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Bisket Jatra on Kala Patthar? No such luck...but I will be in Kathmandu! At the rate you are now hiking, you'll probably be to Everest and back by then....
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 5,447 Likes: 11
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I love they way they have multiple dates depending on who you ask...
I was told 11/04/13 is the celebration day.
I'm going in at Jiri tomorrow and the plan is to exit via the Arun Valley at Tumlingtar. Bus in, fly out...
Of course, if the low elevation heat bugs me on the way in, I'll probably bug out at Lukla because the heat will be that much worse in the Arun Valley a few weeks from now!
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I kinda got the impression that something might be brewing yesterday afternoon...
Bandh...
No public services...
Early tourist buses to Pokhara and planes are flying...
Reminds me of the time I was picked up at the airport by two rickshaws... one for me and my friend, the other for the luggage.
Last edited by Richard P.; 04/07/13 02:21 AM. Reason: Jiri is a little too far for a rickshaw ride but i might be able to fly to Phaplu.
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So, I'm sitting in Jiri having lunch while waiting for a 3:00pm bus to Shivalaya... The road has been pushed in farther.
The Bandh yesterday gave me the opportunity to get the Everest paperwork done. While there, KT recognized me... We had a rather pleasant evening with dinner and climbing stories. Many Big E hopefuls at The Courtyard...
Hope to run into KT up in the hills in a few days...
Last edited by Richard P.; 04/08/13 08:32 AM. Reason: The bus ride was quite different than in the past... non-stop...only took about 8 hours...
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Made it to Namche in four days...
An underestimate would be that 85% of the Tea Houses are closed... For good.
Wouldn't need to go beyond fingers and toes to count the number of tourists on the route...
Obviously, Jiri to Namche is dead...
Sad to see since there is so much mountaineering history... and cool villages with throw-back prices...
I posted some more photos.
Trying to track down KT and his companion.
Akichow should be well on her way.
Now that I'm in the heart of the Khumbu, I plan on slowing down and enjoying the sights...
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At the moment, enjoying excellent snacks in the Thai Airways Silk Lounge in Bangkok. Closing in!
Oh, not nearly as excellent as beer in Namche, though.
Last edited by Akichow; 04/12/13 11:01 PM. Reason: Saw Richard's pictures
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Woke up to the fantastic view of Kongde...
With a bit of a headache...
Hotels sure have changed in Namche...
I could be in a Marriott anywhere in the world if I keep the drapes closed...
Enjoying a fine breakfast with lots of lemon tea...
Last edited by Richard P.; 04/13/13 01:11 AM. Reason: prep yourself for the madness of KTM.
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Thanks for the warning!
Last edited by Akichow; 04/13/13 01:23 AM. Reason: How, though? Earplugs? Flace mask? Or just dive in and make the madness my own?
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P.s. Though just spent 24 hours wondering if I was dodging North Korean madness so more conventional madness that doesn't have warheads attached might actually be relaxing. By comparison.
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Touts just bug the crap out of me and I haven't quite figure out how to ignore them...
Let's see, I've been offered...
- young girls...
- drugs...
- more Tiger Balm than I could use in two lifetimes...
- thousands of trekking trips...
Then there's the dust, pollution, noise, power outages (which most hotels fix with generators)...
Seriously, I think Nepal has gone downhill quite a bit in the last decade (other than the successful companies involved in the Adventure Travel business).
Last edited by Richard P.; 04/13/13 01:54 AM. Reason: a German that I've spending time with told me I might want to catch up on that news...
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Day 1: Collapse in hotel.
Oh, and Happy New Year!
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I think I figured out what Richard's up to - he's been getting in shape for an attempt at A QUADRUPLE WHITNEY!
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Impossible... Still waiting to see whether anyone will repeat SierraGator's amazing feat... Definitely not me, unless I happen to find the Fountain of Youth in Shangri LA...
Getting ready to head out of Namche...
KT had a surprised look on his face when I told him I was leaving KTM with more than 70,000 ruppies... I managed to blow neatly 10k in the past two days... Nepal definitely ain't Dirt Bag territory anymore...
Enjoying the heck out of it though...
Might get snowed on this afternoon because of the late start...
Made contact with Karin...
Yet to hear from KT and friend...
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After a morning of sights (one Durbar square down (Patan), one more to go today) noise and dust, I have found some tranquility in the Garden of Dreams. My iPhone has won best travel accessory when in Nepal 5 times over (soon, no doubt, to be seconded by my Steripen) -- fabulous tool for navigating the confusion. I kind of feel guilty for ordering a crepe for lunch (when in Rome, and all that), but there is plenty of daal baht to come... Could use a few oxygen canisters...the air quality is worse than Mexico City in the 80s.
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I've got an Android phone and wish I still had my iPhone...
In Deboche after a nice leisurely 10k+ walk
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About .75 miles out of Namche... BAM!... This is what you come to Nepal for... 1st view of the Big AD (Ama Dablam).
Pulling back on the throttle after a few weeks of hammering sure is FUN!
And since the phone is working, I'll be able to call my wife in the morning and wish her Happy Buddhist New Year.
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Looks like you've had blue skies? (Love the Comfort Inn picture.). I'm wondering about the flight to Lukla because the forecast is now snow....
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You're in Thame, I'm in Gorak Shep...
Interesting few days...
Don't think that it's a coincidence that I did the Chukhung Triple five months after the seventeen November near disaster...
Chukhung Ri (S) ~17,700
Chukhung Ri (N) ~18,500
Chukhung Tse ~19,200
The weather has finally been fine for a couple of days...
Climbed over Kongma La yesterday and did Kala Patar today...
Heather (KT's friend) stopped in my lodge last night. We had a nice visit.
There are some more photos posted.
Earned some merit by helping a young Korean woman across the Kongma La. She picked up part of my tab at the hotel last night...very cool.
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