Tengboche

Another day of perfect weather! Late last night I heard a loud rainstorm outside my window and I knew chances would be good for clear weather this morning. At 5:30 I rolled out of bed and walked outside to wide, blue skies just in time to watch the sunrise.

When I hiked to Pangboche from Namche Bazaar last Friday Min told me that when there's not fog, the views are outstanding. I was disappointed, of course, that I was right there and couldn't see the incredible scenery, but I hoped that maybe I'd get to see the view on the way down. This morning the view was perfect. As the sun rose gradually above the horizon it lit up the summitts of several of the peaks surrounding Pangboche. One snowy white peak to the South created such a bright reflection that it lit up a giant circle on the mountain below it. Thamserku towered overhead to the South-east and it's twin peaks lit up like fire while the rest of the mountain remained dark. Kantega, a peak just to the North of Thamserku, and Tabuche, a peak to the West of Pangboche, also made for some good photo-ops. If there was one peak besides Everest that I really wanted a great view of on the trek, then it was Ama Dablam. Ama Dablam is one of the most picturesque mountains in the Himalayas and features one large peak to the East and a smaller one to the West. The name “Ama Dablam” comes from a sherpa language and in English it translates to “Mother-Daughter”. The best views of Ama Dablam just happen to be from Pangboche.

I took picture after picture of Ama Dablam, but since it is directly East of Pangboche, the sun rose behind it and didn't light up the mountain until nine or ten o'clock. When the light was finally right I got some really good shots. Min and I started hiking towards Tengboche and as we walked we saw a variety of amazing views of the mountain. A few of my favorites were Ama Dablam with green fields and small houses beneath it, and Ama Dablam rising over the Dudh Kosi river.
In Tengboche I chowed down on some snacks that I brought from Kathmandu, took an hour-long nap, and then headed to the famous Tengboche Monastery to watch a meditation session by several Buddhist monks. The interior of the monastery reminded me a lot of the monasteries I saw in Bhutan, with a few small differences. The artwork on the walls was similar and the room was decorated with colorful cloths, butter lamps, and a giant statue of Buddha, but it didn't have the wax cakes or other offerings that are common in monasteries in Bhutan. I sat down cross-legged on one end of the room and watched as the monks filed in wearing their saffron robes. When everyone was seated in four rows, one monk began chanting and the others followed. The deep, monotone chant went on for ten or fifteen minutes and was accompanied by the rhythmic sound of sticks clicking together. As the chanting continued one monk came in with a kettle of steaming hot tea and filled the cups of every monk in the room. After the chant the monks silently drank the tea, waited for a few minutes, and then continued on queue when one monk began chanting again.
Back at the Tashi Delek Lodge tonight I ordered the “mixed pizza” and enjoyed it in the lodge's warm dining room. As I expected, the meal was a Nepali interpretation of pizza - it's not exactly what I'd expect to get from Papa John's back in the US. I love eating ethnic food in different countries, but I think I'm about ready for a real American meal. That might be tough to find in Nepal, but next week when I fly to Dubai I think I'll drop in to the local Hard Rock Cafe.