The Unity Of All Things. The trip has now come full circle as Scott and I are back in Kathmandu. Today is our last day in Nepal and we just couldn't have left without seeing the amazing Boudhanath Stupa.
A Fond Farewell To Good Friends. Well, it was inevitable. Scott and I left Tibet today and crossed over the border and back into Nepal. It was difficult to leave but I know I'll be back sometime soon. I hope.
It's All Downhill From Here. This morning we spent some quality time up on Tong La, a pass with a tremendous view of Shishapangma. "Shisha" is the shortest of the 8000 meter peaks at 8012m tall.
"He Has Asked For The Pancake." Well, here we are back in Tingri. Not New Tingri but Old Tingri, the gateway to the Everest region in Tibet. Honestly I never thought I'd be back here after 2003, but life is funny that way.
Time To Move On. It seems like we've just arrived at BC, and now it's time to leave. Wait, we did just arrive! But of course it's the journey, not the destination that is the most important. So, we're heading out to continue our journey.
Talking Shop At 17,000 Feet. After the puja ended, Scott and I wandered around BC looking for people to chat with. Most everyone who is going to be climbing Everest this year has arrived and are setting up their camps.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T. I wasn't sure Scott and I were going to be able to be a part of a puja ceremony since we have so little time at BC, but we lucked out! The team living "next door" to Brian and Justin invited us to be a part of theirs.
What A View To Wake Up To. We met up with the LUNGevity team and I decided to to do some impromptu interviews with them. I knew right away where I wanted to film them. The Base Camp swimming pools.
I Feel Like I've Been Here Before. Arriving back at Everest Base Camp all because of the podcast was one of the coolest moments of my life. I had dreamed of this moment almost every day for the past 4 years. Amazing.
Ben Clark's Spring 2008 Expedition - Postmortem. Ben and his climbing partners Josh Butson and Tin Clarke have returned from Nepal and their expedition on Annapurna IV.
"You Cannot Believe That View!" It has taken Scott and I over 12 days to get to this point but we've finally been able to gaze upon Everest with our own eyes. What a morning this has been!
Life Imitating Art. We spent the evening in Shegar, New Tingri hanging out in the tea house. Our acclimatization is going really well so we all felt great.
Everything New Is Old Again. We've rolled into the little town of Shegar, otherwise known as NEW Tingri. Man, what a sense of deja vu. I feel like I've been here before.
Everest Trek And Workshop For 2009! No video episode this week, but you may not mind. Please listen to this special episode and visit EverestTrek2009.com for more information.
It'll Stunt Your Growth. Today we had some memorable experiences with a bunch of kids. The image of 6-year-old children smoking is something I will not soon forget, but more about that in a second.
Smile And Say (Yak) Cheese! We're steadily making our way towards Everest and are now in the city of Shigatse. This is the 2nd largest city in Tibet and home to the 5th largest monastery, Tashilunpo.
Instant Karma's Going To Get You. Today we visited the Kumbum, the largest chorten, or stupa in Tibet. This place was a feast for the eyes, and I WAS able to photograph everything I wanted!
No Demons Here. We made it into Gyangtse today after some incredible scenery along the way. This is Tibet's 4th largest city and the view is dominated by a fortress on a hill. Spectacular.
Movin' On Up. We spent our last few hours in Lhasa this morning. Of course, Scott and I had to make a few more Koras around the Jokhang before setting out onto the Friendship Highway.
Homesick and Altitude Sick in Lhasa. Today was a day of contrasts for me. On one hand I was amazed and enthralled by the Potala Palace. On the other hand, I was sad beyond words.
Violence in Lhasa And Everest Closures. Tibet has been in the news of late with violence in the capital city of Lhasa. There's also been news that China has closed the North side of Everest to foreign climbing teams until the 10th of May, 2008.
Yak. It's What's For Dinner. After visiting the amazing Jokhang Temple, Lobsang took us to a nice restaurant to have dinner. After perusing the menu all three of us decided to go for the Yak.
I Can't Believe That IT IS Butter! This afternoon we left the hotel room and ventured across the street to the Jokhang Temple. This is the most sacred temple in all of Tibet and dates back to the 7th or 8th century.
Did I Just Climb The Stairs Or Run A Marathon? We arrived in Lhasa and I have to say the city surprised me. It didn't immediately look like we were in Tibet...more like somewhere in Europe or even Denver for that matter.
Visas...They're Everywhere You Want To Be. Would you believe we finally made it onto our plane to Lhasa, Tibet? The flight itself was uneventful, but the excitement started after clearing customs.
Old McDawa Had A Farm. After leaving Pokhara we headed out on the long 200km drive back to Kathmandu. The weather was still hazy and the distant views were nonexistent, but that doesn't mean there wasn't anything to see.
The Subterraneans. Before leaving Pokhara and heading back to Kathmandu, Scott wanted to check out a waterfall he had read about in his guidebook. I said I was game for anything.
Road Trip. Since we couldn't get aboard the plane to Tibet today, we decided to carry on to Pokara about 200km west of Kathmandu. The Nepal national highway system is not your typical high-speed thoroughfare!
I Feel Deflated. So, we left this morning to head out of Kathmandu and towards the town of Pokara. We didn't get very far before a flat tire necessitated the need to pull over.
