Yesterday was again an emotional day as we exchanged our farewells with Jill and Joanie after a spectacular and challenging trip up Loboche. As they headed back to Lukla and on to Kathmandu. Jess and Mary Beth headed back to basecamp. It’s amazing how fast the effects of acclimatization take place. Only 5 days ago, it took us 2 days to trek from Lobuche to EBC, and now Mary Beth did it in 4 hours and Jess took even less time. The Imagine Nepal basecamp was almost empty when we returned but that will quickly change. Climbing the mountain is quickly becoming a reality which is both terrifying and exciting. Mary Beth after getting over some stomach issues is now fighting a cold. Jess is trying hard to avoid the cold since she also overcome “loose motions” as we now call it. Before dinner, Mary Beth played Kings in the corner (a card game taught to me by Rossi) with Nima and Mingma. We call them card sharks as they picked up the game quickly and routinely beat us.
By dinner time, the weather turned quite cold and we bundled up in puffy pants, boots, and down parkas. There is a small heater in the dining tent where we huddled around trying to stay warm. Dinner started with garlic soup and prawn chips followed by wonderful grilled chicken, fried rice and vegetables and ended with lychee (a fruit that resembles eyeballs.) Before heading to bed, we had steam inhalation with menthol which helps clear the nasal passages. During the night, we heard a large rumble in the ice field which is frightening to hear but apparently all was well. We think to ourselves what does this majestic mountain have in store for us.
I love reading the posts and following along. Hope you are on the upswing with recovering from the various ailments. I’m still feeling fuzzy headed even though I’m back home so can’t imagine how it is to still be over 17,000 ft. Sending good vibes your way.
Went to the clinic today. Got some medications. I should be through this I’ll was in a week or less. Keep your fingers crossed.