Weather: no change - overcast this am; downpours this afternoon. Dale and I picked up on the locals method for dealing with it, Dale should really get the credit, We bought a novel invention, they may have them in Canada - I think they are called the umbrella. We attached it to our packs and the two of us were dry as a bone when we arrived at our location.
Altitude - 400m down into Ringmu then 400m up to Taksindu pass then descended 750m to Nunthala.
I woke up this am to watch the sunrise on Everest. I was totally excited so I actually woke up at 3 but the sky was full of clouds. By 430am the sky had mostly cleared and I woke up Helene (an Everest enthusiast), Dale, and Michel who filmed the sunrise. We had Sherpa tea and spent 45 minutes. Amazing - the really terrifying part is that due to the deception of distance, Mera looks bigger!
Today is the Birth Day of Buddha. There was a huge celebration/prayer at the Monastery about 200m below Taksindu pass. We went in and watched the ceremony. It reminded me of church growing up with the kids creating havoc in the first few pews of the church, while the service was going on. In the temple the ceremony went on at the front and in the centre. The kids, 50 or so of them, created chaos in the back. Tibetan tea (nak [female yak - no joke] butter and tea) was served to us as we sat along the sides on mats on the floor. There was a Lama at the front overseeing the service. The Temple is extremely colorful. On the front wall there were slots 20 x 20 on the second story filled with Buddhist prayers. One of our Sherpa said prayers for 4 hours on trail 'om mani padme om' which means 'God make the human life better and peaceful' in his words.
I woke up this am to watch the sunrise on Everest. I was totally excited so I actually woke up at 3 but the sky was full of clouds. By 430am the sky had mostly cleared and I woke up Helene (an Everest enthusiast), Dale, and Michel who filmed the sunrise. We had Sherpa tea and spent 45 minutes. Amazing - the really terrifying part is that due to the deception of distance, Mera looks bigger!
Today is the Birth Day of Buddha. There was a huge celebration/prayer at the Monastery about 200m below Taksindu pass. We went in and watched the ceremony. It reminded me of church growing up with the kids creating havoc in the first few pews of the church, while the service was going on. In the temple the ceremony went on at the front and in the centre. The kids, 50 or so of them, created chaos in the back. Tibetan tea (nak [female yak - no joke] butter and tea) was served to us as we sat along the sides on mats on the floor. There was a Lama at the front overseeing the service. The Temple is extremely colorful. On the front wall there were slots 20 x 20 on the second story filled with Buddhist prayers. One of our Sherpa said prayers for 4 hours on trail 'om mani padme om' which means 'God make the human life better and peaceful' in his words.
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kids at the monastery
When we landed in Nunthala I can't tell you how thrilled I was to find we were staying at the Shangri-La hotel...........and they have a shower......cold water but still clean.
There are still major concerns that we are dealing with the leading edge of the Monsoon. When we arrive in Kharikhola tomorrow we need to make a decision - do we go on or do we go to Lukla because of the monsoon.
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artsy photo to drive Dale crazy
