Trek – Khumjung (3,790m) to Khunde View Point (Approximately
4,200m)
Total Distance – 6km (Khumjung-Khunde-Khunde View
Point-Khumjung)
Duration – Approximately 4hrs
The day opened to a world of snow-capped mountains. My
darling Ama Dablam rose majestically to the sky full of virgin snow and the
rest of mountains including Khunde Ri were looking so beautiful and fresh.
However I slept pitifully for the first time in the trek. Was it too much Dhal
Baath, I wouldn’t know.
Ama Dablam saying good morning to us
When I went down for breakfast the kid, Tshering wasn’t yet
up so the household was so quiet and Kingjum (lady of the house) greeted me
warmly and got my breakfast of hot and nutritious Sherpa Stew and ginger tea
ready.It’s a whole meal with a thick
soup full of fresh vegetables and homemade pasta and served hot in a nice round
soup bowl. It is a heavy meal and is something Sherpas regularly have thus they
call it Sherpa Stew. If they can find, they even put meat into this and I’m not
surprised those Sherpas are as strong as Yaks coz they do eat a lot of Sherpa
Stew.
Afterwards, we set off for Hillary Memorial View Point off
Khunde facing the mighty Khunde Ri. It’s funny how everything in Solo Khumbu has
something to do with Hillary. If you read the Day 03, you’d have seen the reason for this. My guide Ngima
said that the Sherpa people consider Hillary to be their king and I wasn’t
surprised after seeing all the good deeds he’s done for these people.
Ngima and I
Khumiu-La over the village as if protecting it
There’s a rock behind Khumjung and Khunde Villages known as
Khumbiu-La and it’s considered to be sacred and nobody is allowed to trek up to
that under any circumstances. People of Khumjung and Khunde consider this to be
a holy peak and they won’t allow people to go up there and contaminate it.
Meanwhile the trek became a laborious hike uphill and I was panting like a dog. Yet the views were just amazing and I kept stopping amid heavy protests by Ngima to take pics and videos.
On the way
Lifeline of Solo Khumbu
Common sight
Khunde Monastery - The monk was very friendly
Sign-postings
He was worried we’d miss seeing the Lady Chomolungma but there was so much my body, especially the legs, could take.
This was brutal punishment for all my limbs and joints. As
feared from the beginning, we were late to arrive at the view point and missed
seeing her narrowly. We decided to wait and see but there was this thick
menacing looking cloud blocking the view quite stubbornly and nothing seemed to
convince her to lift. However we could see Lhotse but only partially and once
again Mother Nature has decided to keep Chomolungma her closely guarded secret.
Scenery begins
Khunde-Khumjung and the valley below
Beautiful is an understatement
Endless
He was blocking our path
For a strange reason, I didn’t get disappointed for not
being able to see Everest as the views I saw all around were more than
worthwhile to last a few lifetimes so missing out on Everest wasn’t a big deal
for me. Ngima however felt bad for not making it in time coz as the guide he
must’ve felt obliged to get me the best of the views but I soothed him saying
when we’re going to the base camp, we’ll get our fill of Chomolungma so why
worry now. Instead let’s enjoy all the other mountains, I told him and this
seemed to satisfy him.
I couldn't get enough of this
Ama Dablam - Love at first sight
She really is one gorgeous lady
It's not all about mountains
Colorful
Helicopter taking off from Swyangboche
The surrounding views included the sweetheart Ama Dablam,
looking as gorgeous as ever. I think she’s the most beautiful mountain of the
Himalayas and closely followed by the Fish Tail Mountain or locally known as
Machapuchre that you come across when you’re doing Annapurna/Mardi Himal Treks.
I’m yet to do any of them but from what
I’ve seen, I think Fish Tail is second only to Ama Dablam in beauty. So me
being able to see Ama Dablam so clearly and dearly was more than enough.
We could also see the Swayangboche Airport between Khumjung
and Namche. In fact this had been the choice of airport after Lukla to develop
in order to bring tourists however according to Ngima this project had been met
with stiff resistance from the local villages between Lukla and Namche as
they’d have lost so much income had the tourists started flying all the way
from Kathmandu to Swayangboche Airport. Due to this, the project didn’t take
off but this dirt airfield is used by helicopters, especially the heavy ones
such as Mi-17, Mi-8 and even some fixed wing aircraft like Do-228 and Cessna to
bring in goods and even paid tourists here. If they’d built this airport, it’d
have cut the journey by almost 25%-30% and the most difficult bit from Monjo to
Namche. However, I’m glad it never worked out coz making this easier for people
would’ve attracted more tourists thus adding more footprints to this region.
We could also see a Yak Farm closer to Swayanboche Airport.
The most prominent thing was the Dhudh Kosi River so far below around 2,600m
where we came up to Namche on the day before. So within less than two days, we
had gained an elevation of over 1,600m (well over 5,000ft) to reach this view
point. On the base of the Khunde Ri was the path towards Thame where it leads
to Lungdeng and then all the way to Gokyo Lakes via Renjo La Pass. The High
Pass Trek which includes Renjo La and Cho La Pass goes through this way. Well,
if I were ever to do the Gokyo Lakes Trek, I’d once again be able to go through
this area. I managed to take so many pics and videos and also we took a nice
cozy break as there was nothing else programmed for the day for us. So after
about an hour of staying and enjoying these beautiful panoramic views, it was
time for us to get down.
Can see the Swayangboche and Yak Farm below
Towards Thame where Gokyo Trail is
What a place to relax
Clouds playing with us
I was happier here probably more than EBC
My love
Coming down was so god and we paid a visit to Khunde
Monastery as well. The Lama at residence opened the dor for us into the main
image house. Gosh! How wonderful it felt to just sit on the floor (kind Lama
even provided me with a cushion to sit on) and just close my eyes. I felt as if
all the pains and burdens were being lifted off me and in just a few minutes, I
felt rejuvenated. It was like being born again fully refreshed. Later, Lama
even offered us tea and then went onto invite us to stay for lunch too but we
politely rejected. Well this is yet another classic example for typical
Buddhist hospitality and compassion. Having thanked him profusely, we embarked
on our way back to the Mandala Guest House and the sheer thought of having to
leave this place the following day gave me goose bumps.
Getting back
Unique and properly arranged
Aerial view
At the Khunde Hospital. If you are a foreigner, this fee would give you a heart attack
Found at the hospital and very informative
Cutie fellow
Guess?
Delicious
Pretty
Tough life goes on
The lunch at the guest house was tastier not just coz the
lady can cook really well. Because I opted for my second hot shower during the
trek which cost me another $4. However this was money well spent and I even
managed to shave for the first time during the trek. The peace of mind I felt
at Khunde Monastery was amplified by the hot shower and the vegetable noodles
which was on offer for lunch tasted heavenly. While Ngima went to rest, I
decide to indulge myself for another luxury. I paid $5 for unlimited Wi-Fi for
one day as it was time for me to keep in touch with my friends and family to
let them know that I really was alive and doing well. I also wanted to know
what was happening outside the world so paying $5 seemed well worth it. Mind
you, for the next 12 days, I won’t have any connection to the outside world so
this seemed to be the best place and I also wanted to help the owners of this
wonderful place to make some more money. So taking a hot shower and opting for
Wi-Fi seemed to be two best ways for a win-win situation.
However I soon got bored with the internet as I just enjoyed
being close to the Mother Nature than the useless online forums. Only at times
like these you realize how useless the social media like Facebook, Whatsapp,
Viber, etc. are. When you have a calm and quiet environment to keep you company
and you’re in a world of your own, why on earth would you ever bother to spend
time browsing damn internet?
Today I was also lucky enough to meet the man of the house,
Doreji Sherpa who had summited Chomolungma twice in 2001 and 2003 respectively.
However when I enquired from him, he said both times the views weren’t as great
due to the clouds and fog. Any way you can see a pic of him on the summit
proudly displayed at the dining hall. I was sad to hear him say “I did it for
money son, not for record or fun or anything else”. If only I was lucky enough
to summit this beautiful lady at least once in my life were my thoughts right
throughout the evening till I went to sleep.
Then I asked him the life in Khumjung during the winter.
“Eating, drinking and baby making” said he and laughed heartily. This reminded
me of Dorjey Shanthi in Ladakh who was a great host in my visit to Ladakh in
the previous years, 2016. Talking to him was very good not only his English was
better but also he had so many things to share with me. Time passed quite fast
while we chatted in between hot lemon and black tea.
For dinner, I ordered vegetable soup with toast. I didn’t
sleep well last night and I thought it was the excessive Dhal Baath which was
to blame. So I decided to take something light in order to sleep well coz
tomorrow we’d be going all the way to Tengboche and I wanted to take a proper
rest before the long journey. Our plan was to spend the night at Tengboche and
then on the next day to visit Pangboche. However the fate didn’t allow me to
spend a night at Tengboche instead it pushed me all the way to Pangboche thus
saving me an extra day for my trek which I spent leisurely at Lukla on my way
back. Well, more about it later.
My being vegetarian has been going well now for 4 days and I
plan to make it 16 days somehow or other, fingers crossed. Any way it’s not
every day you get to enjoy organic and garden fresh vegetables so being
vegetarian suited me just fine. It’s gonna be yet another long day tomorrow and
Ngima predicted we mightn’t find lodging in Tengboche so asked me to get ready
to trek for extra two hours to Pangboche. Well, I trusted his judgment and told
my body to stay prepared. As usual my brain was up to the job but it was the
heart and legs who were wondering whether it was possible. The mental strength
I gained while climbing up to Khumjung when my oxygen levels were checked help
seal the deal with the heart and legs so I was as ready as I could be.
However, if I were to go all the way to Pangboche, this
would mean forgoing the famous chanting of monks at Tengboche Monastery. Yet I
told myself that my main goal was to reach EBC so having to miss this unique
thing was a small price to pay in order to achieve the primary goal. As Ngima
and most of the Nepali people say at times like these; “What to do Kathmandu?”
or “Don’t worry, Chicken Curry”.
Saying goodnight to everyone, including Tshering who was sad
of my leaving the following day, I went up to my room and got under the thick
blankets wondering what the next few days had in store for me. Is the Mother
Nature really going to help me achieve my target or does she have some hidden
agenda to make things difficult for me? I simply had no idea and thinking about
it didn’t seem to make things any better. Whatever happens, I’m going to EBC
were my final thoughts before I went into a deep and peaceful sleep.
This is Tshering
Well folks, I’ll see you tomorrow. Stay tuned and enjoy the
pics and videos. Until next time then! Stay safe and travel safe!
Total Distance – 4km (Through Tenzing Park and Everest View
Hotel)
Duration – Approximately 4hrs
I woke with no signs of AMS even though I had little trouble
falling asleep previous night. I woke up two times during the night once around
11.30pm and then around 2.30am. The thought of AMS kept haunting me throughout
the night and probably due to my anxiety I didn’t fall asleep. Because most of
the times, you start feeling AMS around Namche as this is where the tricky
10,000ft barrier is broken and your body start screaming blue murder for the
lack of oxygen.
As I’d read so much about AMS and the EBC Trek (probably too
much reading I suppose), it kept reminding me of these heights and symptoms. So
most of the time I was like a sniffing dog that kept looking out for the
remotest sign of AMS yet for my luck, I found none. Finally the dawn arrived
and what a beautiful morning it was. Khunde Ri (we’d be going very close to it
on the following day) looked absolutely breath-taking in the morning sun and
Namche helipad was buzzing with many helicopters coming in and going. Ngima, my
alarm clock, came up to see if I was awake around 6.30am and then left me to
get ready. I brushed my teeth and after getting ready, went down for breakfast.
Good morning!
Waiting for breakfast
We left Namche around 8am after a heavy breakfast of fried
baby potatoes (remember, 100% organic) and an omelet. Our first point of call
was the Namche Gompa and climbing up to it took a heavy toll, especially as the
heavy breakfast wouldn’t help in anyway. Mind you, in Nepali, Gompa is written
as Gomba so don’t confuse if you hear someone says Gomba instead of Gompa.
After invoking blessings, having almost left my cap behind except for the fact
that a kind and friendly Lama found it and came hurrying after us, we embarked
on another small hike towards Sagarmatha National Park aka Tenzing Park.
Namche Monastery
History of Namche Monastery
If you remember, this entire area commonly known as Solo
Khumbu or even Everest Region is also the Sagarmatha National Park. Therefore
this place should not have the name “Sagarmatha National Park” as it’s built in
memory of Tenzing Norgey, probably the most renowned Sherpa of all times. So
calling this “Tenzing Park” is more appropriate and it has a small museum and a
statue of Tenzing where you can see Lhotse and Everest over his shoulders and
my loving Ama Dablam to his right. This is one of the few places Everest can be
seen from this far so aptly, they’ve built the Tenzing Statue in this place.
It really was a grand experience to visit Tenzing Park and I was so glad we made it coz in the morning Ngima asked if I fancied visiting there or wanted to go straight to Khumjung after the monastery as it’s in a way included going out of the way. I was in a very happy mood thanks to the bright sunshine and gorgeous views and knowing that we could see Lady Everest, I wasn’t going to miss this opportunity even though I had to trek extra. So we trekked up to this beautifully kept Tenzing Park and Ngima hurried me saying “Sri, the view won’t last long” coz already there were clouds coming up. So I asked my poor legs to go as fast as they could and finally we managed to reach our destination.
Tenzing Park
Reception area
Everest and Ama Dablam
Statue of Tenzing
Walking up to Tenzing Statue, I set my eyes for the first
time on Mt. Everest or I dearly call her as Lady Chomolungma. She appeared for
only a very short time, not even a minute, before she was covered by those
clouds. Gosh what an experience it was and the hair stood on their ends on the
nape of my neck. She was being guarded by one of the three sisters (The three
summits of the same range Lhotse, Nuptse and Everest) Lhotse and the Mother
Nature didn’t want to reveal this beauty for so long as she sent a thick white
cloud to cover the Lady Chomolungma, however not before her son managed to get
a good look at this tallest lady on earth. I managed to get a few pictures of
her as well with Tenzing so this was such a memorable part of the entire trek.
Three sisters: Everest, Nuptse and Lhotse
Everest over Tenzing's right shoulder
I really wish I could meet him in person
Trying to imitate the great man
We visited the museum and even managed to see the Dhudh Kosi
River far down and I couldn’t help feeling proud of myself as I’d managed to
climb so far up within yesterday. There was so much history to read about in
the museum but unfortunately we didn’t wanna spend so long as we were on our way
to Khumjung and wanted to make it before the weather took a turn and it all
became gloomy and cloudy. So we soon were, for the second consecutive day,
climbing almost a vertical path to the Everest View Hotel where our path to
Khumjung lies.
Ngima and me
The ravine behind me is where Dhudh Kosi River goes through Monjo
Note:
Did you know that almost all the trekkers (I’d say 99% of
them) who embark on EBC Trek use an extra day at Namche to better acclimatize
for the high altitudes. As I’ve said before, you’re now in the kill zone of
10,000+ feet and must take every precaution to avoid AMS and get your body
acclimatized as best as possible. Therefore most of the trekkers spend an extra
day at Namche visiting Tenzing Park and going up to Everest View Hotel and
coming back down. Remember, acclimatization doesn’t necessarily mean just spending
the day in bed. You have to keep moving about but at a reasonable pace.
However, Ngima had suggested we get away from Namche coz
Everest View Hotel is located at an elevation more than 3,800m so getting up
there and coming back down wasn’t so much fun and the best way to do the EBC
Trek. Instead he suggested we take it further away from Namche and spend the
night at Khumjung and take our acclimatization day at Khumjung (at 3,790m) and
visit Hillary View Point at Khunde where you can see Mt. Everest and all the
other mountains and get very close to Khunde Ri. I was very much in favor of
this due to two reasons.
Fist was that staying in crowded Namche was giving me a
headache and I always hate to spend my time among people. So spending one night
at Namche was more than enough and I don’t think I could’ve stomached another
day in Namche. Thanks to Ngima, I found a way to get away from this hustle and
bustle of Namche and stay in the calm and serene village of Khumjung. Secondly
I was also able to visit another remarkable place called the Khunde View Point
where not many people visited yet offered exceptional views. After considering
this it was no brainer to do another day of heavy trekking in order to get more
peace of mind I was yearning for.
Looking back, I’m so glad I met Ngima as my guide coz the
best time of my EBC Trek was the two days spent at Khumjung and I enjoyed and
loved it even more than base camp itself. Would you believe that I was the only
guest for both days at Mandala Guest House at Khumjung? I’ll tell more about it
later but that was the most hospitable and wonderful place in the entire
journey. I really wish I could spend more time there or could go there again
just to spend a few days at Khumjung. It was such a grand experience with less
human intervention. I guess the lack of guests (even though not very appealing
for the owners) made it even more welcoming for me.
Now back to the back-breaking but mind-soothing and
heart-leaping journey uphill to the Khumjung. This was so hard as we had to
carry our luggage too. Usually trekkers who stay acclimatizing in Namche do
this trek with no luggage making it relatively easier to climb but Ngima and I
had no such luxury. In fact throughout the entire trek, we were the only ones
who had heavy backpacks as others just carried a water bottle or two and walked
past us as if they were on a highway in a racing car. However at the end of the
day, I realized all this trouble was worth every drop of sweat and every ounce
of energy spent. Khumjung was simply an amazing place.
We kept going up and up without a sight of the destination.
Behind us, Namche looked so colorful with its vividly painted buildings and the
Tenzing Park resembled a saucer-shaped alien spaceship landed at one end of
this plateau. I’m sure a snail could’ve overtaken me and soon enough I met a
similar-paced Malaysian couple. As we were all on the same speed, it was naturally
for us to start talking and they were very interested to hear that I was from
Sri Lanka.
Never ending prayer wheels. Keep them to your right
Starting the uphill journey to Khumjung via Everest View Hotel
Namche below us
Tough life
Pointing at Tenzing Park
It's a busy heliport
We kept chatting as we all were going at the same snail pace
on our way up and it was really good coz we didn’t feel tired and our progress
was better than we hoped. Then around halfway, we stopped at a prayer stone
with flags to take a proper break. The trick is not to take longer breaks often
but short breaks and sips of water and maybe take one or two relatively longer
breaks. The guide of Malaysian couple was already waiting for them and while
they went to him, I used that time to take a few more pics and video. When I
went to join them and take a break, I saw their guide was having some kinda
equipment in his hand and trying to explain it to the Malaysian couple. When he
saw me, he asked “you want to check your oxygen level?” and I was wondering
what on earth he was referring to.
Seeing my hesitation, the girl said “free of charge of
course” and I couldn’t help laughing. It’s because you have to pay for everything
in Everest Region so when someone offers something usually the first question
which needs to be asked is “how much?”. In this case, the girl thought I was
pondering the same and quickly offered that it was free of charge. However my
hesitation was mainly due to the fact that I was flabbergasted as to how on
earth you can measure the oxygen level in the body with such a tiny device.
Their guide asked me to sit down and relax first and then to put my forefinger
inside this tiny machine that looked like a somewhat bigger black cockroach
without the legs.
I did and he took it off again, shook the machine a few
times and asked me to put my finger in again and repeated the process a few more
times before exclaiming “it’s 90”. I was like what on earth this man was
talking and kept staring at him dumbfounded. Two Malaysians were looking at me
open-mouthed as if I wasn’t human but some kinda alien that had come to haunt
their lives. “So what?” I had to ask to get a response from any of them then
the girl said “you’re very good coz mine was only 70”. Even with my limited
knowledge in maths, it didn’t take me long to figure out that 90 was indeed
bigger than 70 but what did it really mean.
The guide recovered from the shock at last and measured the
oxygen levels of his own first and then the two Malaysians and breathed a sigh
of relief. “It’s working” he mumbled to himself and I was now getting pissed
off coz nothing he said didn’t make any sense and then suddenly Ngima appeared
on the scene. The other guide asked for Ngima to put his finger in the machine
and after few shakes declared “it’s only 83”. Slowly turning towards me as if
he’d get electrocuted at the mere sight of me he asked “who’s the Sherpa here?”
for which I pointed at Ngima coz he is indeed a Sherpa.
“According to this machine, you’re the Sherpa” he said to me
laughing “coz your oxygen level is higher than even this Sherpa” he went onto
explain and regarded me highly. Now we were talking and I felt so happy and all
my AMS fears vanished into the thin mountain air. “How much was theirs?” I
pointed at the Malaysians and asked and theirs had been 70 and 68 respectively.
With an alarming voice the guide said to them, “If it goes to 60, we have to
turn around and no further going after”. Can you imagine how happy I was when I
realized that my body, despite the heavy battering it’s receiving, still kept
in good shape? And the body chemistry
has adapted to the high altitudes of the Himalayas beautifully despite my
anxiety.
My brain started his usual boasting dance and mocked the
heart and legs that shied away in defeat. “You’re going to make it to EBC Sri”,
I could hear my inner-self saying proudly. Thanks to this incident, I didn’t
worry about AMS even at the Base Camp coz this kept my spirits so high it
didn’t even occur to me to check on AMS afterwards. From there the guide of the
Malaysians was friendlier towards me and kept talking to me. I was practically
floating in air with pride and the going became a lot easier.
However to our dismay, the clouds were coming thick and fast
and I knew that we weren’t going to get the best view of Mt. Everest today as a
result. However it didn’t make any difference to us coz we were going to
Khumjung and whether the views were good or bad, we had to go this way. However
I felt sorry for other trekkers as they specifically climbed up to see the Lady
Chomolungma. After a laborious trek, we reached the steps to the Everest View
Hotel and this is where my newly found Malaysian friends and I parted ways. As
the view was completely obscured, Ngima and I decided to skip a visit to
Everest View Hotel and carry onto Khumjung.
Flowers of Solo Khumbu
Flowers of Solo Khumbu
Flowers of Solo Khumbu
Flowers of Solo Khumbu
Path to Everest View Hotel
Here I am
Let's head to Khumjung
From here it was a downhill trek to Khumjung and not too far
away either. The beautiful and unique Khumjung and adjoining Khunde Villages
came into view as we were descending towards them. All the houses’ roofs were
green and unlike Namche this was nice and consistent. Both villages were
located on a 3,800m-high-valley and guess what; we’d crossed the 12,500ft
barrier as well. The trek was getting grandeur at every passing hour.
Surprisingly there were no trekkers in sight and even there were very few
villages in sight. Absolutely perfect to spend the next two days, I mumbled to
myself. This really is my kinda place and we soon entered Mandala Guest House.
Unique pattern of the houses
Mandala Guest House - simply amazing
My room - very cozy
Menu
Lunch
Mandala Guest House
It’s as all the other tea houses, a family run business. The
husband (Chuldim Dorjei Sherpa) was away on a base camp trek and only the wife
(Kingjum Sherpa) and their small son, Tshering Tashi Sherpa as he proudly
announced, remain behind.
There were about 6 rooms but I was the only guest for both
days except for a couple who came for lunch on first day.
This was the best and most hospitable tea house I ever came
across and it was as if I was staying in my own home. That lady was very
friendly warm and an excellent cook. She kept spoiling me with delicious meals
and for them I was yet another member of the family, not a guest.
Dorjei Sherpa had summited Mt. Everest twice in the early
2000s so it was so special to stay at a place where someone had summited the
Mt. Everst. I’d be lucky to meet him in person on the following night on his
way back to Lukla from EBC.
Therefore, if you ever embark on this trek, do make it a
point to visit Khumjung and stay at Mandala Guest House. The best in the Solo
Khumbu.
Mandala Guest House
Mandala Guest House
Mandala Guest House
Mandala Guest House - 100% organic
I badly wanted a hot shower but the costs were a factor so
decided to postpone it till the next day. For the time being, my wet wipes were
the savior and I’d mastered how to clean myself with a couple of them even
better than a shower would do. The room was great and cozy. So after a
delicious vegetable fried rice, I rested in the room and even had fallen asleep
(was a bad mistake but nothing drastic happened coz my body was adapting to
these conditions faster than I had ever imagined) for about an hour.
Waking up, I found the mist had really set in but it didn’t
stop us from exploring the area. Ngima and I fully-clad in warm clothes, went
to visit Khumjung School, another CSR Project by Sir Edmund Hillary. The people
in Solo Khumbu consider him as a god because he’s done so many good things to
the Sherpa people, especially introducing hospitals, hydro & solar power
and schools which were the main requirements for these people.
It was so cold
This is where Tshering studied and the buildings had been
built with funding from many mountain associations all over the world. Then we
went to the Khumjung Monastery where they exhibit a Yeti Skull. Yeah, you read
correct and you gotta buy a ticket for 250 NPR to see this. Unfortunately it’s
put inside twin glass boxes so taking a clear pic is out of the question but I
could clearly see this human-sized but pointing upwards skull with plenty of
hair still on it. It’s mentioned that this skull is 250 years old but we
couldn’t find any more details. However, if you have read Tenzing’s biography,
you will know that he’s claimed that his father had come across the Yeti twice
in his life and once was a very close encounter. So you can’t fully ignore the
existence of Yeti as a myth.
Yak life - very tough and unforgiving
Yak pooh being used for fire
Khumjung Monastery
From the front
Yeti Skull in twin caged glass box
Carefree lives
We returned to the tea house while the sun was setting
beyond Khunde Ri and it was a spectacular sight. While sipping some ginger tea,
I talked with Tshering who was a very bright kid and the opportunity for him to
show off his English skills to an outsider thrilled both him and his mother. I
decided on yet another Dhal Baath, three in three days, as I was mighty hungry
and the lady was so generous with servings. You can really taste the freshness
and organic nature of the vegetables and they tasted just delicious. It’s a
great pity that modern farming is an indirect way of poisoning ourselves thanks
to the excessive usage of fertilizers and chemicals in order to meet the
growing population of the world.
Khunde Ri - We're going to see her tomorrow
I always wonder, when we will figure out that
ever-increasing population will be the end of this world and soon we’ll starve
to death as this unprecedented rate of population won’t have enough to eat.
Will they even have enough oxygen to breathe the rate we’re destroying our
forests? So I think it’s high time the world leaders came to their senses and
started a global conversation on limiting the growth of population and try and
impose rules to limit the child births to 2-per-family max. Otherwise, the end
of this world won’t be far away.
Talking to Tshering and listening to Ngima sharing local
gossip with the landlady were the best courses of action to spend a leisure
evening. Oh, for the first time, Ngima and I could sit and eat at the same
table with no issue as there were no other guests yet he flatly refused to eat
until I’ve done so. After a while, it was time for me to call it a night so
bidding goodnight for all, I went up to my room where a cozy bed was awaiting
my arrival.
I felt so relaxed and happy because of two things. The first
is the knowledge of my oxygen levels were so high and the other was the
peaceful environment at Khumjung. Tomorrow we’d be going up to Hillary View
Point beyond Khunde and then visit Khunde Monastery too. Another tough day but
little did I know that it’d be probably the most scenic bit of trekking for the
entire journey and with no humans to clutter the environment. I’m sure you are
now wondering what on earth was wrong with me to try to stay away from people
like they’re rabid dogs. Well, I might even have a phobia of some kind but it’s
something I don’t plan to go confess to a psychiatrist and get treatments. The
beauty of this world is being destroyed at an unprecedented rate by humans so
any place where they’re not there, I’ll be so happy.
Well folks, here’s the end of day 3 and I’ll see you
tomorrow with yet another gorgeous day for trekking. Stay tuned and enjoy the
pics and videos. Until next time then! Stay safe and travel safe!
