Khunde
Today is market day at Namche. The market is cool. Everything is carried in by hand, sometimes for days, by porters.
So I've come down 2000 feet from Khunde to suss out the viability of putting on a BBQ to thank the Sherpas and porters. Last time, we put on a hangi, but this time the aim is to minimise the use of wood.
So far, no cigar. I although I've found heaps of buffalo at the butcher's in the market, I haven't been able to locate any charcoal. Wood is valuable and this whole region is substantially deforested, so we'll probably end up buy the lads some beers instead.
The 40th anniversary celebrations of the Khunde Hospital were good fun. Lots of eating, singing, Sherpa dancing, drinking of chang (local rice wine). I even trained up a bunch of Kiwi and American lads to put on a performance of Ka Mate. Pulling one's shirt off at -5C is pretty exhilarating.
It snowed for three days all up, but now it's beginning to melt. Namche is snow-free and Khunde is awash in slush. I hate slush, you just can't avoid it. The unseasonable weather has resulted in a change in plans. Kath and Tony have pushed on to Dingboche and will rendezvous with us in a few days. I wanted to climb Gokyo Ri, but the trail is impassable, so I've elected to hang out in Khunde. We'll leave in a few days for Thami, which is a monastry a few hours walk away.
Yesterday we held a snow sculpture competition. The kids loved it. Hine made a scale model of Bouddhanath, and Tama and I and his cousins made a snow fort (for later use in a snowball fight). Beccah and her nephew made a volcano (which unfortunately failed to ignite).
By all accounts, things are getting worse in Kathmandu. Curfews appear to be in force, and strikes have been hitting essential services. Basic necessities (petrol etc) are in short supply
and prices are rising.
Hopefully it will be reasonably stable when we get back to Kathmandu in a week's time.
So I've come down 2000 feet from Khunde to suss out the viability of putting on a BBQ to thank the Sherpas and porters. Last time, we put on a hangi, but this time the aim is to minimise the use of wood.
So far, no cigar. I although I've found heaps of buffalo at the butcher's in the market, I haven't been able to locate any charcoal. Wood is valuable and this whole region is substantially deforested, so we'll probably end up buy the lads some beers instead.
The 40th anniversary celebrations of the Khunde Hospital were good fun. Lots of eating, singing, Sherpa dancing, drinking of chang (local rice wine). I even trained up a bunch of Kiwi and American lads to put on a performance of Ka Mate. Pulling one's shirt off at -5C is pretty exhilarating.
It snowed for three days all up, but now it's beginning to melt. Namche is snow-free and Khunde is awash in slush. I hate slush, you just can't avoid it. The unseasonable weather has resulted in a change in plans. Kath and Tony have pushed on to Dingboche and will rendezvous with us in a few days. I wanted to climb Gokyo Ri, but the trail is impassable, so I've elected to hang out in Khunde. We'll leave in a few days for Thami, which is a monastry a few hours walk away.
Yesterday we held a snow sculpture competition. The kids loved it. Hine made a scale model of Bouddhanath, and Tama and I and his cousins made a snow fort (for later use in a snowball fight). Beccah and her nephew made a volcano (which unfortunately failed to ignite).
By all accounts, things are getting worse in Kathmandu. Curfews appear to be in force, and strikes have been hitting essential services. Basic necessities (petrol etc) are in short supply
and prices are rising.
Hopefully it will be reasonably stable when we get back to Kathmandu in a week's time.
posted by Mikaere Curtis | 6:21 PM
3 Comments:
Incredible stories. I didn't even realise Kath and Tony were with you!
Khatmandu is a _mess_ of a place right now.
Happy ANZAC day.
Kia ora te whanau,
just found out about your blog, and having read it am now REALLY envious. Nice that you can share such amazing times & places with your kids. Sad to see the aggro in Kathmandu - very different from the place I remember (but that of course was over twenty years ago!) Take care of each other - we look forward to seeing you soon
arohanui
Dave Clendon
Wow, I'm so glad you're doing this blog! Hine & Tama, thanks for sharing your adventures with us. You must be really amazing trekkers to do all that walking.
I especially like your stories about the animals. Maybe you could bring back a snake or a yak to keep as a pet.
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