Taking a stand !

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I am back home writing this. By back home I mean with my family in Sarangkot and I can not begin to express how much it really felt like I was returning to (one of my many) homes. I say one of them because I have officially inducted Sarangkot into my home list which includes Belle Vernon, Hidden Valley, Jönköping, and of course pennstate! 

The last few days:

Back to reality reality of Kathmandu after staying in the hospital for two nights was a shock.  From my hospital window I was able to enjoy a quiet room onlooking a side street with a nursery if flowers. On the morning of my release I was picked up by the owners of the trekking company and greeting by the harsh pollution and chaos of cars and people of Kathmandu. Oh how I forgot how crazy this place was! 

The ride across the city, which it is still hard to call it that since no buildings really reach past a 5th floor, took a long time. Traffic, traffic, cows, traffic, people, and more traffic. When we reached the office the two guys recommended me a hotel, got me a room, and made plans to meet tomorrow when my guide was hopefully found as well as a hospital check up appointment.

For the next seven hours I indulged in spa treatments compliments of my wonderful parents! Simply wonderful! I had body scrubs, massages, facials, pedicures, and more massages. It was a little awkward getting, uhhhh, used to having someone completely massage and pamper me but I can assure you by the end of the first hour I was completely comfortable. By the second I was in heaven and by hour seven I was lost to the earth.

That evening Claudia and Elena came to meet me and stay for the night! We had a great time exchanging tales from the past two weeks, especially about my ridiculous guide, over dinner and music at New Orleans, Or2K, and Purple Haze. Anyone who happens to visit Thamel needs to give these places a visit. I plan to hopefully review these places later.

The funny thing is throughout the evening I ran I to the couple from Holland and another group I briefly passed! What a small world. It was great to see the couple from Holland because they experienced my guide first hand. They were immediately thrilled to see me and recounted how their guide (who was awesome) told them all a out my guide and his issues.  Wonderful, another witness to prove I wasn't over reacting. They expressed how they were worried and happy to see I was ok.

The next day Claudia, Elena and I had breakfast at Or2k and said our goodbyes. I went to the trekking agency and we went to the hospital.

Did I mention I hate my guide!!!!!!

Since he failed to call the company like he was supposed to, and chose to do it himself to make money off my insurance, I was not sent to the correct hospital that would be covered by my insurance! Now I'm landed with a giant bill. Ugh this guy is going further and further down on my list. Also, they could not accept taking my credit card I had which meant I would have let the, keep my passport until I returned in a week from Sarangkot. Wait more importantly is the money I owe because my guide is a big meanie!!!!

Needless to say upon hearing this I lost it. I demanded we find a way to locate my guide. Through some searching we finally got him on the line and he was greeted by my less than friendly voice.

Very simply I laid down the law. Show up at 5 in the office or you will be found and arrested. 

He showed.

The next hour was spent with me calmly but fiercely making things clear.

Excuses, lies, and more excuses is what he did. Finally after wearing into him the truth slowly came out.

He has charged me more because he believed I was rich since I came from America. They used nationality to determine how much more they could get from you. His drinking was confirmed as well as the fact my money was spent to support it. Ugh.

He had taken the pictures in my sleep supposedly incase I died. Someone had died in their sleep on a previous trip. Great that was reassuring to find out.

Finally, after threatening to cancel my insurance and leave it up to him to pay the difference, he admitted to charging the helicopter more to make a profit as well as selling the seats to make money.

Woah dude!

It ended quiet calmly. I asked him why and got no reasonable response. Looking him straight in the eye I stated I may be 23, and I may be a short little girl who looks naive, but this time he made a mistake. I am not some dumb American girl who will allow anyone to rip her off or steal from her. I am way smarter than I look and although you may think you are getting away with something, I catch it all. I told him he will pay me the money from the days left early, he will give me the money he ripped off from me in the guesthouses, and he will turn over the profit he made with my helicopter. This money will cover the medical bills I would not have if he would've done his job properly. Anything extra will be donated to my school. If he would not have stolen he would have gotten a wonderful tip my parents who care but instead he has incurred costs he must pay due to his own actions. The money is to be given back to me through the trekking company or I will be filing reports with the cops and he will be arrested and sent to jail. 

I asked if he understood. After hearing his agreement I stood up and walked out. Woah, did I just do that? Yes! I did not think I'd be able to hold my ground but something took over ,e as I starred at the list of things he had done. Enough was enough and I was king to take a stand.

I went to Or2k to celebrate with a pizza. There I met some Israeli guys who were very cool. They explained about the I fluency of Israeli tourism in the city as well as the Israeli deal. Basically no one rips the, off, if they do their business is over.

The next day I slept in not feeling to well. In the evening I met up with Mary who I had met trekking. We had a nice night and recounted all of our crazy trekking stories. It turns out she lost the feeling in her hand while at that altitude as well as felt it move across part of her face!

The next morning I loaded my bus to phokara. The ride was very enjoyable, minus the slight pain in the knees. I was greeted once again with the lush greenery of the hills and the small villages. I think I was immune to the poverty and living conditions, but after being in the mountains it hit me like a ton of bricks again. Ugh the dirt, filth, dirty meat sitting out, flies, tin huts for houses, and so much more.

Back in pokhara I stayed at a guesthouse with Mary. I ran into all my old friends from earlier and met some new ones. At freedom cafe I got to see my favorite waiter honey bunny and hang out with Daniel again before he left. It was home. I knew all this stuff and I had some sense of feeling like it all belonged to me. Very funny.

I did discover that some volunteers went up to paint while I was gone. Although super happy they helped I was quite nervous. I'm very protective over my painting. After being here though it turns out they colored in my drawings and did a nice job. ,Abe it paid off to just relax about it and not get all worked up. In the end it is all for the kids!

Then the next morning Santosh picked me up on the motorbike and we headed off to Sarangkot. I was greeted by my family and everything fell right back into place.

The days are wonderful. They are filled with smiling kids, painting, dal Bhat, watching the crops, practicing Nepali, laughing, and farming. It's simple but great. I am going to truly enjoy the next week being back here!

Guides, helicopters, and hospitals.. Oh my!!!

Oh man! Where do I begin?

*if you don't feel like reading it all ill give you a synopsis. I had a alcoholic guide, descended, continued to get sick, he called me a helicopter, it did a crazy landing in a potato field in the fog, he sold my seats, got me back, now I'm in the hospital. Fun times!

Ill skip the boring details of descending. It is pretty easy to sum of the few days of hiking down. It was beautiful of course. I got out of Gorek Shep and back around to the lower landscape that had actually color besides gray. We hiked all day long the first day making it to Periche after many hours. The next day we spent 9 until 6 hiking down to Namche. From there I took a scary helicopter ride out. 

So here I am sitting in a hospital room thinking about what happened. Due to the length of time and amount of things that happened, and that I realized happened ill try to sum the whole thing up in points rather than a giant long story of every detail.

Let me start by insisting that I am fine! Truthfully I am healthy and get out tomorrow morning!!

I had reached my goal so lets get down quickly. Leaving Gorek Shep my gee me me over one pass that was not real. Instead if taking the path he scaled the side of the rock and dirt hill that slowly gave out beneath his feet. I followed once again trusting him, only later to find out again it wasn't the right way and he found it comical. 

Although tough in the knees we hiked down and down to Periche. Here I met an awesome girl from England and we chatted most of the night. Just like the couple from holland, the Canadian, and killer, she noticed something was off about my guide.

By 8 pm my guide was a hammered mess. He was slurring, his eyes were glassed over, and he repeatedly made in appropriate comments. The guesthouse worker informed me that my guide had been continually drunk for days and would drink every time we reached a guesthouse. Oh wow now it makes sense! Now he was taking it too far however. He's comments went from "I love you" to "I want to make babies with you " to a incoherent string of comments about how important he is, how the world needs to know about his route, and life and what is our life at a low altitude. At least this is what I could make of it?

Needless to say Mary and I walked to our rooms together, locked the door, and slept safe away from him.

The next morning I found out that, even though I had asked to be in cheap rooms he had ignored that wish and had been booking me the most expensive ones, ones that had electricity and a toilet in the room on two occasion. Seems silly but it actually takes the price up from 100 rupees to 1000 rupees. I confronted him but ll he did was blow me off and say stop talking. Ugh he was making me mad. 

Still glazed and drunk more comments came out of his mouth insulting Mary and his wife at home. Most truly didn't make sense.

We walked all day and I kept my distance. Every time I was close I could smell the alcohol roll off him. Once we caught up to the Chinese couple even one of them noticed it. He didn't appear to be sobering up but getting worse along the way. My throat got worse, along with my lip, and my knees were killing.

By 5 pm when we were nearing Namache I could barely swallow by this point, my stomach still killed from being sick from days earlier, my lip throbbing, and now my knees could take it no longer. Coming down into the valley of Namache I was hobbling holding tightly into my walking stick. This was painful! Oh no!

Into the hotel I quickly settled down to relax and rest.

The next morning brought a huge problem! My guide called for me to pay the bill me announce o owed 3500 rupees. No way!!! I had checked the room price and figured I owed 1280. How had it gone up so much?!?! I went to the worker directly to check the bill. It was 1289 rupees just like I thought. I turned to my guide and he began to mumble stuff about how would he know the cost, this isn't his mothers house, I don't know, 3500, stop talking, shhhh. These things all came out of his moth not making a single word of sense.

It clicked. My guide is a drunken mess, who ripped me off, talked to me in appropriately, was not safe, and who was using my money to fuel is alcoholism. 

Great why me!

After paying the lady and attempting to talk to him I gave up hope. Grabbing my stuff I wanted to get out as quickly as possible and make my final day of hiking to get my flight out.

Twenty steps out the door I knew this was not possible. My knees screamed at every step and my throat was so dry and swollen I could barely swallow. My body was dehydrated from the stomach problems and non of this had been taken care of yet because the "health post and doctor" which my guide had continually promised me at each stop was as real as Santa Claus! 

I told him I couldn't go and he pushed for a helicopter to come get me. I agreed. I had done it and reached my goal and come back down. Now it was time I took care of myself. I sat on a rock and waited while he was supposed to call the trekking agency.

He stumbled back over with another lady and they led me into another hotel. Here I waited. Finally the lady asked me for my insurance. Well I don't have that, my guide does. I look to him and he stares at me. "Oh I left it at home," He said unapologetically. What do you mean you left it at home?!? Isn't this one of the reasons I got a guide?!?

Words don't explain how I am feeling at this point. Luckily the clouds went heavy and cell service was working. My wonderful mother was able to dig up the info and I gave it to the lady. I lost count at how many strikes this guide has.

While I waited for the arrangements I had a nice time. The ladies were full on Sherpas and they gave me some local foods to eat. A monk came to bless the place and I watched an elderly lady grumble asleep in the corner. 

We headed up to the helicopter landing pad. A bunch of people came. A little confused why I didn't think much of it. Waiting, waiting, and waiting. The fog began to settle in and then a light rain. No way this thing is coming we will probably have to wait until tomorrow.

Then we heard it, whoop whoop whoop of the blades. Where was it? By this point we could barely see ten feet in front. It sounded so close! Everyone went running and ducking Di cover. Oh no what is this thing crashed? It was so loud! It missed the landing pad and soared on a little further.

Then it came closer again. Where was it. Now it sounded like it was below us. It was hovering in the village. The blades slowed and we could barely see below. The clouds cleared a little and in the center, in a potato field, and near the cliff edge, the helicopter had chosen to land. Oh my god! What just happened.

The pilot was from Australia and the locals all considered him crazy and a rough flyer. We stepped inside for some tea and I had concluded we wouldn't fly until the next day. To my amazement he goggled down the tea and proclaimed our flight must go on.

Nervously I hobbled through the potato field. Before getting on the helicopter the locals said some prayers and wrapped good luck scarves around my neck. I'm going to die. Seriously I'm going to die! How is this guy going to fly through these mountains. It's dangerous enough in good weather when the mountains are visible.

I got in and to other people and luggage were stuffed in. Who are these people? Who cares! I'm too scared to think.

The next hour was terrifying. Flying straight off the cliff and into the white abyss I was on my way. Somehow the pilot managed to navigate through the white mist and eventually out of the mountains where visible appeared again. I'm not exaggerating when I say you could barely see as mountains and cliff would appear out of no where. The local on the plane gripped my arm the entire time.

Arriving on the ground I was moved into an ambulance and transported to the hospital as a precaution. 

Here I am! I'm on my second night and being treated with medications for my knees, stomach, loss of water, lip, and infected throat. This was mainly all a precaution and I assure everyone I am fine, alive, and kicking. Ill be outta here first thing in the morning. 

Since being here I have learned quite a few things about my guide.

*when I was sick in Deboche he went through my things and took pictures of me while I sleeping

*he was drunk way more than I thought

*he ripped me off at many tea houses 

*he never called the trekking agency to arrange my flight. He did it himself to make money. That is why he pushed it on me so much.

*he sold the two seats in my flight to locals to make money.

*he had lost his job with neither company

And now he was missing in action. He must have figured out that I wasn't dumb and that he would be in trouble when he got back. He never contacted the agency and by the time I had found a way to get to them by phone they had been searching guesthouses and hospitals for me. They tried to get ahold of him to get the money he owed me and my things from him but his phone has been disconnected.

Needless to say my trip to Everest base camp and Kalapathar was and is continuing to be an epic adventure. 

***ill add all the pictures tomorrow!

Part 10- Kalapathar summit

Kalapatthar Summit!

At 3:30 sharp my alarm began to ring, not much use considering I had been up tossing and turning all night. My sore throat and swollen lip have only continued to get worse and my stomach never really normal since the food poisoning. Carefully I pulled on all of ,u war, clothing still in my sleeping bag so I would not lose an heat.

I knew I hate to be on the hike by 4 am if I had any chance if seeing Everest from the top of kalapathar. Everyone has warned me of the fleeting minutes in which the weather is clear in the morning during monsoon season. I knew I had to hike and be on the top of kalapathar at 5550m or 18,191 feet, that's higher than the second tallest mountain in the United States,  but I also knew I wanted to accomplish this while getting a view of all of the Himalayas surrounding it that were practically at my finger tips.

My guide was supposed to knock but I had not heard anything at this point. Maybe I had missed it and he was already down stairs waiting. I grabbed my bag and went downstairs. No guide. 

Up until this point I have left out some of the less kind details of my guide. I've brushed them off as cultural difference or things that just weren't important. This was the turning point however, and as I write this from my hospital bed I can assure you I'm not very happy with him by any means.

I went back up to ,y room hoping he would appear soon. To calm my anxiety I grabbed my journal and started writing. Now it is 4:07 and still no guide. I walked through the hallways calling his name. Maybe he's in the toilet? I walk outside and check there, check the water hose where people wash and brush their teeth, and I check the kitchen. No guide!!! Now what? It's getting late and now 4:16. We should already be walking. At 4:40 I'm going on my own!

4:40 comes and I walk outside. Flashlight in hand, although its starting to get light, I shine it through the windows hoping one last time to find him. A window opens and a head pops out "Eliza?" Comes a slurred voice. "Yes! It's already 4:40 we need to get going!" I replied trying to sound somewhat pleasant. "Nothing to see," he responded still slurring. "We were supposed to be gone a long time ago. We need to go now! I just hiked for a long time and not going to miss this." I responded a little more firm.

I had heard from every trekker to get out early. Even if the weather is bad you need t g out early so when it clears for the few moments you will be on top!

My guide walks out the door grumbling and proceeds to pull out cigarettes and smoke. Is this real,y the time for that? By this point I am so anxious but I keep telling myself to calm down. He is my guide and knows what he is doing.

Finally we hit the road. Coming in to town my guide had pointed out where we would be climbing. What he had failed to do was point out that it was a taller one behind the one he showed. Ugh come on dude!!!!

We climbed in silence. My anger was fading as my mind was more concentrated in breathing at I went higher and higher. I could barely make it ten  minutes before stopping to gasp for breath. Woah had my stride gotten shorter at this altitude. 

I reached the first lip only to be greeted by a taller and longer section. The sun started to rise and I got my first peak of Everest through the clouds. High above peaking out I could make out the Hilary step and the summit which had a cloud arched over the top. I was starring at the top of the world!

A new inspiration came ver me and I hiked quicker and higher. I needed to be as high as possible. The clouds were getting thicker and I wanted to see all the mountains.

Super tired I stopped and took some deep breaths. Like earlier I decided to only out my iPod on during the tough parts. Today I decided a shuffle was in order. I hike higher and higher and I could finally make out the large rocks that jutted up with Kramer flags the denoted the highest point.

Out if breath and ready to stop for awhile the most embarrassing thing happened. Mikey Cyrus's "The Climb" came in, for the record I blame Molly Coneybeer for putting this song on my iPod in the first place. Really? How ironic!! I started singing the words outloud. If you haven't heard the sing before, don't waste your time looking it up! Haha but it was funny considering the timing.

I made it! Well kind of. I stood on the rocks and looked around. Most of the clouds were covering the mountains but looking down I discovered that I was actually above most if them. Below me I could no longer see the ground but actually a land made of clouds. 

I wasn't in the clouds, I was above them! Wahooooo I made it. 

Then I looked up. Above me stood another 15 feet of rocks. Technically I was not in the top. Scanning the situation I noticed the many stings if prayer flags the tied the very summit of kalapathar to a pole where I was standing. I could hold onto the flags and then slowly walk up there and then use them to steady myself to get down. I mean plenty of people had to do this before me to get the flags there in the first place.

As I was making up my mind the clouds cleared. Here was my window of opportunity. Here were the Himalayas . I could say a word. It was beautiful. Everest did not look like the tallest since its behind a few other from this vantage point but I knew it was. I knew how tall some of these mountains and how they rivaled the rest of the world with their sheer height. Looking at them made me want to stand on the too of something.

Without thinking I climbed up the last rock holding in tightly and claimed my spot in the tip top of kalapathar. Doing a 360 I noticed a few things. First was that I had a wonderful panorama of the mountains. Beautiful they stood surrounding me. The second thing I noticed was how it seemed like I could reach out and touch them. They were so massive and so close. The third was now thick and fluffy the clouds looked below. They made a perfect blanket below my feet. Then the last thing, and the most scary, was that three of the sides of the rock I was standing in we're cliff edges. If I tripped it was bye bye to the world.

Suddenly standing on the rock seemed silly and amazing at the same time. My guide took a few pictures of me posing. I sad down to gain some balance as the clouds over took the mountains slowly. Oh boy, I am not going to be able to hold on and get down. What is I fall? I panicked for a few minutes. I asked my guide for some help, instead he laughed at me for being afraid. Oh come on!!! I can do this. I carefully held in and walk/slid down. Yes, I got nervous and acted like a baby for a second. But I did it and I made it and I could not be happier!!!!x

I snapped a few more pictures and the finds set obscuring the mountains. I started my way back down the mountain slowly. It was only downhill from here and an oxygen gain with every step. Halfway down I began to cry. I don't me cry I really me sob. I had done it. I had made it to Nepal alone. I had volunteered. Now I made it days on end hiking for hours and saw Everest base camp, the top of kalapathar, and amazing views of the Himalayas. For some reason I continued to cry with happiness! 

Part 9- Everest base camp!

Everest base camp

I'm now back down to a normal oxygen level in Namche Bazaar. Now that I can think straight ill try to describe some of what I saw and felt. I took some notes while I was up there but as you can tell from my post I was not thinking too clearly.

The  26 hours there were spent with 16 hiking, 9 trying to rest, and maybe one actually asleep!

Lobouche to Gorek Shep!

If I thought sleep in Periche was getting rough I was only kidding myself. The previous night I went to bed exhausted only to find myself waking constantly. It may have been the combination of the altitude and my continually worsening sore throat that now killed every time I swallowed.

Oh well, it was 730 am and time to get to the next town, Gorek Shep at 5100m. My guide, killer, the Chinese, their guide, and I put on our packs and were on our way to our final stop before base camp.

Nerves and excitement filled my body. I had already gotten sick with food and now my throat but had only a slight headache. I was nervous about getting altitude sickness but determined to make it. The first part of the trek was easy. It was in the valley on a flat surface. The day was slightly cloudy but gave of a few nice views of the mountains.

In my typical fashion I spotted a high rock and I just had to climb to the top to take pictures. Come on, why not? 

On the flats I ran into the Canadian from the day before. He gave me some tips which included being in the hill hiking by 4 am to make sure I got a good view of Everest and to not expect to sleep well. Both would prove to be very true!

The next part of the trail goes straight up ending with an arch of prayer flags. Reaching the top was trying but very rewarding. From this height many more mountains could be seen. Killer and I ran, if you could even consider our out of breath, panting, fast walking a run, to different rocks taking turns climbing them and taking photos. 

Absolutely beautiful. 

A little while later we came to the turning point as I like to call it. You go up a tiny path and turn the corner and the world changes.  

We have now entered the land of nothingness. No grass, no trees, no bushes, just nothing.

Because the clouds had started to come in and hide the tops of the mountains the only thing visible were rocks, rocks, some glacier pools, and more rocks. I have never seen in my entire life so many rocks. Every. Single. Place. You. Look. ROCKS.

I was shocked. I guess I had always thought of the Himalayas as the beautiful green areas that looked up at the mountains. It hadn't really hit me until now that I would be climbing into those mountains, past the lush greenery, beautiful flowers, and everything else living. Here I was at 5100m amongst rocks being ushered down in thousands by the glacier. The glacier itself was only visible in areas where it had cracked open and held deep pools of blue-green water.

After spending some time climbing the path up and down the rock hills, across a small metal plank spanning a small river, and even sliding trying to cross a non path through a steep dirt slide (my guide thought it was funny taking me off the path, more in him later) we finally reached Gorek Shep. The only thing Killer could say about the place was "I don't like this place, I don't like it at all!" 

Setting our stuff down in the tiny lodge that would serve as my sleeping quarters for the night, I stuffed down a granola bar and as much water as I could. I knew I should be starving but all I could think was how tired I was. The Chinese couple managed to somehow eat, although the girl was struggling hard and had been experience stomach problems for days.

Gorek Shep to Everest base camp!

With a camera, Yough t-shirt, bottle of water, and every ounce of winter clothing on my body possible we started the couple hour hike to base camp. This was it! I was finally on my last few hundred meters of altitude gain and I would make it. This last part of the walk is by far the scariest part. Luckily I had been warned about the rock slides and avalanches but nothing could prepare me. First we walked across the sand (still confuse where this big sand pit came from) and we came to the well known yellow Everest base camp sign. My heart raced as I snapped a photo.

The whole rest of the trek was straight toward the camp. The area is so vast that it seemed like we walked forever and were not making and progress. First we would walk in the rock slope side. Every minute or two the sound of rocks clinking down the side could be heard. Immediately the group would stop and try to pinpoint the sound. Personally my heart would stop. Then ever so often an avalanche in the opposing mountain would happen and we could see the bottom of it come pouring down the hill out of the clouds. This was nothing like I expected. Monsoon season turned this place into a constant shifting landscape full of unwelcoming signs. 

After awhile it was much easier to get used to the sounds. A few times I was even daring enough to knock a big rock of the side and see how many rocks it old make slide down with it.

Finally the other guide pointed across the ditch to a spot on the glacier and said "there is base camp!" Carefully we crossed over d walked on the rocks being carried by the glacier. Some spots would release a gush a of water. One time I stepped and the rocks slide right away down into a water hole. Within a few minutes we were there!

Oh my god! I'm actually standing at Everest base camp!!!! Every spring people make this long trek to acclimate here and ultimately attempt Everest. After snapping some pictures of baby boy at the camp, a few of myself jumping and with Yough and ski team attire I stopped to looked around! I had a new wave of energy with my accomplishment and ventured further. 

Looking in the distance I could make out the khumbu icefall, considered to be one of the most dangerous areas of an Everest climb! I can say with confidence that no one could pay me enough money to attempt to climb that. Most proud ice chunks that fall with the movement of the glacier is something that seems crazy to challenge. I could barely walk fifteen minutes without needing to catch my breath yet people spend hours climbing up this mountain. Standing there it was hard to feel anything but être,Ly overwhelmed and insignificant against these giant mountains. They showed no forgiveness as the harsh wind and cold blew on us.

I celebrated our success by splitting up half a candy bar between the five of us! Savoring our little chocolate ration we all smiled and laughed before heading back through the rocks!

Making it safely back to the town, if it can even be called that with it's few small houses, we warmed by the fire. I had a little credit left on my phone which I used to post two pictures then feeling completely tired from the many hours hiking retired to bed. Unfortunately I found out that sleep at this altitude on a first night is virtually impossible. I tried to write in my blog but that was a fail as well. Every time I closed my eyes, my body was exhausted, it felt like someone was holding them open in a fish bowl!!! Definitely not fun at all. Thank goodness I would be getting up at 330 to climb kalapathar and then could get out of this unfriendly environment!

Day 8 kind of..

Day 8 

First if you can plead the the time click this link and vote for my photo.. I can win 100 dollars for my school here in Nepal!!

http://www.volunteerhq.org/volunteer-photo-competition/82408

Also, remember if you are interested in donating to help build and paint my school go to the help out tab at the top to donate! Thanks!! 

Oh boy! This is the morning. I'm totally anxious, exciting, and nervous for today. This is the second to last push!

I woke up a few times in the night. Less often than the previous nights but this time in a ton of pain. I felt like my throat, teeth, and lips were being sawed off. I don't understand it but it was not pleasant.

At 5:30 I took a look outside and it was so clear. If only I was one day ahead this would be the morning I went to the top of kalapathar to see the mountain range. I am praying more than anything that A I make it there and B the weather is just as clear tomorrow morning. I am happy for the Canadian I met because today was his day to climb to the top of kalapathar. 

I'm sitting in bed thinking bout today. First we will go to Gorek Shep at 5100m have a quick bite to eat and leave our bags. Next we will continue in to 5364 m to base camp. Now that is some high altitude! Afterward we will come back down to Gorek Shep to sleep, probably the thing I'm least looking forward to considering that's been the worst part so far.

Today was the first time I cried on this entire trip to Nepal. I was looking through pictures of the new little babu and just wanted to be back home to meet him and give him a kiss! I am going to take his picture up to base camp with me! 

Last night was a blast! Now this is what I thought the trip would be like. I sat around with to of the guides and the Sherpas who owned the guesthouse and laughed for hours. Between the dancing, killer being a dog , and all of them trying to teach me Nepali it was a wonderful night! How cool I just haunt out with Sherpas I'm the Himalayas all evening!

8:51 pm

Well I'm going to try to type this the best I can but not too much. I'm in Gorek Shep bundled in my bed trying to write. My head hurts a little but I'm hanging in there.

Today I made it, wahoo! The hike was rough, due to the lack of oxygen making me tired every 10 minutes, and the fact there is not really that great of a path. It's more like mass amounts if rocks that you decide where to step and hope they don't fall.

The landscape is the single most unfriendly desolate area I have ever seen. The noise of avalanches and rocks falling keeps your heart beating non stop.

Ok not going to lie, I can barely think, my head hurts, and thinking straight is a hard tasks. I feel like  I am stuck in a fishbowl. Ah will not be a good night! 

I will write all about making it to base camp after hiking kalapathar and back down to a reasonable altitude tomorrow!! Wish me luck .. 5550 m in the morning!