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Sunday, October 26, 2014

Greetings from Kathmandu

Greetings from Kathmandu!

Since my last post I've had very limited cell phone wifi.  

We climbed up, nearing Kala Pattar, before turning around due to my altitude sickness. 

The morning of the 25th we woke up at 4:30 AM for our summit attempt. After an hour I was quite ill, blue lipped, and vomiting. We turned around and made our way back to our lodge in Langboche. 

After a quick breakfast we headed down the mountain. I felt better with every step back down!  We had a very long day making it all the way to Namche Bazaar. (35km in total plus a descent of nearly 2000 meters)

Yesterday morning we woke up and headed down with a goal of reaching Lukla. As we made our way down the mountain we had a final surprise!  A helicopter was picking us up in Phackding to bring us back to Kathmandu!  We scurried to our ride and last night enjoyed a private bathroom and shared a bed for the first time since we left! (We've been sleeping in twin beds with shared toilets in the hallway.  On the night I was the most sick, my birthday, we had an outhouse!)

Questions being answered soon San Miguel boys!


Animals of the Sagamartha National Park

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Checking in!

Not sure if this will post!  We've passed through Pangboche and are en route to Dongla. Tomorrow we hope to make it to Gorak Shep with an evening summit of Kala Pattar. Not sure when wifi will be available next!

Updates soon to San Miguel students questions!


Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Acclimating in Namche Bazar

Hello!

After a hike yesterday we had an early night to bed. Up at 7am, we had our breakfast and headed out hiking. While acclimatizing it is important to climb higher then come down lower to sleep. We hiked up 600 meters (about 1800 feet) and walked 11km or approximately 7 miles. 

As we got higher we had our first glimpses of Mount Everests summit peaking out from behind a cloud in addition to a fantastic view of Ama Dablam and other high peaks. 

We returned to our hotel for lunch and will rest for the afternoon.
  
Tomorrow we will hike 15-20km to Pangboche which lies approximately at 4,000 meters. 

I've been posting a lot of photos on my Instagram account @cabuhaidar but will also add a few here!

Please note, after tomorrow I will have more and more limited access to wifi. 


Monday, October 20, 2014

Questions for Miss K's San Miguel Students

Hello San Miguel Students!

Thank you for your awesome questions!

Before we head out for our morning hike I will answer the first round that was sent in by Miss K!

Are you scared?
Colleen: yes, because this is my first time up here and I'm not quite sure what to expect. 
Walid: no, I know we're prepared and we are being very safe. 

Is it cold?
The sun here is very strong even though the temperatures are low. Sitting in the sun you can wear a t-shirt but when the sun goes away it gets very chilly. As we go higher up it will get much colder. We haven't reached snow yet. 

Where have you travelled?
Since we've been married we have traveled through the Caribbean by sailboat visiting Bermuda, Tortola, the Dominican Republic, Puuerto Rico and many more islands there. 
In South America we have visited: Mexico, Costa Rica, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, Panama, and Colombia. 
We've visited Morocco in North Africa as well as Tanzania, Kenya, and South Africa in Sub-Saharan Africa. 
In the Middle East we have been to Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Egypt, and Lebanon. 
In Asia we have been to Myanmar, Bhutan, Thailand, Nepal, and Japan. 
In Europe we live in Spain, very close to the French border so we go to France nearly every weekend!  We've also been to Portugal, Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Andorra, Finland, Denmark, Greenland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, England, & Scotland. 

What is your favorite place you have travelled?
Walid: Barcelona because it's where he chose to live. 
Colleen: I agree but I love to always visit new places! I love France, Italy, and Colombia too. There are so many amazing places it's hard to say!

Are you an explorer?
I think we would both answer yes. We aren't an explorer in the sense of Magellen, Columbus, Edmund Hillary, or Shackleton who truly explored the unknown, however, we like to experience new places, new smells, new food, and different cultures. If your mind is open to these different ideas, then you too are an explorerer and adventurer. You can even find your own explorations and adventures a bus or car ride away!

Where do you stay when you travel?
We prefer to stay with friends if we can, but if we don't know anybody we stay in hotels. We camp sometimes as well. On this trip we are staying in lodges called teahouses. They have restaurants, beds, a shared bathroom and shower but they are very comfortable. We are paying $3.00 to sleep tonight!

(Where we are staying tonight)

What is the fastest anyone has climbed Mt Everest?
The fasted speed from Everest Base Camp is just over 8 hours. 

What animals have you seen?
We saw monkeys in Kathmandu. Since arriving to the mountains we have seen lots of yak, horses, and a few goats. There are red pandas and snow leopards who live here but so far we haven't seen them. 




What language do the Nepalese people speak?
The people of Nepal speak Nepalese, however, in the region we are in the speak mostly Sherpa. They Sherpa people are an ethnic group based in the mountains of Nepal who lived of the land, until recently, when Mountain climbing became popular and now they are some of the best mountain climbers in the world. 

What religion are the people of Nepal?
The people of Nepal are mainly Buddhist, but there are also Hindu, Muslim, and Christians as well. (Not many)

What are they doing in front of the fire?
Monkey temple is a Buddhist site still used by locals. The ladies by the fire were performing a local relgious ceremony. 

What do the people eat? What are we eating?
We are eating fairly similar cuisine to the locals up until today as it's easy to bring food up. The locals like spicy food...and I do too!
Yak is a popular dish here, as is chicken and rice. 
There are also lots of noodles, soups, teas, and bread. 
My favorite snack is called a momo. It is like a dumpling filled with vegetables, beef, chicken, or pork. 



Kathmandu, Lukla, Monju, Namche Bazar


Greetings from Namche Bazar!

After an early morning yesterday we boarded a small airplane to Lukla. Lukla serves as the base town for many treks in the Nepalese Himalaya, including the town where people begin their climb of the Southern face of Mount Everest. 
(Walid sitting in the small airplane waiting to take off)

(Our first glimpse of the Himalayan Peaks on our plane ride from Kathmandu)

After landing in Lukla our trek began. We walked 10-12 miles to reach the town of Monju where we would spend the night. Tired after an early start we were fast asleep by 9pm!

This morning (Monday) we woke up, ate our eggs and tea and began our 4.5 mile walk up to Namche Bazar, a small town only accessible by foot. It is at a higher altitude of 3550 meters, or around 11,000 feet. 

(A bridge crossing on our way up the mountain)

This afternoon we will walk a bit higher to help our bodies acclimatiZe to the altitude. 
(Arriving into Namche Bazar)

A few yaks we passed on our way to our hotel. Hidden behind the clouds is a snow covered peak poking out. 

Another view from Namche Bazar. 

Our hotel entrance!
 
Stay tuned!!!








Saturday, October 18, 2014

Touched down in Kathmandu!

Stay tuned for our latest adventure as we begin to trek the Everest Circuit tomorrow. Our helpful friends and family back home will be posting as well if we have bad connection!

After an early flight Friday morning to Istanbul, a long layover, and an overnight flight into Kathmandu we will enjoy a good sleep before waking up early to catch our flight to Lukla (2800 meters) where our trek will begin. If all goes well we may make it to Namche Bazaar (3440 meters) by tomorrow evening.