Getting our Tingle on in Tibet

Hey everyone and greetings from Bangkok where I am meeting up with Rob for the final leg of this wonderful, eye opening, and unforgettable journey.  Rob and I will be returning to Atlanta on June 7th to close down our family home, which went on the market in early May.  It was very important that Rob and I were together and that we had a Skype call planned with Drew at this time because the one year anniversary of the passing of our mother was upon us.  We spent the morning of May 18th swapping mom stories and reminiscing about the good times.  She was such a strong, courageous, hysterical, intelligent and remarkable lady and we all feel so lucky and blessed to have had her as our mother. 

I still have a hard time believing that mom is really gone and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to pick up the phone to call her and hear her effervescent voice on the other end of the line.  She was so much fun to be with and was truly my closest confidant and friend.  I miss her with all my heart.  I can still see her clearly in my mind and hear her voice in my head, which makes me frequently burst into laughter as I imagine her response to some of the more insane and mind blowing experiences I have had throughout my travels.  She had a real way with words and was absolutely hysterical, cracking up everyone within earshot.  It is no surprise to me that mom’s memorial was standing room only.  She was one of a kind!   

While I know that my mom is not physically here anymore, I do know that she will always be with me, and that if I am open and receptive, I will still be able to see her guidance and feel her love.  It’s obviously not the same and I still absolutely HATE it that she is gone, but time is allowing me the ability to see that she is still with me even though her physical form is gone.  I’ve had several times on my trip where I could feel mom’s presence or hear her cautioning or supportive words in my head as I was making a decision about something.  Also, I  have crossed paths with so many people who have suffered the loss of a parent or loved one who were willing to share encouraging words and advice with me that I cannot just chalk it up to coincidence.  While I am still devastated that my mom is gone, I am learning how better to cope with this loss and seek out the silver linings as much as possible.  I know this is the advice mom would give me if she was still here. 

I was also so touched by the overwhelming number of thoughful, loving, and supportive emails I received from so many of you on the anniversary of mom’s passing.  I cannot believe how many people remembered the actual date and reached out to me and my family.  Wow!  I am floored and so very thankful to have you all in my life.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.  Your words and effort to reach out touched me deeply. 

To be honest, I am dreading the return to Atlanta.  Ever since mom’s passing I have had a difficult time being at our family home without her.  I have lived in that house since I was 5 years old and I have so many wonderful memories of the house, our neighborhood, neighbors, and the city of Marietta.  My greatest hope is that a loving family will move into the home and enjoy it as much as we did.  Deep down in my heart, I feel like mom is overseeing this process and that things will fall into place.  Please keep your fingers and toes crossed for us. 

Sadly, Bangkok is not the peaceful, thriving city that I left in February, and it hasn’t been for some time.  As I’m sure you’ve read in the news, the red shirts have been camped out in the middle of the Siam Square neighborhood for the past 6 weeks, our usual hangout in peaceful times, and things are coming to a head today.  As you have probably figured out by now, I am writing this post after the fact, but I’ll still write it up for you as if I’m right there in the middle of the mania. 

Today, May 19th, things have really heated up and the government has bowled through the red shirt fortresses with their tanks while the red shirts have set many buildings on fire, including Central World, one of the largest malls in the heart of Bangkok.  You may have seen the picture of this statue with the a burning building in the background. 

That burning building is Central World, which is a few steps from the hotel where we always stay in Bangkok and across the street from the Erawan shrine.  It’s so hard to believe that this area is under siege.  Hotels and shops have been closed for months and I hate to even think of the hit Thailand’s tourism is going to take in the wake of this violence.  So many lives and livelihoods lost. 

Obviously we needed to stay in a different part of town and our friends, Sandy from Mae Sot and Elizabeth from Burma, were staying in the Thonglor neighborhood so we decided to join them and steer clear of the pandemonium.  Thonglor is not too far from Siam Square.  In fact, we could see the smoke from the fires in Siam Square from the balcony of their hotel.  It breaks my heart to see Bangkok in flames.   

The government placed an 8:00 PM curfew on Bangkok and 23 other provinces.  We are officially on lock down, folks.

It was incredibly weird to see the streets of Bangkok deserted and quiet.  Normally the roads are packed with cars, the sidewalks bustling with people, and the stores and restaurants filled with customers.  

It was eerily silent with an exception of a few barks from some random dogs or maw in Thai.  This word is pronounced with an inflection at the end like you are asking a question.  It’s one of the handful of Thai words I know and definitely one of my favorites. 

Rob and I only had about 2 days in Bangkok, which was plenty since many businesses were closed and we were advised to minimize our time on the streets.  Early the next day Rob and I boarded our flight to Nepal where we planned to stay for about 5 days before heading into Tibet.  The only way to visit Tibet and receive a visa is to be part of a tour so Rob and I will be meeting up with a group in a few days. 

I know some of you may be wondering when Tibet entered the picture, since we were originally going to end our trip in New Zealand.  Well, let me back it up for you.  Yes, NZ was the original plan, but then we remembered that it was winter in NZ and since neither of us likes the cold we decided to come up with a new plan.  Here is the criteria we agreed upon for our trip. 

• warm and ideally in Asia since this trip has been all about Asia
• gorgeous scenery offering plenty of hiking and other outdoor activities
• insanely weird and something we would probably never do if we weren’t already in the region

When I was with Rob in Mae Sot back in December, we started researching destinations and Kyrgyzstan kept coming up as a location that met all of our criteria.  Neither Rob nor I had even heard of Kyrgyzstan before so we looked it up online and couldn’t believe how gorgeous it looked.  Better yet, it wasn’t one of the terrifying/no freaking way Stans and almost every resource we read featured rave reviews about this untouched, hidden gem in Central Asia.  What really sealed the deal for us though was the discovery of their national sport, buzkashi.  What’s buzkashi you ask?  Only the greatest sport on earth, which involves shirtless men on horseback vying for the carcass of a headless goat.  Yes, people, headless goat polo!  Can you say perfect?!  At last Rob and I had found our vacation destination and booked a trip through a local guide by the name of Almaz.  Fast forward 4 months and poor Kyrgyzstan is in the midst of a bloody revolution.  Hmm, dying wasn’t part of the criteria so unfortunately headless goat polo is going to have to wait until another time.  Sorry Almaz and please stay safe! 

Rob and I were back to the drawing board and over a Skype call hatched our plan for Tibet.  Both of us have always wanted to see Tibet and from everything we’ve heard it’s a rapidly changing place so we decided to do it even though it didn’t meet our criteria for a warm destination.  Since warm was off the table and Rob and I both subscribe to the go huge or go home philosophy, we decided to take it to Crazytown and include a visit to Everest Base Camp.  That’s right, people, we are headed to the rooftop of the world!!! 

So now that you’ve got the back story, let’s jump into this fun-filled and fabulous trip.  This was Rob’s first trip to Nepal so I was psyched to show him around a bit.  We decided to stay in Bhaktapur, which is about 45 minutes away from Kathmandu.  It’s a charming, historic town that is a bit more relaxed than Kathmandu and has the best yogurt/curd I have ever tasted!  I’m telling you, if you ever find some yogurt that is made in Bhaktapur absolutely buy it because it is spectacular!  Rob is a huge yogurt fan so of course we made it one of the first stops in town.  Needless to say, Rob was in ecstasy and gobbled down every last bite. 

It was gorgeous weather in Nepal so we wanted to do some hiking in the countryside.  One of the guys at our hotel was also a licensed tour guide so he took us for a hike around beautiful Namobuddha.  One of our first stops on the hike was to a new monastery that sits atop a hill. 

Here’s the view from the monastery.  It was a stunning day and so peaceful to be out of the hustle and bustle of the city. 

As with many destinations in Nepal, the landscape is covered with prayer flags blowing in the breeze, a sight I never tire of seeing. 

Coming down from the monastery we hiked through several small villages and made our way to the ghats and some neighboring temples.  I was thrilled for Rob to get to see some of the gorgeous countryside of Nepal.   

Upon glowing recommendations from Sandy, Rob and I set out for Boudhanath early the next morning to circumambulate the stupa, the largest stupa in Nepal.  Boudhanath is the holiest Tibetan Buddhist temple outside of Tibet and is a sight to behold.  See for yourselves!   

The area around the stupa is filled with shops and roof top restaurants with balconies offering magnificent views.  The smell of butter lamps and incense fill the air while pilgrims twirling their prayer wheels circumambulate the stupa and monks in maroon robes stroll through the city streets.  Some of the pilgrims are also doing prostrations around the stupa, complete with knee pads and slides for their hands, allowing them to stretch out on the ground with more ease.  Like India, the culture of Tibet is so rich, alive and inspiring to behold.  One cannot help but feel touched and humbled while in the presence of such beautiful faith and devotion.   

Look, it’s the Kumari!!!  Just kidding, but this painting of the Kumari a dead ringer for what I saw last time I was in Kathmandu.  Remember, seeing the Kumari is good luck!  That means that if you look at the next picture good luck is coming your way!  Woo Hoo!!!!! 

After circumambulating the stupa, Rob and I headed over to Ka-Nying Shedrub  monastery to take in a dharma talk by the famous monk, Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche.  Again, a huge thanks to Sandy for recommending this inspiring activity. 

When we returned to Kathmandu we met up with Santosh, my trekking guide from my last visit to Nepal and new friend.  I promised him we’d meet up when Rob and I were back in town and fortunately he happened to be available.  I love how frequently that seems to happen when I’m on the road.  Rob has added Nepal to the territory he focuses on for work so chances are that Rob and Santosh will see more of each other in the future. 

After lunch it was time to meet up with our group, which was comprised of travelers from Ireland, Wales, Australia, Canada and the US!  Rob and I got a great vibe from everyone and could not wait to get this trip started.   

Early the next morning we boarded a flight for Lhasa,which offers stunning views of Mt. Everest.  This shot was taken from the plane, in first class I might add.  Rob, Mary and I got hooked up with seats in first class.  A huge thanks to our fearless leader, Ashok, for the major hookup!   

Lhasa sits at an elevation of 3,658 meters/12,000 ft.  Most of us were on the altitude sickness prevention medication, Diomox, which gave us the strangest side effects.  In addition to being cloudy headed, we each experienced strange tingling in various parts of our body the entire time we were taking the medication.  Most conversations among the group went a little something like this.

“Right big toe, left pinky finger, upper lip.”

“Oooh I just finished lip.  It sucked.  Left heel and right arm.”

“Earlobes and right eyelid.  Eyelid is freaking me out!”

The altitude is no joke.  Just walking up a flight of stairs our first hour or so in Lhasa resulted in us doubling over and gasping for air.  Wow! 

After catching our breath, we headed into town to see the local market and get a feel for the capital of the Tibetan Autonomous Region.  One thing that we immediately noticed and that made us sad was the large number of Chinese riot squads patrolling the streets.  It just didn’t fit and seemed excessive to me.  

The market winds down a long stretch of road and is filled with pilgrims dressed in traditional attire as well as younger generations of Tibetans and Chinese in Western dress.  It’s unique to be walking behind a row of men and women twirling their prayer wheels while walking by a storefront that is blaring Michael Jackson that is right next to a stall selling yak meat, yak cheese, yak butter or even teeth.  Yep, that’s right I said teeth. 

This is yak cheese. 

It’s hard so many folks will chomp on it all day like a jawbreaker. 

This is yak butter and it is one of the scents that I will most associate with Tibet for the rest of my life.  The monasteries contain candle cauldrons filled with yak butter that are constantly being topped off by pilgrims who are either spooning it in its solid form or pouring it from thermoses in its melted form as an offering.  Most monastery floors carry a waxy sheen from yak butter that has escaped the cauldrons and been tracked through every inch of the monastery. 

Rob’s birthday was only a few days earlier.  Someone got massively hooked up with a new grill.  You’re welcome, Rob.   

We had a delicious dinner in town and made our way back to the hotel.  Here’s a glimpse of Lhasa at night.  This is the Barkhor, an area of narrow streets and a public square around the Jokhang Temple, one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Tibet.  At all times of day and night the Barkhor is filled with pilgrims circumambulating or prostrating around the temple.  I couldn’t get over how many people were doing prostrations, both young and old and women and men.  In fact, our local guide who was always dressed in western attire spent her day off doing prostrations around the Jokhang.  It’s just a way of life here. 

The next morning we woke up and headed out to see the famous Jokhang Temple.  Outside the temple are throngs of pilgrims doing prostrations and making offerings. 

Like most monasteries in Tibet, the hallways are narrow and dimly lit with yak butter candles.  As we made our way outside to the courtyard we were greeted with stunning views. 

As soon as we stepped outside we heard the rhythmic stomping and beautiful singing of the workers who were preparing the ground for the laying of concrete.   

They would pound the ground with these sticks with rocks on the end while singing soulful songs.  They loved the audience and were delighted when foreigners joined in for fun. 

Here is a picture of the Barkhor during the day. 

And this is a circular rainbow.  I have never seen one of these before and wasn’t sure if it was safe to look directly into it, but I can still see so I guess it was OK.  Phew!  No burning of the retina today, folks! 

Our next stop was to Sera Monastery, which is famous for its debating monks.  Pictures are not allowed inside the monastery so I don’t have any pictures to share, but Rob and I had the monks perform a blessing for our mother here.  We gave her name to one of the monks who wrote it on a piece of colored paper and instructed us to walk through the temple and pass it to another monk who did some rituals with the paper, said her name out loud and then placed her paper on the altar.  This is meant to protect the spirit of the person who has departed and help her move forward to her next destination.  It was beautiful and filled my heart with both sadness and joy. 

The debating monks are going full throttle by the time Rob and I emerge from the monastery.  It’s fascinating to watch them in action.  The performance isn’t a static one.  No, these monks are energetic, loud, and wanting to be heard.  As they make their points, they sway back and forth and wind up, cinching the argument with a swooping clap of their hands inches from the face of the person they are debating. 

Here’s the wind up…

and BAM!  Point made! 

After Sera Monastery we head to Potala Palace, a symbol of Tibet.  The palace is 13 stories high and contains over 1,000 rooms.  It was built during the reign of the 5th Dalai Lama, taking over 50 years to complete and a workforce of 7000 builders and 1500 artisans.  It’s stunning! 

We were given a heads up before even entering Tibet that no discussion of the Dalai Lama was allowed in public.  The Chinese are so strict about this that they even demand pages mentioning the Dalai Lama in guide books be torn out or they will be seized.  Ashok’s Lonely Planet guide was actually seized because it was an earlier version with a more extensive write up on the Dalai Lama.  Even though he had removed those pages, they still insisted on taking the book.  Fortunately, I got through with my I Heart the Dalai Lama underpants and there’s nothing they can really do about Rob’s full back tattoo sporting the same message.  Sneaky, sneaky…

I hope you are ready for some pilgrim shots because I’ve got a ton of them.  Everyone was so friendly and loved having their pictures taken.  Of course I was overjoyed to take them.  The people are so beautiful and emanate a warmth and kindness. 

Now it was time to head to Ganden Monastery, which was founded in 1409 and suffered artillery fire and bombing in 1959 and 1966.  In fact, the monastery was temporarily closed in 1966 after a violent demonstration against the government’s banning of Dalai Lama photos.  We were reminded yet again to keep our mouths shut about the DL.  

The scenery on the way to the monastery was stunning!  Take a look for yourselves.   

OMG, yak!  Yakety yak, don’t talk back or as many of the t-shirts say, Yak Yeti Yak complete with graphics of yaks and the Yeti.  Yes, Abigail got totally hooked up with one of these shirts.  She actually received a new wardrobe of uber-ethnic clothes from our travels around Asia.  Who’s a lucky girl? 

Baby donkey!  Adorable!!!!

Baby yak!  Insanely cute! 

Before heading into the monastery we all decided to take a quick bathroom break.  Wow, this was hands down the most repulsive bathroom I have seen in my entire life, and because I love you all and want to make sure you get the full experience, I photographed the horror show for your viewing pleasure. 

Yeah, I went there and I did it for you! 

I’m sorry the picture isn’t better, but the smell was toxic so I had just enough time to snap a quick photo before the vomiting commenced. 

OK so let’s get back to Ganden Monastery, which I absolutely adored! 

Yak butter candle alert! 

The monks are making an offering for the birds who play an important role in sky burials.  If you aren’t familiar with sky burials you may want to look it up online, but be warned that it’s pretty intense. 

This is Tsongkapa who founded this monastery.  His tomb is contained within.   

Here is a picture of the Lama placing my kata on Tsongkapa’s altar as an offering.  Katas are scarves that are offered to a Lama for blessings then returned to the owner by placing the scarf around his/her bowed neck.  The Lama took my kata and placed it on the altar and then gave me a new kata to wear around my neck. 

This is one of Tsongkapa’s guardians. 

Could this be cuter?  It’s an emergency escape poster found inside the monastery.  Safety first! 

Hey, I know that guy!  Yep, it’s Rob. 

Here is our mighty leader, Ashok! 

Ganden Monastery sits at an elevation of 4,500 meters/14,760 feet and offers an upper and lower kora for circumambulation.  A kora is a sacred path that encircles a holy place like what I described outside the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa.  The upper kora is a pretty steep climb, but we were feeling so inspired by the monastery that we decided to give it a try.  Ashok assured us that we were all strong enough to do it and surmised that it would take us about an hour and a half to get to the top. 

Fast forward almost 3 hours later and we had finally made it to the top.  Evidently we missed the “path” to the top and took the most vertical route possible.  Believe me, this was unintentional.  We certainly weren’t trying to make it harder on ourselves, but the so-called path was invisible to us.  Approximately every 10 steps we had to take a break to catch our breath, sometimes even needing to sit down for a more extensive break.  The altitude is so severe and crushed us time and again, but we finally made it to the top and I am so glad that we persevered because check out the view!   That little speck is Ganden Monastery!!!

The ladders symbolize the pathway to nirvana. 

Check out the snow falling on the mountains in the distance.   

Here’s the upper kora posse!  We RULE!!!!

Yippee!  Yahoo!  Hooray!  We did it! 

These pilgrims are doing prostrations from Ganden Monastery to the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa.  It’s about an hour drive so you can imagine how long this must take them to get there.  Wow! 

There were only 2 places on our Tibet trip offering Internet, Lhasa and Shigatse, so since it was our last night in Lhasa the entire group descended upon a small Internet cafe to check our emails one last time.  Rob and I were absolutely thrilled to discover that after only 2 weeks on the market, mom’s house/our family home had sold and will go to settlement on July 2nd.  We high-fived and literally started screaming in the middle of the Internet cafe!  What a huge relief to have this hurdle behind us.  As I mentioned earlier, deep in my heart I had this feeling that the house would sell quickly and things would just fall into place.  Thanks, mom!  This definitely has your fingerprints all over it.  Wow!  I cannot describe how psyched Rob and I were feeling at this time.  Don’t get me wrong, it made us both very sad to know that the house we’ve all grown up in and called home for most of our lives will no longer be ours, but since this was our reality and the house was officially on the market, we were overjoyed to know that this wouldn’t be an excruciatingly long, painful and drawn out process.  Again, mom, thank you! 

Rob and I were super fired up and walked the kora around the Jokhang Temple about 7 times at the Lindsley pace, which according to many of our friends, is just shy of a jog.  We were definitely speed walking maniacs this night, filled with overwhelming gratitude and relief.  Ahhh, now we can really enjoy these last few days of our trip and soak up every second of this experience with no stress.  Hot diggity dog!!!

The next morning we set out for Gyantse, which was about a 9 hour bus ride from Lhasa.  The ride offered breathtaking scenery though so it flew by quickly.

 

Remember, the ladders symbolize the pathway to nirvana. 

Baby yak alert!

We were stunned by the electric blue of the sky and the water.  Many of the local women wear turquoise jewelry and they claim that the stones must come from the water because it is the same color as the stones.  It’s unlike anything I have ever seen before and one of the most beautiful places we visited in Tibet.  

As if the stunning vistas aren’t enough, we also got to ride a yak.  I mean, does it get much better than this? 

Yak attack!!!

The shot below was a total tourist trap photo.  I knew it and walked right into it and have zero regrets about it.  No, guys, I didn’t mistake that wreath-like thing around the dog’s neck for real fur.  Seriously, the scenery behind these guys and the dog….INSANE!  I was more than happy to pay less than $1 for the shot.  No problem. 

 

I had to get on the yak again.  There were 2 different yaks, and since I’m not sure when I’ll get the chance to be on a yak again, I decided to ride them both.  Woo Hoo! 

Yeah, I’m really into this yak! 

OMG, baby goat alert!  You know Rob and I had to get a pic with the baby goat!!!  Adorable!  If I actually ever got my act together and did Christmas cards, this would be the cover of my Christmas card.  This bad boy RULES!

Check it out, it’s a glacier. 

5,560 meters is 18,240 feet above sea level.  Whoa! 

I can’t stop taking pics of baby yaks.  They are the cutest! 

More gorgeous scenery.  Do you see what I mean about the 9 hour drive being a piece of cake?  This travel day ended up being one of my favorite days.  I mean everywhere I look it’s spectacular, I rode 2 yaks and I held a baby goat.  I am gushing with enthusiasm.  I heart Tibet! 

There was only one English speaking channel in most of our hotels and they all featured the same sequence of commercials including this one for the Port of Dandong.  I’m not exaggerating when I say that every commercial break featured the Port of Dandong.   

Let’s take a tour of Gyantse.  This is Gyantse Dzong, which was heavily damaged by the British invasion in 1904. 

Baby cow!!!

These kids were so adorable.  Mary just couldn’t resist and had to bust out her moves.  You go, girl! 

We totally lucked out because on one day of the year at Pelkor Chode Monastery they unveil this massive painting after sunrise and roll it back up again before sunset and it just so happened that we were here on this day.  I love it! 

 

Here are some sights in and around the monastery. 

Here are some pilgrims with their yak butter offerings. 

3 generations…

This is a shot of the monastery from the Gyantse Dzong.  You can see the painting on the right hand side. 

Here is a sign we encountered as we walked up the Gyantse Dzong.  We took the devious route and lived to tell about it! 

The next town on our list was Shigatse, which is the second largest city in Tibet and the traditional seat of the panchen Lama, Tibet’s second highest incarnation after the Dalai Lama.  

Here are some pics taken from the Tashilhunpo Monastery, another important pilgrimage site. 

Notice the yak butter in her hand.  She’ll use a spoon to add the butter to the various cauldrons inside the monastery. 

As you may recall, Shigatse was our last chance to use the Internet for the duration of our trip.  Rob and I hit an Internet cafe before dinner and were absolutely stunned by the letter we received from the wife of the family that was buying our mother’s home.  She started the letter by saying how the second she and her family walked through the threshold of our home that they knew this was the home for them.  She went on to explain that for years she and her husband had tried to have kids and thought that it wasn’t possible for them, but then six years ago they were blessed with twin daughters (one is named Abigail…OMG) and that they are going to love and cherish this home as much as we did.  She ended the letter by thanking us for giving them such a wonderful place to raise their family and told us the door was always open if we wanted to drop by for a visit.  Wow!  Talk about a gift.  I had tears streaming down my face as I read the letter and couldn’t stop them from flowing as I sat there in the Internet cafe.  If reality is what it is and things have to be this way then this was definitely the best case scenario.  Not only did the house sell quickly, but it sold to a loving family.  I have tears in my eyes now as I think about how perfectly things fell into place.  Mom, thank you, thank you, thank you! 

The next morning Rob and I had an extra spring in our step, which was perfect because it was Children’s Day in Tibet and there were festivals and celebrations everywhere.  The locals were so friendly, waving to us and inviting us to join their picnics.  I just cannot say enough positive things about Tibetans.  They are lovely, beautiful and warm people with huge, welcoming smiles.  I am so glad that Rob and I ended up finishing our trip in Tibet because it is such a spiritual, special place.  If it’s not on your list of places to visit it absolutely should be because everything about it, except maybe the toilets, is spectacular. 

Here are some pics from Children’s Day. 

We are getting very close to Everest Base Camp.  Next stop is the small town of Sakya, which sits at an elevation of 4,280 meters/14,040 ft. 

Prior to the cultural revolution there were about 1,200 monks, but now there are only about 250 of them. 

On the way to Base Camp we passed some nomads.  There is nothing in this part of Tibet.  The landscape is so severe and harsh and this is in the middle of summer.  I can’t even fathom how cold it must get in the winter and how challenging it must be to be a nomad here.  

The family we met was warm and inviting and welcomed us into their camp with open arms.  

This is their home. 

This is it, folks!  Our next stop is Everest Base Camp.  Are you fired up?  I hope so!  They call Everest Qomolangma.   

Can you say desolate?  The wind here was severe, whipping our faces as we jumped out for a quick photo shoot.  Yikes! 

Souvenir anyone? 

Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!! 

Here is our first glimpse of Everest, but as you can see, she was a little shy hiding in the clouds.  No worries, we’re headed to her base camp so I feel pretty confident that we’ll get to see her in all her glory. 

We present to you, Mt. Everest.  There was another group here taking pics when we arrived and we actually heard this one guy utter the following words, “come on, ladies, I mean which is better this (pointing to Everest and the other mountains in the distance) or this (pointing to himself).  Um, really, dude?  Are you for real?  Wow, mega douche alert!  For the record, Everest was much cooler! 

Look who decided to come out and play…

Getting even bolder now…

Shabam!  I present to you, the north face of Mt. Everest. 

Being this close to Everest reinforced that I have absolutely zero desire to climb this puppy!  Negative, no gracias, nope, uh uh, no way! 

This is Rhomgbuk Monastery.  As you can see, it is literally steps away from Everest.  It’s the highest monastery on earth and Rob and I are here!  How cool!!!!

I love my kin! 

Here is our tent for the evening.  These tents are fabulous, blocking out all the wind and cold. 

Here’s a little tour of the inside. 

Do you know what this is? 

If you said yak dung you are correct.  It is used to cook and keep the tent heated at night.  Ashok has developed a strange love of yak dung over the years.  Hey, to each his own, right? 

Here are some of the owners of the tent.  Could this baby be cuter?  I don’t think so! 

Here are some more Everest shots at sunset. 

And here’s our crew!  We did it!!!! 

Rob and I rented these jackets in Kathmandu, which was absolutely critical to our enjoyment of this experience. 

This beautiful woman tucked us in at night.  I felt someone tucking me in and when I peeked out of my eye mask to see what was going on I discovered this angelic face staring down at me.  She even came back in the middle of the night to tuck us in again since we had shifted the covers in the middle of the night.  She was so sweet and nurturing. 

This is her mother and her son.  Adorable! 

Time to relax before dinner.   

A few of our fellow travelers purchased oxygen for the journey so of course we had to pass that puppy around.  Think Steve Martin as the tweaked out dentist in Little Shop of Horrors.

Now we are Everest ready!  These surgical masks were great for keeping warmth on your face at night and also a nice block from the smoke coming from the stove of burning yak dung. 

Bright and early we made our way to Everest Base Camp.  It was about a 2 mile walk from our tents.  It was ffffreezing out there.  Check out the frozen yak dung to prove it! 

And here is Everest at sunrise.  How beautiful!

Tiff and Rob, Everest Base Camp, June 2010.  Fabulous!

Now it’s time to make our way back to Kathmandu.  Check out the moonscape.  There is nothing growing around here! 

It’s hard to believe that the trip is already over and it’s time to say goodbye to our new friends.  Thanks for the unbelievably awesome tour, Ashok.  You did such a fabulous job and we will never forget you or this trip!

A huge thank you to our fellow travelers as well.  You guys RULED and we loved traveling with you.  Please, please keep in touch.  Big toe, earlobe and pinky finger! 

As a thank you to Ashok we decided to compose a poem.  Each person was invited to write 2 lines.  Here is our masterpiece:

Monsoon started in Kathmandu

drinking Everest, the local brew.

In walks, Ashok dark shirt and sunglasses

running through the rules for all the high passes.

Just listen to your body is what he said

and keep a drink of water next to your bed.

We made it to Lhasa as happy as could be

until half the group met someone nicknamed Mr. D. (think GI nightmare)

Who introduced us to the delight of the Tibetan toilet smell…

Then off to the Potala Palace - don’t mention the D.L.

Little hands outstretched in hope.

Happy, grubby, smiling faces, there we saw in all the places.

Slowly, slowly our leader said.

Despite all this we puffed like hell.

Before we knew it Mt. Everest came into view.

We were all so excited we nearly filled our pants with poo.

Then downward we went with our pants full of poo.

Back to Nepal and some fine Western loos. 

If exaggeration’s the name of the game

then Ashok is master of the same! 

Thanks again, Ashok, for such a great trip. 

So that ends the first leg of my journey.  The past 8 months of travel throughout Asia have been some of the most magnificent, eye opening, and heart warming experiences of my life.  I will never forget the people I have met or the places I have seen.  I cannot wait to get back on the road and continue my journey. 

I thank all of you who have followed me these past 8 months and hope that you’ll continue to read and keep in touch.  I absolutely love hearing from each and every one of you and I am so thrilled to know that folks are actually reading this blog.  I love you all and I’ll see you soon.