MOTHER & DAUGHTER JOURNEY: E.B.C. aka Everest Base Camp

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE PICTURES-

OVERLAND TRIP FROM TIBET TO NEPAL

(IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER)

WILD HORSES CROSSING THE "OVERLAND" ROAD AS WE APPROACH THE EVEREST MOUNTAIN RANGE

Tibetan Lifeline River, Brahma Putra

Our first glimpse of Mount Everest. (8848 meters) E.T.A. 3 days to E.B.C.

With an idiot for a guide, cant remember his real name. We've called him "useless" for too long. Our contact and tour company, (someone Jane at China Yak used :( , cares even less.
Our lives and chance of survival was in our own hands. And my new i phone 4 was back up to call for help.

I contacted my Sahti Bir with a heads up, for concern. Something he doesn't take lightly is altitude sickness which has lead to many deaths. I recall years ago, how a women, carried like a rolled up carpet, quickly descended a 1000 feet of elevation and saved her life.

My Tibetan guide had no experience and would not take me to get oxygen. On the 4th day I emailed Beijing Gary (our INCREDIBLE Great Wall trekking guide and Chongqing Hospital SAVOR!) for guidance and he contacted Jane who called the guide to personally talk with me about my complaint.

With two cylinders of oxygen (Thanks again Gary!) and a large bottle of prescription time release capsules of Diomox (altitude medication we've been taking for several days) we headed towards the top of the world.

If Bir says have Oxygen on hand for mother, I'm gonna have it and I don't care what this 20 something year old boy says. He hasn't taken care of us or even adjusted our tour which we asked to be private to cater to mom.
The agency asked about adding someone to our party.
I said "If they collect social security they are welcome." I guess the agent didn't understand my serious sense of humor and added two young, fresh, health vibrant people at the last minute.
Jane guaranteed this would be "our" tour. And it wasn't.
This was a simple yes or no answer; now that I look back on it. Clearly it should have been, NO!

Yamdrok Lake

YAK YAK YAK

I AM ALREADY PLANNING MY NEXT TRIP AND THIS IS THE WAY TO GO! FREEDOM!!!

Who are you? and Why are you here?

Useless, sat in back with the luggage. Where he belonged. Thank God, mom was looking pretty good and the "old bag" had been forgotten:) Or she may have ended up there too!

As if "useless couldn't count. There wasn't enough seats for all of us and we paid extra to have a "premium" vehicle to take us overland.

I sat "bitch" for most days til the spring or whatever bruised my back and It made it difficult to breath. It felt as if something knocked the wind out of me. I guess at 5 foot they felt I deserved the "space" that lacked any kind of room not just legged room.

I suppose I really shouldn't be a b_ _ _ _ about something I didn't speak up about. But Hey, get a clue!

Thousands of hanging Prayer Flags worship the peak along our journey

CAMP....Brrrrrrrrrr...snuggle?

We got a late start this morning. Another "mandatory" permit needed to be purchased. It seemed every town had a fee of its own. I lost track of how many tolls were added along the way. 6-8-10? Anyways, toll fees were like monasteries. There were just too many. Mom couldn't help herself.
(We blamed it on age and/or turrets)
"Oh. goody" she would say with a big smile, "another f''n monastery". I could certainly understand, they were all starting to look the same.

I tried to purchase another ride to E.B.C. I was determined to see the sunset. Once the guide found out what we were doing, we were denied. Alternative motives, a permanent get away, maybe.
Or just wishful thinking:)
By the time the "group" saw another (F'n) monastery, mid-day had past.
Now, it was clear, that mom and I were not going to see the sunset at E.B.C. :(

The local women helped us out when we broke down on the road.

When we broke down on our final approach to the top of the mountain, I thought, "Huh, What the hell did I get mom into now." Mom, she just rolled her eyes back and took another puff of oxygen.

''Useless", well he was useless. But the driver, he could take care of business. He opened the back hatch, Grabbed a bag of stuff and tried to rig the steering column and/or a belt of the vehicle. (Scary)

It didn't make any sense and he didn't speak English, French, German or Spanish so none of us could understand.

But in the end, we were on the road again and boy was I ready to get "the hell on".

We arrived at the destination of a new nights sleep near EBC. The Rogue Monastery. The folded blankets appeared sufficient. We each grabbed a bed and prepare for a nights sleep. It was a sturdy stone-made one-storey dorm. The chill in the room was intensified by the stone walls, ceiling and floor. Or was it us?

The room was tense at this point but bearable. The conflict of whether or not we were going to make it here to EBC for the sunset (which we missed), sunrise and base camp had been in question.

Why did Jane add people to the private sunset to sunrise tour to E.B.C., if they didn't want to spend the night at EBC?

I couldn't understand and was pissed that we were even in this situation.

Private, Private, Private is like Location, Location, Location.

A good nights sleep at the Rogue Monastery...and an even better sunrise view!

After freezing my ass off (at my own will) and mom panting most of the night with O2 in hand (again, at my own will); we awoke the next morning to the monks gonging session "the sun is rising".

It was music to my hears!

I was so excited to see Mount Everest and the sun glistening off the peak that I couldn't get up and out fast enough.
Nobody else moved. But I didn't bat an eye. I knew everyone was worn out, physically and mentally.

I woke mom and we headed off to search for the bathroom hole.

As I stumbled down the dark corridor searching for the main entrance to exit the dorm and skip off to see the sunrise, our vehicle mate approached me looking for "Useless".
I didn't know which room he had spent the night and inquired what she needed? Apparently, Lionel, her boyfriend, was ill and had Altitude Sickness!
I though to myself, "Useless, Why the hell would you want him?"
He'd probably kill him off and sell his lean meat as food. I told her to forget about useless and grab the O2 cylinder I purchased for mother. (I had two)

30 minutes later, Lionel turned over a new leaf and the young stud was ready to see the mountain.

I reiterated with Useless, Altitude sickness can strike anyone! And as a guide, he should be prepared. (O2)

And we were off to the Top of the World...to set foot on Mount Everest Base Camp!

After going through inspection at E.B.C we hiked to the top of the mound for an outstanding view.

Peace from E.B.C

We made it to E.B.C.!!! Mount Everest in the background!!!

Frozen-Us & the phone, we managed to call Dad to say

"We made it to the top of the world (e.b.c.) & we love u!"

Laying on the ground, I rolled over and took a photo shoot

The Beautiful Himalayan Range is dwarfed by the vastness of the Tibetan Plateau

On our descending route, we drank fresh water from the Tibetan Spring. Thanks to "useless" who hiked down the rocks and filled all of our water bottles!

YAK ITY--DOO-DAH, YAK ITY-AYE, MY OH MY, WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY!

Other places we enjoyed along the "overland"

Mom wearing her Lhasa bought coat (XXXL) because they are so petite! Shigatse,Tibet.

With limited time, we quickly walked to see the "worlds" largest Budda.
(everyone we have met in Asia claims they have the worlds ______ Budda!)
largest, most expensive, oldest, most worshipped, tallest, most preserved, goldest
and the list goes on...

Mom and I spent part of the morning inspecting the new infrastructure developing within the community.
The Tibetans are pleased and I enjoyed learning a few short cuts that are acceptable in this part of the world.