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Chapter 1 -Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)

 Chapter 2 – Mekong Delta and Cu Chi Tunnels

Chapter 3 – Hoi An and Marble Mountain

Chapter 4 – Hue and The Imperial City

Chapter 5 – Hanoi

Chapter 6 – Halong Bay

Chapter 7 - Sapa

Vietnam Adventure – Grové Family – January 2012

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Chapter 1

Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City

Our journey started in Saigon where we were reunited with Thomas, Yuki and Ryusei.  Our daughter, Jessica and our grandson, Gavin, just over three months-old at the time, joined us on the long flight from New York via Hong Kong to Saigon.  Later our son-in-law, Dan Cooney joined us in Hanoi.

In Saigon we visited the American War Museum (they do not call it the Vietnam War over there), and other tourist attractions, and acclimated to the 12-hour time change, while preparing for our road trip and boat journey to the Mekong Delta and the Co Chi Tunnels.

Click on any image for a video of our first days in Saigon

Chapter 2

Mekong Delta and Cu Chi Tunnels

From Saigon Katie, Yuki, Ryusei, Jessica, Gavin, and I traveled to the Mekong Delta where we went by boat up the Mekong River and deep into the jungle.   We hiked, were transported by horse cart, more boat rides in the lush, dense jungle, to reach our Homestay for an exciting evening with a local family hosting us.  We enjoyed a cooking class learning how to make spring rolls, and played dominoes with our host family until late into the night.

The next day we went to Cu Chi to explore the Viet Kong tunnels where much of the fighting went on during the Vietnam, war.  We all came to the same conclusion – war is hell, and nobody wins in the end. We retuned to Saigon to relax with our family.  We enjoyed a fun afternoon at our hotel pool, preparing for our journey the next day to Da Nang and Hoi An.

Click on any image to view a video of our visit to the Mekong Delta and Cu Chi Tunnels

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Chapter 3

Hoi An and Marble Mountain

From Saigon we flew to Da Nang were were met by our guide to take us by Minibus to Hoi An.  After checking in at the beautiful Hoi An Beach Resort, our guide took us to the old town of Hoi An, which is listed as a World Heritage site.  Hoi An was a major international port in the 16th and 17th centuries, and the foreign influences are evident to this day.

The heart of the city is still the Old Town, full of winding lanes and Chinese-styled shop-houses.  It is particularly beautiful in the evening as the sun goes down. While almost all shops now cater to the tourist trade, the area has been largely preserved, which is unusual in Vietnam.

Some interesting attractions include the Japanese Covered Bridge (Chua Cau or Lai Vien Kieu), on the west end of Tran Phu Street. The bridge was constructed in the early 1600′s by the Japanese community, roughly 40 years before they left the city to return to Japan under the strict policy of sakoku enforced by the Tokugawa Shogunate, and renovated in 1986. Today, it’s the symbol of Hoi An.

We found the Quan Cong Temple at 24 Tran Phu Street very interesting, and enjoyed a lovely trip on the Thu Bon River in a beautifully decorated, ancient Swan Boat captained by the usual friendly and accommodating skipper.  Willie and Katie both got to “drive” the boat also.  This little excursion is a must – it gives you a very different perspective of Hoi An from the water level, and is a very relaxing few hours on the water.

Numerous congregation halls, where Chinese expatriate residents socialized and held meetings, are dotted about the town. They are typically named after the home region of their members.  My favorite was the (Quang Dong) at 176 Tran Phu Street. Built in 1885, it has a calm courtyard with ornate statuary and we liked the kitschy pastel dragon statues.

Tailor shops abound and made-to-measure shirts, blouses, dresses, suits etc. are on offer from the renowned tailors of Hoi An. There are now well over 400 of these shops throughout Hoi An. As a rule of thumb, keep going back until you get your clothes right – Yuki and Jessica each had a pair of pants made – they can vouch for this!

Food in Hoi An is, even by high Vietnamese standards, cheap and tasty.  We had some wonderful meals and good atmospheres in several restaurants.  As in most restaurants, we “lost” Gavin to some of the wait staff as we entered since he was such an attraction to the locals, being a “yellow-haired” baby with blue eyes!

We visited the Marble Mountains and one of the amazing marble carving shops.  The area is famous for stone sculpture making and stone-cutting crafts. Direct marble rock extraction from the mountains was banned recently. Materials are now being transported from quarries in Quang Nam province.

Marble Mountains (Ngũ Hành Sơn – “Five elements mountains”) is a cluster of five marble and limestone hills located in Ngu Hanh Son ward, south of Da Nang. The five ‘mountains’ are named after the five elements – Kim (metal), Thuy (water), Moc (wood), Hoa (fire) and Tho (earth).

All of the mountains have cave entrances and numerous tunnels, and we climbed to the summit of one of the peaks. We were impressed with the many marble statues carved inside these Buddhist cave-sanctuaries.

We were able to get some laundry done, and although cold, took a long walk on the beach.

Click on any image to view a video of our visit to Hoi An and the Marble Mountains

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Chapter 4

Hue and The Imperial City

We went from Hoi An through Da Nang to Hue by minivan.  According to more than one guidebook, the drive from Da Nang to Hue is the most scenic in all of Vietnam. Soon after leaving the town, we started climbing steeply upwards and were soon rewarded with a panoramic view of the bowl-shaped bay of Da Nang.  After climbing through several hair-pin curves for close to an hour, we reached the crest of the Hai Van (Sea Clods) Pass.  The pass forms an obvious boundary between North and South Vietnam.

We descended into a sequence of valleys and lagoons and passed the beautiful village of Lang Co which sits at the tip of a long peninsula which separates a shallow lagoon from the sea.

Hue was the capital of the country during the Tay Son and Nguyen dynasties. Over the centuries, the city became a major center of Vietnamese architecture, and the old imperial capital of Vietnam from the 18^th century until early in the 20^th was classified world heritage of humanity by UNESCO in 1993.

We arrived in Hue a few days before Tete, the Lunar New Year celebration at the en of January.  In the imperial city we were treated to a rehearsal of dancers and singers, preparing for the Tete Festival.

We then visited the Heavenly Lady Pagoda built in 1601, one of the symbols of the city, and Long Chau Temple, located on the south bank of the Perfume river.  Long Chau is a royal temple where the kings’ war elephants were buried and worshipped.

Afterwards we were treated to a lovely cruise up the Perfume River on an ancient riverboat.

After yet another great dinner, we went back to our hotel to prepare for tomorrow’s journey to Hanoi.

Click on any image to view a video of our journey to Hue and the Imperial City

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Chapter 5

Hanoi

We flew from Hue to Hanoi, where with great excitement for all of us, we were joined by Dan.  Our Hanoi guide, Tommy, took us to a restaurant for lunch where, in the by now familiar custom, the staff grabbed Gavin and took him to the kitchen an all over the dining are to have their picture taken with him.  By now we have become used to this, but Dan, this being his first experience with the friendliness of the Vietnamese people, was quite concerned.  Soon he became used to it also.

Ryusei and Yuki in Hanoi Flower Market

Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital, lies on the banks of the Red River, some 100 kilometers from its mouth. Human settlements at the place date back as far as the 3rd century B.C.  We went to the Hanoi flower market, and after freshening up, went to the famous Water Puppet show.  Puppets are manipulated on a water-stage, accompanied by classical and folk music instruments, depicting scenes of daily life of the Vietnamese peasants.

On our way back to our hotel we went to the famous Metropole Hotel for drinks and a light dinner.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

The next day was very full starting off with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.  The mausoleum, built from 1973 to 1975 in a style similar to that of the Lenin Mausoleum in Moscow, is located at Ba Dinh Square, where Ho Chi Minh publicly declared Vietnam’s independence on September 2, 1945. Right after his death on September 3, 1969, Ho Chi Minh’s body was embalmed by a team of Soviet experts. Children were not allowed in the mausoleum, and the guards made sure that one went in hatless, with no hands in pockets, and acting respectfully.

We had a fun experience afterwards with Ryusei taking pictures of tourists taking pictures of him!

The streets of Hanoi are very wide with beautiful old buildings and homes mixed in with modern highrises.  It was quite a contrast to visit The old quarter of the 36 streets and the market, a historic area, and candidate for UNESCO World Heritage list.

After walking through the crowded alleys, we came across the Truc Bach lake, today small remnant of the lake in which Senator John McCain’s bomber crashed after being shot down on October 26, 1967 on his first bombing mission over Hanoi.  The bomber was still lying in the lake, a wheel and a wing pointing to the sky as if to remind as of the futility of a horrendous war.

Visiting the Hao Lo prison – called the Hanoi Hilton by American prisoners of war.  Senator McCain was captured and imprisoned here for five years.  Again the horrors of war were impressed upon us in a very vivid, poignant way.

Willie trying out a traditional bamboo instrument at The Temple of Literature

We next went to the Temple of Literature.  This pagoda and the surrounding complex have played a prominent role in the history of Vietnamese thinking. Originally it had been built in 1070 in honor of the Chinese philosopher Confucius, whose teachings have influenced Vietnam almost as strongly as they have shaped China. This temple has been for centuries the place where exams for the rank of Mandarin were taken. The exams lasted for 35 days and were extremely difficult. In 1733, for instance, only 8 out of 3,000 candidates passed the exams.  Today, while still an active university, we also enjoyed entertainment by artists performing on traditional instruments.

After dinner we went to bed to rest for our early morning departure for Halong Bay by minivan.

Click on any image to view a video of our Hanoi visit

Chapter 6

Halong Bay

We left early by Minivan to drive from Hanoi to Halong Bay.  We have heard much of this beautiful place, but nothing could have prepared us for the beauty we were about to experience.

Halong Bay lies about 170 kilometers east of Hanoi near the most important North Vietnamese port city of Haiphong.  It is of a breathtaking scenic beauty.  More than 3,000 islands, islets and limestone rocks rise from the waters of the bay.  The coast is rocky and perforated by numerous caves and grottoes with ancient stalactite and stalagmite formations.

We boarded our Junk (boat) at about mid-day, and sailed off into the fog that curled around the marble island formations like ghosts in the mountains.  The beauty was eerie and beyond description.  The serenity and peace that surrounded us were palpable.  Halong Bay has a fairylike landscape and has indeed for centuries inspired Vietnamese poets.

We spent overnight on a very comfortable cabin, with water lapping the sides of the boat as it rocked in the gentle swell.

Sunrise was magic, and we explored a couple of caves before returning to the mainland later that day.We made our way back to Saigon to prepare for our overnight train ride from Saigon to Lao Cai and Sapa in the far North of Vietnam.

Click on any image to view a video of the beautiful Halong Bay

Chapter 7

Lao Chai and Sapa-

We traveled from Hanoi to Lao Cai in Northern Vietnam by overnight train.  In itself a great adventure!.  We arrived at Lao Chai at 5 am, and were picked up by our guide, Lam, a member of the ethnic minority, the H’mang people.  After traveling to Sapa by mini van, we enjoyed our first exposure to the traditional H’mang and other minority tribes in this small town.

After breakfast we went to climb up Silver Waterfall, and then enjoyed some roadside food.  In the afternoon we returned to Sapa, and climbed Dragon Mountain (Ham Rong).

We hiked to a village where we spent the night in a “home stay”.  The next morning we set of into the mountains for an invigorating hike on the trails the local H’Mang people use.  We climbed through beautiful mountains terraced with rice paddies, hiked most of the day through the beautiful valley, accompanied by a bevy of young girls.

The next day visited a traditional H’mang village, before heading back to Lao Chai to catch our overnight train back to Hanoi.  On the way we stopped in at a traditional market and stopped at the northernmost region of Vietnam where we touched the border with China.

An amazing amount of territory covered in a very short time!

Southern Discovery! Promotional Video

I made a Southern Discovery! promotional film in 2001 from videos taken during our travels in Southern Africa from 1995 to 2000.  Katie and I have been blessed to lead several tours to Southern Africa since 2001.  The films below are excerpts from that old VHS video I made in 2001, long before digital videography.  The quality is… well… VHS, but I felt that the subject matter and the beauty of Southern Africa should be shared.

Cape Town

Our adventure typically would follow the itinerary described in the 2002 Southern Discovery!Itinerary.  We start off in by visiting our favorite places in Cape Town and in the Stellenbosh and Fransch Hoek areas of the Cape wine country.  This film highlights these places we love.

Click on the photo of Cape Town to view the film

From Cape Town we fly to Johannesburg on our way to Botswana for some of the most exotic wildlife and game safaris in Africa.  Enjoy the following three films made from family footage we took in Botswana over many years traveling to our favorite Africa destination.

The magic of the Okavango Delta – Sea of Land, Land of Water

One of our favorite safaris was in 1995 with our kids, then 12 and 15, in the Okavango Delta’s Moremi Wildlife Preserve.  A magical place like no other on earth.  Our daughter Jessica narrated this for me in 1995.

Click on the image to view the film

Mokoro in the Okavango

Mashatu in the Northern Tuli District, Botswana – Warthogs!

In the Northern Tuli District we love to visit Mashatu Private Game Reserve.  I made this short clip of an encounter with warthogs in Mashatu in 1997.

Click on the photo of the warthog to view the film

Chobe – Lion Buffalo Hunt

The and the Chobe and Savuti areas o f North Western Botswana are indescribable.  I filmed 6 lions hunting buffalo in Chobe National Park on the border with Namibia in 1997.

Click on the photo to view the lion hunt

 Victoria Falls

From Botswana we travel to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.  Victoria Falls is one of the world’s seven natural wonders.  The film includes a fly-over in ultra-light planes, a bungi jump by my brother-in-law, John Textoris, and a whitewater raft trip down the mighty Zambezi.  Filmed on the same 1997 safari.

Click on the photo to view the video

Bungi Jump off the Victoria Falls Bridge

In 2005 I also did this Bungi jump.  Talk about a rush!

333 Feet! Click on the image to see the film of my Bungi jump.

 Johannesburg and Pretoria and A Message to the World

Johannesburg Grace Hotel. Click on the image to view the film.

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will fall off like autumn leaves.” – John Muir

The best view of Mt Everest is from the summit of Kala Patthar, 18,200 ft.

 Below are 10 Posts of this adventure.  It is best to scroll down and read from the first post “Everest!”, then scroll up to Udate 1, and so on.  Or you can just click on the links in chronological order below. 

Complete Photo Galleries submitted on behalf of all the trekkers in my group can be found on-line in my MobileMe Photo Gallery.  The photos inserted into these blogs below are low quality – internet in the Himalayas was quite slow, so I had to reduce the file sizes.  The pictures on the MobileMe web hosting service are all high quality, and are available for download to your computer.  The videos are all on my YouTube site, and can be accessed by clicking on the picture where indicated.

Here are the posts

My group consisted of Kent Stuckey, Columbus, Ohio, Pete McIlroy, another friend from Columbus and his friend, Roger Verney from near Boston Mass.  Kathy and Al Wilson from Indianapolis rounded out our group.  They summited Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania with me in 2oo8.

I sometimes ask myself the question, “Why do I want to do this apparently crazy stuff.  Roger Verney analised this over a beer in a local Kathmandu bar one afternoon.  He said “I think you want to do this because you thrive on achievement”. 

I agree, but there is more.  Yes, the physical challenge, the adrenaline, etc.  But I think what really makes me do it is the SPIRITUAL high from an adventure such as this.

Every year when I go ski out West, it takes me several weeks to get down from the euphoria.  I climbed Kilimanjaro in 2008, and I still can hardly speak of that experience… I am still high on it.  This Everest adventure, having discovered my own physical, emotional and spiritual limits, will remain a highpoint for the rest of my life.  So, maybe it is best summarized in this poem I came across some time ago by Robert Cramer.

“I Climb to be Free”

I am Thankful…

I am gratified that I had the strength and endurance to complete this adventure.  I am even more gratified for the priviledge of living, working and serving in the United States of America.  An experience such as this adventure reinforces this appreciation; an appreciation expressed in the Thanksgiving letter I sent to my clients and friends after I returned from Nepal:

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 2:59 PM

Subject: I am Thankful…

Everest Base Camp  — November 10, 2011

While at Base Camp admiring the unbelievable scenery, the incomparable view of Mt. Everest with the Kumbu Icefall in the foreground and the 27,900 ft. peak of Lhotse creating an impressive cloud against the impossibly blue sky — I have never seen a blue as deep as at this altitude! – as snow blew off the peak, we had a special bonus.  A young Czech Republic couple, Sarka Podlucka and David Cemus had trekked to Everest Base Camp where they were to get married!  I instantly became the official wedding videographer, and Kent took video with their camera since the Nepali authorities needed that to verify that the ceremony actually took place.

I was already extremely emotional.  I had just called Katie on my cell phone from Everest Base Camp, and could hardly speak, completely overcome by the emotion and the realization of the enormity of our accomplishment.  And now, here was this very touching ceremony of a couple who have likely made the biggest emotional and physical sacrifice of anyone, to commit to each other.  And they had no friends there.  Pretty soon we were all close friends, and the few climbers and guides and porters who were there became an instant wedding congregation.  I was so teared-up I could hardly see the viewfinder!

I uploaded this in 1920x1080p HD, so it will be a big file, but high quality for David and Sarka to download as a record and remembrance of their very special day at the top of the world.

Click on the image below for a short video of our Escape from Lukla!

16th November, 2011 – Wednesday

 Stuck in Lukla

 All day yesterday we hiked in thick fog, sometimes in a fine drizzle.  It was quite cold, and we were concerned about our flight from Lukla to Kathmandu the next day.  Lukla is a small, but vibrant town literally hanging on the side of the Himalayas here.  The airstrip at Lukla is considered the most dangerous in the world.  We could not really tell why because, even though it was still early afternoon when we arrived, the fog was so thick that one could barely see 100 feet.

The single cobblestone street of Lukla was lined with shops, restaurants, and even a Starbucks knock-off.  Porters, donkeys and Yak caravans came down the street as we entered this village at almost 9,300 ft.

We settled into our rooms at the Kumbu Lodge, and met a number of climbers who had been stuck here for two or three days already, with no sign of a possible departure in the next few days.

I spent the day editing my videos, and posting my Everest Base Camp update 7.

The rooms in this guesthouse were quite a surprise.  We had a view of the landing strip and the mountains towering over the town.  Only, we could not see it because of the thick fog.

As we crawled in to go to sleep under two very heavy, thick blankets, a wonderful diversion from our sleeping bags the past 12 days, Kent said, “This hotel gets it!”

There was an on-suite bathroom with toilet, hand basin and shower.  Only problem – no hot water in the hand basin. Another problem – no water in the shower at all – hot or cold.  But this was the first time since Kathmandu that we did not have to go down the hall to use the bathroom in the freezing cold, dark night.

Of course, that is not really a problem, since I kept a one-liter Nalgene water bottle inside my sleeping bag to use as a pee bottle during the night.  In order to stay hydrated, one consumes huge quantities of water during the day, resulting in huge quantities of pee during the night, often a liter and a half.  The nights were very cold – invariably below freezing, and these lodges were not heated.  Hence the need to pee in your sleeping bag into the pee bottle.   While it requires some talent, I perfected this skill on Kilimanjaro three years ago, and had no problem with this trick.  Anyway, it was a wide-necked Nalgene bottle.

 17th November 2011 – Thursday – Day 13

Still Stuck in Lukla – Killing a day in Lukla

Our second day stuck in Lukla.  There is no indication of an improvement in the weather until Sunday, the day we are supposed to leave Kathmandu for New Delhi and on to the USA.  We are concerned, but the one thing that walking, climbing, suffering during the past 13 days have done for me was to teach me that checking the weather forecast is not going to change it.  I have learned acceptance and patience.  I actually enjoyed the down time, and the opportunity to re-live the adventure through editing my videos.

At lunch we went out for a change of scenery – and cuisine.  We ended up in a restaurant a few buildings down from the Rhumba lodge, and ordered a hamburger.  The picture on the menu depicting the hamburger as the “Special of the Day” looked so attractive; all four of us ordered this.   About 20 minutes later the waitress returned to apologize profusely that they have no hamburger, but would we like a chicken burger?

How could they be out of hamburger and still list that as the special of the day, we wondered?  Half an hour later she showed up with our chicken burgers, which were essentially a very thin strip of what looked like chicken spam, and a lot of raw onions on a bun.  So tired of noodles and rice, we ate this offering quite disappointed that we were not eating the juicy, tasty hamburger depicted on their menu picture.

On our way back to the teahouse, we met Ramesh.  “Have you had lunch?’ he asked.  “Yes, thank you”, I said.  “You are not supposed to eat lunch away from Kumbu Resort”, he reprimanded.  “They will double your room rate!”  “Oh,” I said.  “Actually we skipped lunch.”  That was not entirely untrue.  I did not think one could call a chicken spam and onion sandwich lunch.

Later we went for an afternoon walk, and ended up in the Irish Pub, meeting some very interesting adventurers from New Zealand.

After dinner we went to bed, quite discouraged since the weather forecast for Lukla remained bleak.  It was bitterly cold, and a warm shower to wash the dirt fro the past days off one’s body would have been nice.  I determined that the first thing I would do when we eventually reach Kathmandu is to take a hot shower.

18th November, 2011 – Friday – Day 14

Four Cold Showers in Kathmandu

At 7 am. Ramesh knocked on our door.  I let him in.

“Take a picture, take a picture!”

He opened the curtains and the completely frozen window, and there, right outside our window, was the most beautiful sight of the mountains surrounding Lukla, towering clear up to the sky, and not a cloud in sight.  Very excited about the possibility of getting out today, we jumped up and went to the dining room for breakfast.

Our table companions, six travelers from Australia, were all excited because they were able to get six seats on a huge Russian helicopter with the obnoxious French people at the next table over, supposedly leaving right away.  They were all packed and ready, anxious to make their international flight from Kathmandu.  After waiting patiently for almost two hours, their guide suddenly rushed into the dining room where we were all congregated hoping to get a flight out, and in a huge panic rushed them out the door and on to the landing strip (“airport”).

Ramesh, our guide, assured us that we would get out today or tomorrow.  “But we can’t be certain because the weather may change again any time”, he added.

We agreed that it would be prudent to also try to arrange a helicopter, since we were already stuck in Lukla for three days.  So we instructed Ramesh to get us on either a small plane or helicopter, whichever became available first.

The Lukla airstrip was chaos.  The planes they use to fly in-and out are very flimsy looking 10 to 20 seaters.  To help pass the time, Roger, Pete and I stood for several hours at the top of the landing strip to watch the constant flow of airplanes and helicopters come and go.

Until just over 40 years ago the eastern Himalayan region of the Solukhumbu leading to Mt. Everest was inaccessible to most air traffic. The way to reach the heights of the trail head in Lukla was to travel the road from Kathmandu to Jiri, then hike five days over the rugged lowland hills. In 1964 Sir Edmund Hillary initiated construction of the Lukla airfield (LUA), and from that time the area has been opened up to countless enthused hikers, assuming the weather is conducive to landing or taking off from this dangerous mountain airstrip.  It is a great convenience to bypass the arduous hike beyond Jiri since it the hike beyond Lukla is challenging enough for most. Lukla is now a vibrant and welcoming entryway to the Himalayas.

We went back to the Kumbu Lodge for lunch.  No sooner had we ordered or Ramesh came running in shouting, “we must go immediately.”  We have four seats on a helicopter about to land.

I was sorry to forego the chicken chili I ordered, but we literally ran to our rooms, grabbed our backpacks, and trotted off to the airport.  We were bundled into a seven-seater along with five other people – yes, nine of us! – and took off without even had the opportunity for a proper goodbye to Ramesh.  That saddened me some, because for the past 14 days I have relied on this young man for my safety and well being every day.

Taking a short break earlier on in the trek, Ramesh and I discussed our families.  I discovered that he was the same age as my son, Thomas.  From that day on we addressed each other as “my son” and “my father”.  There was much more than some levity to that.  We truly bonded, and I will forever be grateful to this remarkable young man for helping and guiding me through this pinnacle lifetime experience.

I was sitting in the co-pilot’s seat, hoping to get some good video of the mountains below.  We were flying at about 6,700 m. (almost 22,000 ft.) according to the Altimeter in the instrument panel.  Suddenly the ‘copter took a sharp left, then a sharp right, and descended rapidly to land on a plateau with several buildings at what looked like a military installation.  We were asked to get out, and another group of eight took our seats.

“What’s going on?” I asked our pilot.

“You must wait here,” he said.

Wait here?  We were only a half hour into the flight, and had no idea where we were, or if the helicopter would ever come back for us!

We sat around for a long time as we watch the dark, ominous clouds come in over the mountaintop, concerned that the weather might change to where the helicopter may not be ABLE to return, even if their intentions were to do so.  Amazing how the experience of the past two weeks have taught us to accept, and not panic over things we could not control.

After what seemed like a long time, the chopper appeared over the mountaintop, landed, and took us to Kathmandu.  After landing I said, “I am not sure which was the greater adventure; climbing to Everest Base Camp and summitting Kala Patthar, or getting from Kathmandu to the mountains and back!”

What a lovely sight to see the smog and pollution-filled air over the slums of Kathmandu as we glided in the noisy helicopter over the city to the heliport!  I never would have thought I’d RELISH that view!.  Unceremoniously our backpacks were thrown on the back of a pick-up truck.  We piled on top, and were transported the three miles to the main terminal to take a “taxi” back to Katmandu.

By now we knew the route, and reminded each other of the familiar sites as we pass the Bazaar on the left, the Royal Palace on the right (we once again recalled the massacre in the palace just two years ago), the Ministry of education, the slums om Kathmandu and on into the Thamel district.  It was a familiar experience for us, this trip crammed into a very tiny minivan, fighting the unbelievable chaos of the Kathmandu traffic with the cacophony of scooters, motorcycles and cars revving their engines and hooting their horns incessantly, all the while spewing fumes into the air which affected us now so much more than when we were here before.  Most of us had developed some annoying respiratory problems.  My annoying head cold and running nose have now settled in my upper chest, and couching was extremely painful.  The air in Kathmandu did not help any.

We arrived at the Hotel Marsyangdi Mandala at the edge of the Thamel district of Kathmandu.  A very nice place, and I was more than anything looking forward to a hot shower, and maybe even a shave.  I know how Katie hates facial hair!

During the time we were stranded in Kathmandu almost three weeks before, waiting for a break in the weather, I took three cold showers.  The other trekkers all seemed to have hot water, except me.  Three times, three days in a row I jumped into the cold water to get cleaned.

On the mountain, on Day 3 in Namche Bazaar, we were able to take a hot shower.  It was in a dirty little room, with a small gas water heater stuck on a wall, ejecting a small, weak, but welcome stream of hot water into the near-freezing room.  On the way down on day 9, last Saturday, almost a week ago, we were able to enjoy that little shower again.  Oh, how I wallowed in those drops of hot water coming from that small heater!

Now, here we were at a nice hotel in Kathmandu, with a real shower in the bathroom, and water coming out of ALL fawcets.  With great anticipation I took off my smelly clothes, boots and socks, turned the water on, and waited.

This afternoon I took my fourth cold shower in Kathmandu!

Dinner was at the Everest Steak House in Thamel, and then we went for a beer at the Rum Doodle Pub.  This pub is world famous.  Here, many Everest Summit as well as Base Camp expeditions started and finished.  Hundreds of inscriptions adorned the walls and ceilings, and the place was packed with adventurers.  It was gratifying to know that we had accomplished this lofty goal also.  I was tempted to add Kent and my names to the hundreds, but thought no one would ever notice our names among the large number of inscriptions.

I was satisfied in the knowledge that we are in that small percentage of humanity who has had the privilege to reach Everest Base Camp.

19th November, 2011 – Saturday

We had the day free in Kathmandu, and Ram Sahara’s Himalaya Journeys’ tour guide took us for historical monuments sightseeing in Kathmandu valley.

We visited the oldest Buddhist shrine and stupa in the world, on a mountaintop high above the smog-filled Kathmandu valley, with the bustling city of Kathmandu barely visible through the haze of exhaust fumes and pollusion.  We next witnessed several cremations on a sacred river at a Hindu Temple, and after lunch visited the largest Stupa in the world.  We were very tired today, no doubt coming down from the incredible adventure we had experienced.  After a lovely Nepalese dinner hosted for us by Ram, we retired early for a good night’s sleep before our journey back to the good ol’ USA.

We missed our friends, Kathy and Al Wilson.  We are thankful that Al recovered from the AMS, and that they made it back safely to Indianapolis.

I am thankful for renewing the old friendships with Kathy and Al, and just as grateful for the new friendships the four of us, Pete, Roger, Kent and I  forged during this adventure.  Roger, Pete, Kent and I supported each other daily throughout this trek.  I am so very grateful to Kent who gave me the moral support to complete the adventure by reaching the goal: Mt. Everest Base Camp and summiting Kala Patthar.

I am grateful for Ram Pahari, Himalaya Journey Treks & Expedition who made all the arrangements, and who stepped in time-and-again as circumstances changed, sometimes working THREE cell phones at once, talking with helicopter and airline offices and hotels at the same time as we stood in the chaotic parking area of the Kathmandu airport, and who eventually made everything work out for us.

I am grateful for Shiva Katuwel, Tika Basnet, and Bal Kumar Basnet, our porters.  How these small, tough Nepalese were able to negotiate the difficult climbs with our extra backpacks as well as their own, astounds me.  They became much more than porters, they became our friends and compatriots.

And my Nepalese son, Ramesh Kharel.  So young and so competent.  Reminds me of my own son.

My sincere thanks to my team at Grové Financial Group of UBS in Columbus, Ohio.  I hope you know how much I appreciate each one of you, as you continued to take care of our valuable client relationships in the US while I was doing this Walkabout.

A final thanks to my family – Katie, who never hesitated when I said I wanted to climb Kilimanjaro, or trek to Everest Base Camp, and who, along with Tommy and Yuki and Jessica and Dan, supported me all the way.  I miss you all, and particularly my two grandsons, Ryusei in Saigon and Gavin in New York.

 See you in Columbus on Monday afternoon!

-o0o-

Our Outfitter for this Adventure

Ram Pahari

Himalaya Journey Treks & Expedition Pvt. Ltd.

P.O.Box No:- 21235 Thamel, Katmandu , Nepal .

Tel:977-1-4383184 , 4386585

Mobile:- 977-9851007829

Fax:- 977-1-4415679

E-mail:- himjourney@mail.com.np

himalayajourney@yahoo.com

welcomehimalaya@gmail.com

Web site: www.himalayajourneys.com

www.alpinejourney.com

www.himalayatreks.de

10th November, 2011 – Thursday – Day 7  

Willie and Kent on Kala Patthar Summit with Mt. Everest View.  Click on the photo for a short YouTube video of Everest Base Camp and reaching the summit of  Kala Pattkar.

Well, I tried to upload the video I mentioned in my last post but the Internet at Namche Bazaar at 11,286 ft. was not very reliable – the video did not make it to YouTube.  So, here is a more complete update of the last few days.

On November 10, we awoke in Lebouche; 16,174 ft. very early and started what turned out to be the most taxing day up to then

We trekked through Gorak Shep on to Everest Base Camp, 17,600 ft. then back to Gorak Shep at 16,995 ft. to spend a fitful night at high altitude 16,995 ft.  This was a long and BRUTAL climb and quite a lot to expect of an old guy like me in one day.  The problem was that we did not just gain 1,426 ft. up to Base Camp and then down to Gorak Shep.  The total elevation change was many thousands of feet more than that as we constantly climbed over boulders and up very steep inclines, sometimes for hours without end in sight, just to descend over 1,000 feet to the next valley.

We walked and scrambled for many miles alongside and sometimes literally on top of the lower levels of the Kumbu Icefall and the Kumbu Glacier.  Finally we reached Base Camp, exhausted but exhilarated.

While at Base Camp admiring the unbelievable scenery, the incomparable view of Mt. Everest with the Khumbu Icefall in the foreground and the 27,900 ft. peak of Lhotse creating an impressive cloud against the impossibly blue sky – I have never seen a blue as deep as at this altitude! – as snow blew off the peak, we had a special bonus.  A young Czech Republic couple, Sarka Podlucka and David Cemus had trekked to Everest Base Camp where they were to get married!  I instantly became the official wedding videographer, and Kent took some video with their camera, since the Nepali authorities needed that to verify that the ceremony actually took place.

I was already extremely emotional.  I had just called Katie on my cell phone from Everest Base Camp, and could hardly speak, completely overcome by the emotion and the realization of the enormity of our accomplishment.  And now, here was this very touching ceremony of a couple who have likely made the biggest emotional and physical sacrifice of anyone, to commit to each other.  And they had no friends there.  Pretty soon we were all close friends, and the few climbers and guides and porters who were there became an instant wedding congregation.  I was so teared-up I could hardly see the viewfinder!

Late afternoon, having arrived back at Gorak Shep, I was feeling quite sick, and could not figure out if it was from the altitude (Acute Mountain Sickness – AMS) or just extreme exhaustion.  I went to our room and lay there shivering, with my whole body tingling, and with quite a severe headache, fearing for cerebral edema, and quite certain that there would be no way I could attempt the 18,192 ft. climb to the summit of Kala Patthar the next morning.  Ramesh came into the room, grabbed my camera and took a few beautiful sunset pictures.

Everest Base Camp is a very special place, and a remarkable achievement.  But the view from Kala Patthar is supposed to be the highlight of this climb, and to reach the summit of Kala Patthar is another achievement not many can claim.  So I was quite bummed!  To top it all, the Czech couple was coming over to see the video, and to have me download their video to my computer, since I promised them that I would compile a nice video of their ceremony and post it to my MobileMe web hosting service.  At the appointed time I got up and went to the dining room where we had a great re-living of the beautiful ceremony in a most beautiful place.

We have not had a shower for five days, and I am sure a hot shower would have helped.  However, with the facilities quite basic I decided to pass.  I went to bed by 8 pm, still shivering, and unable to sleep.  I am sure I dozed off during the night, but sleep was very elusive.

11th November, 2011 – Friday – Day 8 

At 6 am I heard Kent move around the room, and asked where he was going.  “Kala Patthar”, he said.  I lay there, unable to process what that meant.  Finally I said, “I don’t understand.  Can you tell me what’s happening?”

“Today is Kala Patthar”, he said.

I wondered about that some more, and then realized what it meant.

“Oh shit”, I said, and jumped out of bed, and got dressed as quickly as I could, feeling quite dizzy.

After a good breakfast I felt better, and we started our climb up the almost sheer mountainside of Kala Patthar.  We were led by Ramesh, and accompanied by one of our porters, Bal.  Bal offered to take my backpack, and Kent offered significant moral support.

We climbed to the 18,192 ft. summit for the most incredible views.

We sat at the peak of Kala Patthar, a five-foot wide pinnacle with sheer drops of more than 1,000 feet on three sides.  We were in the middle of a complete circle, surrounded by the highest mountain peaks in the world; of Mt. Everest 8,848m (29,028 ft.), Mt. Lhotse 8,516m (27,939 ft.) Mt. Nuptse, 7,855m (25,771 ft.), Mt. Pumori 7,161m, Mt. Changaste 7,550m, Khumbutse 6,665m, Mt. Amadablam 6.856m, Mt. Thamserku 6,723m, Mt. Kantega 6,979m, Mt. Kusum Khangaru 6,367m, Mt.Kongde 6,011m, Mt. Tawache peak 6,367m, Mt. Cholaste 6,335m.

To see this view was for me a lifetime high, likely impossible to ever match in whatever time I have left on this earth.

My sickness was completely gone now, and I literally felt on top of the world!

We climbed back down to Gorak Shep and continued our trek down continued our down through Labouche and Thukla, to spend the night in Pheriche, 4,243 m. (13,900 ft.).

12th November, 2011 – Saturday – Day 9

Another brutal day of severe changes in altitude and steep up-and-down climbs brought us through incredibly beautiful scenery and the villages of Pangboche, 3,985 m. (13,000 ft.) and to Tengboche, 3,867 (12,600 ft.), where we had lunch.  We were almost at our physical limit, but a late lunch rejuvenated us for the final push down to Namche Bazaar 3,440m, (11,286 ft.) – in total, an almost nine hour brutal trek of severe climbs and descents.

This was a full day’s very hard trekking.  Kent and I decided to try to do what would normally be three day’s trekking in two days in order to surprise Roger and Pete at Namche Bazaar.  While we were supposedly LOSING altitude, the gains and losses as we pushed really hard to complete this two-day trek almost did us in!

We were very happy to meet up with our friends, Pete and Roger at the Kamal Hotel, and had a great celebration!  We were welcomed back to the Kamal Guest House by the lovely family who own this “hotel”.

One of the most amazing things of this experience was the wonderful disposition of the Nepalese people.  Always a warm smile.  Always a special welcome.  And I cannot say enough about our guide, Ramesh Kharel, and our Sherpa porters, Shiva Katuwal, Tika Basnet and Bal Kumar Basnet.  Without the wonderful encouraging smile, never-changing friendly, supportive demeanor, I likely would not have made it to Everest Base Camp, up Kala Patthar, and back down to Namche Bazaar to meet up with our friends.

We were sad that Mina, the daughter of Mr. Kamal, the owner of the guesthouse was not in Namche.  She was so warm and friendly when we stayed at the Kamal on the way up.  On the third morning of our trek, (we had a conditioning/acclimatization day in Namche), just before we left or a hike up to the Everest View hotel, I Skyped my son, Tommy, his wife, Yuki and our grandson, Ryusei in Saigon, Vietnam.  Mina has a cute little daughter, and the two kids made quite a connection on the Internet, giggling at each other.  Mina was convinced that we could arrange betrothal, and she was quite impressed to be talking with and seeing Tommy and Yuki, and that I have a Japanese daughter-in-law.

In spite of sniffling and coughing through the night, using my pee bottle at least five times – amazing that one can pee about one-and-a-half liter in one night! – I had a wonderful rest and woke the next morning totally refreshed and ready for the two days’ trek to Lukla.

13th November, 2011 – Sunday – Day 10

We were so looking forward to a change in pace regarding breakfast this morning.  We have had porridge every morning for the past nine days in order to have enough “fuel” for a full day of trekking.  We all felt that we would throw up if we had the huge bowl of porridge one more time.  The next thing we knew a huge bowl of porridge appeared in front of each of us on the table.  We protested mildly to Ramesh that we really were hoping for eggs or something else this morning, but politely accepted and started forcing the porridge down.  What was our surprise when in front of Ramesh appeared an order of two fried eggs and toast!  We all laughed and shared the irony of the moment, but gave Ramesh a hard time for days afterwards.

We were now ready to trek to Jorsale and as we gathered our backpacks and poles, Mr. Kamal offered us each a complementary cup of coffee.  We accepted, and no sooner were we finished enjoying our last cup of hospitality from these good people, or Ramesh had us line up together, side-by-side.  Mr. Kamal approached and hung a prayer shawl around each of our necks, while offering a blessing to each of us for the rest of our journey.  How special!

Kent and I spent the next two hours in an Internet Café, since the Kamal Wi-Fi was down, and I wanted to post the short video I put together the night before.  After almost two hours I realized the video did not complete uploading to YouTube.  Roger and Pete took off with Shiva more than an hour before.  I paid the $10.00 for the connection, and after a slice of pizza in the local bakery we took off for Jorsale.

We caught up with Pete and Roger after a brisk one-hour hike, mostly downhill.  We were now at less than half the altitude of Kala Patthar, and we were feeling fantastic and so strong!  Amazing what oxygen will do!

We concluded the rest of the morning’s trek at a leisurely pace, stopping often to admire the beautiful scenery, crossing suspension bridges and passing the amazing Yak and donkey caravans which are the only mode of transportation, other than the remarkable men and a few women who carry huge loads on their backs up the mountain.

We arrived at Jorsale, 2,930 m. (9,6109 ft.) and had an excellent lunch at the Nirvana Garden Lodge, a lovely place with beautiful gardens, and comfortable rooms.  We all agreed that we had the best night sleep yet.

14th November, 2011 – Monday – Day 11

We left early for a beautiful hike, mostly downhill to Phakding, 2,640 m. (8,660 ft.).  This was where we spent our first night on our way up the mountain.  We stayed at the International Trekkers Guest House that night, and we where we were welcomed back like family by the lovely young family who runs this lodge.

Like in Namche at the Kamal lodge, everyone was asking about Al and Kathy.

I should explain what happened to our fellow trekkers on the way up.

Climbing, trekking, hiking.  Call it what you may, this adventure was extremely difficult.  Negotiating severe ups-and-downs, scrambling over boulders, climbing endless ancient steps built by generations past – since the mountain sides would be too steep to crawl up or down without them – all the while at extreme altitude, was an incredible test for all of us.

The climb from Namche Bazaar, 3,440 m. (11, 280 ft.) to Tengboche, 3,867 m. (12,680 ft.) was a total gain of 1,400 ft.  That is quite deceiving, since I am certain the TOTAL altitude change, climbing up and down these steep mountains, must have been many times that.

On the morning of the fifth day, Pete and Roger decided to forego the significantly greater altitude and climbing difficulty, and seek a different adventure.  Ramesh drew up a route for them to hike while Kent, Al, Kathy and I continued up the trail.  Their adventures and their excitement about their journey the next four days is another chapter.

If we thought the trek from Namche to Tengboche was severe, we had a major surprise waiting for us the next day.  The climb that fifth day from Tengboche to Pheriche, 4,243 m. (13,929 ft.) was even more taxing at this higher altitude (a gain of 1,233 ft. this day) with even steeper mountainsides.

Al has been suffering from sinus and other respiratory problems almost from the beginning.  Never complaining, he forged on, each step of this day certainly agony for him.  I could tell he was suffering, and admired him immensely for the courage and mental strength to keep on going.

Cold and dark, in a small guesthouse at almost 14,000 ft. in the Himalayas, Al lay on his bed in the room next to Kent and mine, and was coughing severely.  Just as I told Kent how worried I was for Al’s health, Kathy came into our room and told us that they have decided not to continue.  Kathy and Ramesh took Al to the hospital in this small village where Al was diagnosed with severe Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS).  He was kept at the hospital, and the next morning Al and Kathy were evacuated by Helicopter to Kathmandu where Al was admitted to the hospital.

I am happy report that Al recovered.  After he was discharged from the hospital we were able to talk to him as they were making their arrangements to return to the US.  The remarkable coincidence was that we were on top of Kala Patthar at 18,200 ft. when we got that call!

15th November, 2011 – Tuesday – Day 12

This morning we left for Lukla from Phakding and very much enjoyed the familiar scenery at which we marveled on the way up the mountain.

After a four-hour trek in thick fog, with some surprising elevation changes, we arrived at Lukla, 9,285 ft. from where we hope to leave for Kathmandu tomorrow morning.  Unfortunately the weather conditions have not been very good, and we are likely to get stuck here for a few days.  Our flight back to the USA is in the 20^th, so we have some leeway.

We all agree that this has been the most inspiring journey we have ever undertaken.  For me, the spiritual and emotional accomplishment far exceeds the physical challenge.

Every day as I looked at the splendor of this beautiful country, day-by-day surrounded by sheer mountains all exceeding 25,000 feet, a verse from Psalm 121 constantly went through my head, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills…”

What inspiration these mountains gave me!

Posted at Lukla, Nepal

November 15^th, 2011

Thanks to Kent for proof-reading this post and suggesting some helpful changes and additions.

Willie and Kent on Kala Patthar Summit with Mt. Everest View

On November 10, we awoke in Lebouche and trekked through Gorak Shep on to Everest Base Camp (17,600 ft.) then back to Gorak Shep to spend a fitful night at high altitude 5,180m (16,995 ft.).

Early the next morning, we climbed Kala Patthar 5,545m (18,192 ft.) for superb Himalayan scenery including Kent and Willie’s trek to Everest Base Camp (17,600 ft.) and Kala Patthar summit (18,192 ft.) for the most incredible views of Mt. Everest 8,848m (29,028 ft.), Mt. Lhotse 8,516m (27,939 ft.) Mt. Nuptse, 7,855m (25,771 ft.), Mt. Pumori 7,161m, Mt. Changaste 7,550m, Khumbutse 6,665m, Mt. Amadablam 6.856m, Mt. Thamserku 6,723m, Mt. Kantega 6,979m, Mt. Kusum Khangaru 6,367m, Mt.Kongde 6,011m, Mt. Tawache peak 6,367m, Mt. Cholaste 6,335m. From there we went back to Gorak Shep and continued our trek down to Pheriche, 4,260m (13, 976 ft.) to spend the night before trekking to Namche Bazaar 3,440m, (11,286 ft.) – an almost nine hour brutal trek of severe climbs and descents.  We were happy to meet up with our friends, Pete and Roger at the Kamal Hotel, and had a great celebration!

Willie and Kent at Everest Base Camp

We made it to Everest Base Camp today.  After seven days of very hard trekking – I would rather call it climbing – we finally reached our goal: Everest Base Camp at 5,364 metres (17,700 ft.)  Today’s hike was brutal.  Many elevation changes, scampering over huge boulders, loose gravel, drop-offs on both sides several hundred feet with occasionally less than one foot of trail.  Amazing to hike right on top of the Kumbu Glacier.  An amazing achievement fo both of us.  Unfortunately we lost four of our original six-pack due to AMS and severe difficulty of the hike.

The Six Pack and the Mountain of Destiny 

 Click on the photo to go to YouTube for a “Trailer” of our Everest Adventure.

We are at Namche Bazaar, two days’ hike into the adventure.

I think the past two days’ hike was as hard as the summit day on Kilimanjaro. Fortunately we were not at almost 20,000 feet like we were on Kili!

Two days of incredible scenery – I think the most beautiful I have EVER seen!

After three days of trying to get from Kathmandu to the mountains we finally hired a helicopter.   After an incredible flight following the Dudh Kosi River all the way from Kuthmandu, dodging mountain tops and seemingly missing cliff sides by inches, we had a very short window in which to get to Surke from Kathmandu.   Surke wasn’t a village; it was a flat piece of dirt carved out of the sheer mountain side.  We were met by Ramesh who is to be our guide for the next two weeks as we hike to Everest.

We hiked 7 1/2 hours that first day, carrying our packs and struggling up incredibly steep mountain sides, and eventually arrived at a sweet little mountain inn run by a lovely Nepalise family in the village of Phakding – pronunced Fakding.  The guys had some fun with that name… 

No heating in the rooms, and no blankets – very basic, but welcome after a very difficult hike.

Left early yesterday morning, our second day of the trek, and hiked for almost eight hours (think climb – up-and-down) which almost did us in!  The hike was a brutal climb, mostly up, never-ending, very challenging. We arrived at Namche Bazaar totally exhausted, but exhilarated.  I paid $4.00 for a hot shower – maybe the last in two weeks.

Namche is at 11,340 ft. and an important step in our process of adjusting to the higher altitudes to come. Tomorrow would be an altitude acclimatizing day. We will stay in Namche Bazaar, but take a four hour hike to a higher altitude, and then spend the night here.

I made a short video trailer and uploaded it to YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8Cd8QaVYZw

Day 3 – Everest View Hotel

Today did a wonderful hike up to a fancy hotel built by a Japanese Magnate.  The hotel is called Everest View.  Unfortunately, after an almost 3-hour climb, everything was still fogged in, and we had no view.  We made it back down to Namche Bazaar in about 1 1/2 hours.  Rest of the day we rested and prepared for the severe hiking starting the next day, Day 4.

The Dudh Kosi River behind me (Photo by Pete McIlroy)

Then saw this headline in today’s paper:

We headed to the airport at 8 am. anyhow.

Read the article here: http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Hundreds+of+Solu+tourists+stranded&NewsID=307932