the wheel. If I remember right, one passes the wheel on the left and turns it in a clockwise manner.

Prayer flags and Stupas will come soon..they are also religeous objects found everywhere. 

These little guys wanted candy or money...they learn fast

Some more shots from this morning's trek.....tomorrow I am trekking way up from where I was yesterday...in the direction of Everest..there is a hotel built by the Japanese.  They flew clients directly to the hotel and put them in pressurized rooms . Also going to the Sherpa Museum on the way. 

The whole village of Nomche consists of stone steps.....

Some miscellaneous shots from my trek to the monastery and heliport today

What am I eating..first..with gluten intolerance I am a bit limited. No trips to the bakeries of which there are many. Usually I have a veggie omlet...the closest I can get to protein. Not a fancy omlet ..the veggies are usually carrots,......then I have mint or lemon tea...both of which I gave taken a liking to and have at every meal . The good news is I am off coke here..so I plan in that continuing when I return. For lunch I usually have vegetable soup...which has primarily carrots floating around.  Tonight I had vegetable rice..see lots of carrots again. Oftentimes I have with boiled potatoes in the side which I add to the soup.

Some travelers have lots of noodles..but of course that is wheat. A guy the other night had yak meat..no thanks.

I dream of the attached picture.  I did have a fruit plate for lunch the other day. ...Which was a thinly slided apple with honey poured on top and one of those "baby" oranges ...I forget the name.  

I am reading a book "Touching My Father's Soul" by Jamling Tenzing Norgay. His father was the first on the summit of Mt. Everest with Edmund Hillary. It is a delightful book to read. Jamling was on the IMAX climb where the movie was filmed....in 1996 I believe...and where the deaths described in "Into Thin Air" occurred....

He talks about some really noteworthy things..such as...The top of Mt. Everest has 1/3 the oxygen as at sea level. Sherpas have a special gene...It is believed. At 6 to 7000 feet, their bodies are equivalent to ours at sea level in terms of O2 needs. Sleeping with ones feet pointing towards the mountain is unlucky and disrespectful.

More later......

Do we see yaks..?...nope...donkeys or an animal which is a cross between a cow and a yak...called a dzopkyo.

Regardless..you let them through..they take the right of way.  You never stand downhill of a dzopkyo because you could end up at the bottom of the ridge or worse. You never approach them on a bridge because you could end up in the river

More suspension bridge pictures

Porters along the trek