Phakding to Namche Bazaar. Farts are Funny.
We wake up early. To the sound of rain again. We all use the shower at this tea house, knowing it may well be our last. We breakfast on ku (queue?)(porridge) and eggs and we’re off. The morning is a fairly easy walk. We cross at least four suspension bridges today, high over the Dudh Kosi (Milk River). The river lives up to its name, in most places an angry white. The water is high and fast from all the rain and run-off. And waterfalls are literally on every rock face.
The last suspension bridge of the day is the highest. It’s covered in prayer flags and scarves that whip in the windy canyon. The bridge soars above the confluence of the Dudh Kosi and Bote Kosi. Two raging rivers. The Dudh starts at the base of Everest from the glacial run-off and the Bote Kosi starts in Tibet.
After crossing the confluence we stop for tea and lunch before heading up the 2,000 foot vertical climb into Namche Bazaar. During the steady uphill climb, Anita and I sing until it gets too hard to breathe and then we all switch to playing games, both activities amuse Tsering and Gara, though they didn't participate.
We arrive in Namche (11,280 feet), the largest Sherpa city at around 2.30 in the afternoon and check into a lodge. Then switch to a better lodge. Anita and I then head out to wander the town. The internet is down here, disappointing since we’d promised RJ a message upon arrival. It seems a repairman got confused and cut a wrong wire-oops. So no interweb for us.
We meet up with another guide and trekker who were on our flight, Krishna and Raymond, a young German doctor. Anita is discussing getting her phone or internet to work with Krishna. As we’re standing and chatting, a loud and prolonged fart sounds. Anita had dropped her hand holding her iPhone and had accidentally started up her fart app (an application for the iPhone that makes various fart noises—it was put on her phone by her brother John—thanks!). We figure out what happened and laughingly explain the application to the two men. Krishna is highly amused as we play a variety of farts. Raymond, not so much. At which point we wrote him off. If you don’t think fart noises are funny, especially at 11,000 feet, you are not destined to be our friend.
Tsering runs into us soon after and takes us over to see the Namche market, open on Friday and Saturday. During the market, neighboring Sherpas hike in miles with wares to sell (yak cheese, rice, veggies and processed goods/clothing knock offs from China or Kathmandu) and others hike in to shop. Tarps are erected and goods are laid out on the ground beneath. Tsering hands both Anita and I cubes of aged yak cheese to try. It’s harder than parmesan and is a rather unpleasant combination of smoky and sour. So after a quick nibble we both surreptitiously feed the rest to the dogs and chickens.
On the way back to the lodge, we tell Pala (papa in Sherpa and Tsering’s new nickname) the story of the fart app and the young German doctor. He thinks it’s hysterical and makes Anita play a number of the farts for him. Clearly, we’ve got the right guide. Forget about knowledge of the mountains, Tsering thinks farts are funny. All is right in the world.
We have a lovely dinner and then off to bed. Tomorrow is an acclimatization day.
Photos: Suspension Bridge
Confluence of Dudh and Bote Kosi
Tsering in Front of the Entrance to Namche
Amy Heading out to Hike
Masons hard at work in Namche Bazaar
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