Today (Saturday) was a rest day; time to eat well and stroll around Lukla. The highlight of every morning here for the locals is to watch the numerous flights land and take off at the airport which is right in the center of town.
Now in Lukla are more members of our Sherpa team making final preparations to advance up the valley. About 1.5tn of food has been purchased. All our personal climbing equipment arrives from Kathmandu by a chartered aircraft early next week for portering up to Namche Bazaar and then onto base camp by yaks. Oxygen is helicoptered into an airport higher up the mountain at 3700m. Everything is coming together.
This afternoon I made a 4hr acclimatization hike up behind Lukla to 3500m in rainy conditions, just reaching the snowline. In making that hike, it was immediately evident to see the relatively simple existence the local Nepalese live here in the Himalayas. It was not uncommon to pass children on the trail as young as 6-8 years old portering heavy loads of wood on their backs with the weight being taken by a single strap across the top of their forehead - I am not sure school is a part of their daily routine. All village homes would welcome passers-by, selling hot tea, drinks and snacks. Inside each home is little more than a clay floor, a few simple wooden chairs and tables, some pots and pans, and the walls blackened by the wood fired stove that is kept constantly burning for heating and cooking purposes. The sleeping quarters were no more elaborate. However despite these harsh conditons the people seem resilien and enduring, always passing you on the trail with a friendly "Namaste" (hellow in Nepali).
Tomorrow is a big day – about a 15-20km walk up the valley passing through numerous villages before a final gruelling 800m zig zag ascent up into the town of
And when is a yak not a yak? .......when it is a female (a nak). Do not believe the trail side signs selling "yak cheese".
Bye for now..David
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