Trek Day 3 - Acclimation Day in Namche Bazaar - 11/3/10

View from the front of our lodge

Today is our first acclimation day and that means we get to spend the whole day and night in Namche Bazaar.  Irene had a rough night, got very little sleep, and has a bad headache.  We're all hoping that it's not signs of altitude sickness, but she, Dana and Bogdan are all on it -- they're all doctors.

Krista wanted some time to herself, Bogdan stayed with Irene (husband's duty), so Dana and I set out with Kapil to go to the Everest View Hotel.  To get there, you have to go up, up, up over a ridge.  On the way, Kopil suggested we stop at the national park museum on a lower ridge above Namche.  So we climbed stairs for about 20 minutes, walked down a flat path (didn't know those existed!)  and arrived at a big open space with a stunning view of Everest.  There was a sign advertising yak rides while wearing traditional Sherpa clothing for 700 rupee (about $10).  We wanted to do this so badly, but there were no yaks up there and the woman in charge didn't know the number to call to get us some.  Total bummer. I really wanted to add a yak to the list of animals I've ridden.  Certainly a shorter fall than a camel or elephant, right?

Anyway, we sent Kopil down to enjoy the day and we hung out for a bit.  I took a panoramic video with my iPhone and then we went in to the museum.  One of the army guards in camo asked if he could take our picture and then followed us around and practically tried to ask Dana out.  It was hilarious.  The museum had a lot of info on the the animals and plants in the area as well as the history of the park.  Who knew that Sir Edmund Hillary was instrumental in getting this area designated as a national park? On our way back down to the village, we stopped at the Sherpa museum for a visit.  The museum was extensive and divided in to 3 parts: a Sherpa house, completely furnished and a stunning prayer room; an adjacent building with a photograhic encyclopedia of sherpa weddings, funerals, farming, trade etc; and a room completely devoted to every Sherpa who has ever summited Everest. 

Prayer room in Sherpa home as seen at Sherpa Museum

So many of their photos showed frostbite on their faces and so many had summited multiple times.  There were several who had summited several times who died on a subsequent attempt.  There was a larger than normal photo of the first female Sherpa to summit.  Her death date was the day after her summit date, so she must have died on her way back down.  Did you know that more climbers die on the way down than on the way up?

Dana and I then decided to head back down to the village.  This is where I got into trouble.  How?  Well remember when I was hit by the truck in '06 and screwed up my knee?  Since we were just acclimating today and not doing any serious trekking, I left my poles back in the room at the lodge.  Heading down from the top was very hard on the knees and without those poles, my bad knee started hurting.  By the time we were down, it had swollen and I was limping.

Once back in Namche, we ran into Bogdan and Irene.  We had our pulsox checked at the clinic and it was a bit of a shocker.  Heart rates rise about 30-50 beats per minute at high altitude -- mine was already at 100.  No wonder it felt like my heart was racing when I tried to sleep at night!  Oh, and my oxygen level was pathetic.  But we were all in the same boat. We celebrated with pizza at the Everest Bakery (real electric pizza ovens and real pizza with no catsup) and went to the Liquid Bar late in the afternoon to catch the daily free movie (today was "Touching the Void").  After we went back to the lodge, rescued laundry, ate dinner and chilled.  Dana massaged some great cream into my knee and wrapped me up in an ace bandage.  Hope it helps, because tomorrow we head to Tengboche.