Where to today: Pangboche (3,900m) --> Namche (3,440m)
Where are we sleeping: Namche (3,440m)
How do we get there: By foot
So we began our day with boiled eggs and apple pancakes. The boiled eggs were a sweet reminder of home for some reason; however the apple pancakes weren't cooked for long enough and were slightly gooey in the middle. They were a reminder of the poor food quality up here on the mountain. To be honest though, some places had really good food, others, you just knew the food would not taste good just from the first glance.
We then began our second day of descent towards Namche. The walk would take between 5-6 hours. About 100 metres after we left our lodge, we saw Bobby the Dog lying down on a door step! He looked up and as soon as he saw us he jumped up and followed us. We were so happy to see him. We wondered if he knew we would be walking along that path, or whether it was simply coincidence. I like to think that it was because Bobby the Dog was extremely smart. We quickly got out a snack and fed him as a reward for his loyalty and companionship. Bobby the Dog was truly the highlight of our mountain descent. He continued to follow us down the mountain, and I continued to feed him snacks.
Bobby the Dog re-joining us
We eventually arrived at Phunga Thanga after 3 hours. This was the place where we had slept on day 4. We had a nice lunch (I had spaghetti with tomato and garlic), whilst Bobby the Dog slept and sun baked at our feet.
Matt and Bobby the Dog
We tried not to eat too much as we knew there was a very steep climb right ahead. We were not looking forward to this climb, because previously on our way down these steep hills, we saw a group of Indians who were sweating, puffy eyed and red faced. They were shouting out to each other "Anything is possible! It can be done, it can be done!" (Complete with an Indian accent). This made us think the climb was difficult and torturous. Upon beginning and then completing the climb, we realised that this group of Indians were just simply unfit.
Bobby the Dog followed us the whole way up the mountain. He was so fit! We joked that he was fitter than the real Bobby.
Bobby the Dog and us
A mere 2 hours before we reached Namche however, Bobby the Dog stopped at an outdoor seating area where people were gathered, eating their lunch. He was lured by the smell of their food, and unfortunately he decided to stay with them. Sadly, we didn't get to see Bobby the Dog again... I was sad, as I had wanted him to meet the real Bobby in Namche. A mere 2 hours away.
We then made a brief stop at Sanasa (3,500m) where I bought a pretty beaded necklace from a sherpa lady. I paid 300 rupees which is equivalent to around $4 AUD. Dorchi and Ben thought this was expensive and advised me to wait and buy a similar item in Kathmandu. But I wanted a souvenir from the mountains, not Kathmandu. Matt also bought a necklace (which he turned into a silly little bracelet lol) and two beanies for his niece and nephew.
Ben relaxing in the sun at Sanasa
We then walked another 1.5 hours and finally reached Namche! Before checking into our lodge however, we decided to make a stop at the Hillary Museum. We watched a (pretty lousy) 10 minute presentation which contained pictures and writing to describe the pictures. We then made our way into the 'Everest Documentation Room'. The room contained many pictures of sherpas that had climbed Mt Everest. It also contained a picture of the first Australian woman to conquer Everest in 1994 (if my memory serves me correctly). It was very sad to see photos and descriptions of many sherpas who had been killed by avalanches on Everest. Dying by avalanches was by far the most common way these sherpas had died. We then made a short visit to another room which contained photos of traditional sherpa costumes, customs and housing.
We left the museum and headed towards Moonlight Lodge where we stayed on day 2. It was a short 10 minute walk before we saw Bobby (the real Bobby) standing outside our lodge. Upon closer inspection he looked so gaunt, but re-energised, showered and shaved. He was so happy to see us.
Ben and I are sleeping in the lodge owner's bedroom tonight. The lodge was full and no other rooms were available. It has a plasma TV, double bed, cordless phone, power points, nice blankets and a mirror! When I first walked in, I looked in the mirror and was shocked to see how much weight I had lost. I used to weigh 55kgs, but I think I now probably weigh 51 or 52kg. Josh also came into the room and took his shirt off. He was absolutely ripped! We laughed our heads off. Bobby then entered the room and did the same. We all gasped as we saw his body. He was all skin and bones. No pecs, no shoulders muscles, no biceps... nothing. Matt didn't want to take his shirt off. I think he was afraid he'd be skin and bones too. Ben took his shirt off and it was noticeable that he'd also lost a lot of weight.
Looking a bit gaunt
Tomorrow we make the long journey down to Lukla. Dorchi says it will take 8 hours (including lunch break), and we leave at 6:30am. I hope and pray Ben can make it. He's already in bed, exhausted and feeling de-hydrated. God please look after him again- he's been through so much on this trip. Give him energy and strength to make the last leg of our Everest journey. Amen.
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