Namche Bazaar. Our famous guide.
Today is an acclimatization day. So we’ll spend the day here and not hike further. Of course that doesn’t mean the day is sitting around doing nothing. Tsering has two short day hikes planned for us, so we can climb high and sleep low.
The first trip is to a museum atop a rise on the edge of Namche. So we set out in the morning, and as we’re walking up the hill, we see a patch of blue sky. Our first. The higher we get, the bigger the blue. And as we reach the top of the hill, the sun finally breaks through the clouds. We turn and get our first glimpse of the big mama, the big kahuna. Everest. Sagarmatha. True it’s far away. And small. But it’s there. Right in front of is Lhotse Shar, a 27,5000 beauty, with the sun breaking behind it. We stand enjoying the sun and snapping pictures. In that moment.
Ten minutes later the sun is gone and clouds obscure the mountain again. Our moment is gone.
We head into the museum, which chronicles the history of Everest attempts and the traditional life of the Sherpa people. We’re thrilled to find out a little more about Buddhism, as we all find our knowledge sorely inadequate faced with the temples, art and monasteries. Religion is such a part of Sherpani every day life. In what they wear, what they eat, and how they interact with others.
After the museum, we head to the Saturday market and talk Tsering into buying us some extra fresh pears and apples for the trip. Then Tsering sets us free in Namche and the ladies go and do what we do well. We shop. We find a little place run by a sweet Sherpa lady. She sells Lisa a hand knit sweater and Ni and I pick up some of her bracelets and jewelry. I’ve also brought a bunch of bracelets my sister, Dianne, made. I’m hoping to find some special people to give them to. So I give three to our shopkeeper friend. She gives us some bananas in return and makes us promise to see her on our way back.
After lunch we head out on our second day hike—to a tiny airstrip at the top of the rise behind Namche. It’s raining, pretty heavily. So we just hike up as quickly as we can. The Shengboche Airstrip (read: muddy track) lies at 12,303 feet and is only long enough for small 6 seater planes. We hit the airstrip and turn back. No pics, no loitering. Just go.
We return to the teahouse, and to warm up we all pile into one room and give each other back and foot massages. It’s a veritable Namche spa. Then we curl up and do story time, reading pieces from travelers in Nepal. One being Jimmy Carter’s account of climbing Kala Patthar, which we will climb later in the trip.
When we join Pala for tea, we mention Jimmy Carter, who he met in Namche when he was here. Apparently the teahouse where he stayed also boasts the Jimmy Carter rooms-available for rent.
Then Tsering starts to tell us the story of an avalanche he survived on Mt. Mera. As he gets into the details of the story, I realize I’ve heard this story before. It takes me a moment to place it. Then I realize it’s in the book we’ve just been reading, ‘Traveler’s Tales from Nepal’. So that night at dinner I bring the book down and we read the story aloud and it actually mentions Tsering Tendi by name in the story. Such a fun personal moment. Our guide is in a book. Mentioned by name. He’s famous.
Then off to bed.
Pictures: Lisa getting a back massage
Everest through the clouds
Namche from above
Our teahouse in Namche
Cabbage at the market
Free range chicken
Sign in Namche
Lhotse Shar with sun behind
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