In May of 2010, the day after graduating from Texas A&M University, I boarded a plane to Kathmandu, Nepal, with plans to solo trek to the base camp of Mount Everest. The journey is recounted below, as transcribed from my travel journal.
May 16, 2010
- Depart IAH bound for Doha, Qatar
May 17
- Arrive in Doha, Qatar
- Transfer and depart for Kathmandu, Nepal
May 18
- Arrive in Kathmandu, Nepal
- Share a taxi ride into what I thought was Thamel
- Wound up being dropped off a couple of miles away
- Wander the streets until finding way back to Thamel and check in at the Kathmandu Guest House
- Head into town and register for a trekking permit
- Wander town looking for bus station
- Two hours later purchase what I believe to be a bus ticket to Jiri
May 19
- Navigate bus station and find my bus with the help of a local
- Ride with Nepalese passengers for 10 hrs through the most dangerous roads into the Himalayas
- Arrive in Jiri and settle in at the Cherdung Lodge for the evening
May 20 – Jiri to Bhandar
- Man at lodge offers to be my guide and carry my bag for $20/day – I turn down the offer
- Lodge owner sends me off with a silk prayer scarf
- Greeted at the trailhead by a kid pooping in the street
- Follow a German guy’s porter to Shivalaya where he stops for the day
- Now I am on my own for the first time as I trek to Bhandar – complete exhaustion
- Meet Australian guy named Andrew at Deorali, nice to hear English
- While sleeping at the teahouse, a nasty cat jumps on me in the middle of the night
May 21 – Bhandar to Sete
- Got lost for the first time, local kids yell at me, “Hello!, This way!”
- Very friendly guy in Kinja, laughed at how heavy my pack is
- Rain starts at Chimbu
- Stayed in teahouse in Sete where at least 30 stone workers were smoking hashish
May 22 – Sete to Junbesi
- Crossed a mountain pass at a higher elevation than Namche
- Bunches of mule herds on the path
- Walked through the clouds today
- Met dude building one of those temple things (stupa), wanted me to donate
May 23 – Junbesi to Nunthala
- Met Sarah, a firefighter from D.C. who had been living in Iraq
- Asked God for clouds, got mad when He gave me hot sun
- Hard rain all afternoon, muddy, slippery trail
- First view of the Himalayan peaks
- Met Brad, 3rd time in Nepal, retired IT consultant, English teacher
May 24 – Nunthala to Bupsa
- Ran into Malaysians making a documentary about climbing Mera Peak, one 72 year old
- Malay talked about John Wayne and Roy Williams
- At Bupsa, sat down with Brad, Sarah, and new guy Ian who had just spent a month traveling India
May 25 – Bupsa to Phakding
- Longest day of trekking since Jiri to Bhandar
- Clear skys, warm weather, beautiful peaks
- Saw planes going into and out of Lukla
- After a 10 hour trekking day, ran into Brad at the lodge
- God is sustaining me
- Excited about Namche
May 26 – Phakding to Namche Bazaar
- Slept in really late and didn’t start hiking until 9AM
- Now past Lukla, there are LOTS of people on the trail including trekking groups
- Shortest day yet – 5hrs including lunch break
- Arrived in Namche and played pool with Brad and Ian in Cafe Daphne while Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “That Smell” played in the background
- Ate dinner at the lodge and ordered the “Steak Sizzler” which was Yak meat
May 27 – Namche Bazaar Rest Day
- Ate a delicious pizza at Everest Bakery
- Bought a knock off Mountain Hardwear down jacket for 2500r ~$33
- Last dinner together with Brad, Sarah, and Ian
- Buddha’s birthday is today
- Followed the parade procession to the monastery where they served yak tea
May 28 – Namche Bazaar to Tengboche
- Met Nepali, Hemu, who graduated from the University of South Florida
- Toured a monastery and met Bob, a Christian missionary who spent 9 years in Nepal
- Bob was trekking with brother Larry and has many stories about God’s work in the region
- Met guy from Minneapolis who had been a boat captain on the show Deadliest Catch
- Met 3 Sikhs from Canada who were very funny
- Ate my first apple pie – very delicious
May 29 – Tengboche to Dingboche
- Incredible views of Ama Dablam
- Passed by runners competing in The Everest Marathon
- Met a guy named Mark and mother who were struck with altitude sickness in the middle of the night and had to descend immediately
May 30 – Dingboche Rest Day
- Summitted the nearby peak of Nangkartshang, 16,797ft
- Met James, 23, from New Zealand
May 31 – Dingboche to Lobuche
- Beautiful peaks on all sides, clear skies
- Last to leave, first to arrive
- Memorials to fallen climbers on Everest, very sad
- “Every stone you suffer, in the end, it will make you happy” -fellow trekker-
- Contracted the “Khumbu Cough”
June 1 – Lobuche to Gorak Shep to Everest Base Camp
- A stray dog led the entire way to Base Camp
- Arrived at Everest Base Camp with Hemu, his guide, Julian the Frenchman, and stray dog
- We named the dog “Sherpa”
- Snapped some celebratory pictures and headed back to Gorak Shep
- Began snowing on the return to Gorak Shep
- Camera is now giving lens error and may not work tomorrow
June 2 – Gorak Shep to Kala Pattar to Periche
- Left at 4:10AM, freezing cold, summitted ~5:20AM
- Watched sunrise over Everest, lots of pictures
- “Peace be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
- Tried some local Raksi (rice wine), tastes like sake
June 3 – Periche to Namche
- Met Andrea, Norwegian, at lunch and walked to Namche
- Got a bag I left at Khumbu Lodge and stayed at Namche Hotel
- Cannot sleep, barking dog
- Caught up with Brad at dinner, more yak steak
June 4 – Namche to Lukla
- Ran into Christians Bob and Larry on trail
- They were with Thupten the Buddhist monk converted follower of Christ
- Thupten ties a Tibetan prayer flag to the suspension bridge and proclaims, “Prayers for Jesus!”
- Weather is bad here, no planes have left today
- Got a 6:15AM ticket for $115, hope weather clears
- Shared in Communion and prayer with Thupten, Larry, Bob, & Joshua
June 5 – Lukla to Kathmandu
- 7AM flight out, clouds, left around noon
- Small plane, roller coaster ride, not good for motion sickness
- Check in at Tasi Dhargey Inn with private bath for 400 rupees ~$5
- Qatar Airways office closed on Saturdays, lost pen on the way
- Bought knock off Teva sandals for 650r
- Delicious pizza at Fire & Ice, internet cafe, drinks at Sam’s
June 6 – Kathmandu Rest Day
- Qatar Airways won’t adjust travel agency ticket
- Travel agency helped move departure up to the 13th
- Purchased bus ticket to the Chitwan jungle for 300r each way
- Ran into the Canadians again and ate at Fire & Ice
- Turns out I was the only one who flew out of Lukla that day and the others had been stuck
- Ate an all beef hamburger for dinner
June 7 – Kathmandu to Chitwan
- Woke up with the runs, beef was a bad choice
- Started taking ciprofloxacin from Indian pharmacy
- Paid some kid on the street 10r to use their bathroom
- Bus driver let me sit in the front of the bus because of sickness
- Crazy dangerous roads along cliffs once again
- Checked into the Holiday Safari Hotel as recommended by Hemu
- Owner insists it is pronounced “Holy-Day Safari”
- Saw wild rhinos extremely close in the river, very rare
- Watched sunset over jungle river
June 8 – Chitwan Jungle
- Canoe ride down the river, elephant breeding center, jungle hike
- Elephant Bath in river
- Rode an elephant through the jungle with a couple from the Netherlands
- Saw deer and rhinos
- Meet up with Hemu + Canadians and their guide
- Attend the Tharu people cultural dance night, dude is dressed as giant peacock on stage
June 9 – Chitwan Jungle
- Rode bike to “20,000 Lake” looking for tigers and wildlife, mostly just birds
- Another elephant bath in the river, delayed bus until tomorrow
- Met some drunk guys under a tree who said they drank 9 bottles of Raksi/day
- Went into the Jungle and spent the night in an observation tower with some French friends
- Observed lots of deer and a wild boar
June 10 – Chitwan to Kathmandu
- A bus tipped over on one of the road’s cliffs
- Stuck in traffic for an extra 3 hours
- Met up with the Canadian guys again on Mandala street hung out at the coffee shop
- Ate dinner at The New Orleans and watched the city lights from a hotel rooftop
June 11 – Durbar Square, Kathmandu
- Visited Durbar Square and Freak Street
- People are worshiping a little girl as a reincarnated goddess
- Bought a bunch of souvenirs for family and friends
- Coffee shop guy says the average Nepalese salary is 6000r/month ~$83
- Street hustlers pester you to sell drugs and women, Canadians and I run them away
June 12 – Monkey Temple, Kathmandu
- Took a rickshaw ride over to the Monkey Temple
- Huge line of people waiting to give offerings of food and money
- Some middle school boys showed me around town as we searched for a USA soccer jersey
- Hung out at the Funky Buddha and enjoyed some Hookah waiting for World Cup to start
- Headed over to Tom & Jerry’s to watch the USA vs England soccer match at 12:15AM
- Watched the game with a table of guys from Connecticut, Holland, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Germany, and the UK
June 13, 2010 – Last Day in Kathmandu
- Packed bags, very strange feeling
- Visit Pashupatinath, the holy Hindu temple and site of cremation along the river
- Observe a cremation ceremony and Sadhus (Hindu Holy Men)
- Finished shopping to buy last-minute trinkets
- Enjoyed final dinner of pizza at Fire & Ice
- Heading home
