Namche -- Finally

The road to Namche

Many years ago, I drove with friends to Bethlehem, Israel. I still remember the shiver of excitement I felt then as we approached the city. In my mind’s eye, I saw story book images of the manger, the baby, the straw and the donkeys. When our car arrived at the town limits I looked up wide eyed and saw a red brick factory with a sign. It read, “Bethlehem Tobacco Works.” Gads.

A year later, Bob and our children, Brian, Mark and Susan, drove up the west coast of Turkey, alongside the Adriatic Sea all the way to Homer’s Troy. I’d loved the stories of the wooden horse and accounts of Heinrich Schliemann’s discovery of this ancient, mythical city. By the time we arrived there in our 1971 Volkswagen hippie van, I was clutching our guide book and beyond excited. Our kids, having seen gazillion archeological sites were bored to tears.

We jumped from the van and I ran ahead to the site and had another huge letdown. Troy is mounds of green grass with small signs showing the level of civilization beneath. I think there were thirteen levels in all. Oh sure there was an amphitheatre – but mostly Troy is a confusion of hills and rubble. Heck, I wanted to see the wooden horse.   

Many years later as I puffed up the last of our three hour gruelling climb to Namche, I felt relief and pride too that we’d finally arrived at this old fabled trading post on the slopes of a crescent shaped mountain where altitude becomes a danger. The village is at 11,283 (3440 meters) and so Rajendra had arranged two nights there to acclimatize.

Buddhist stupa

A women walking towards the stupa

A djopko walking up steep village steps

Signs of civilization

What we didn’t know was in Namche we wouldn’t get sick. But Rajendra would. How do trekkers manage in the Himalaya when their guide gets sick? 

In the photos you’ll see the crescent shaped mountain, steep streets where you skirt around animals and a stupa, a small Buddhist monument perched on a hill. 

On April 18th, I'm flying to San Diego to visit my sister. So we'll press the pause button on Nepal for a couple of weeks. I'll be wide eyed in SD and blog photos and stories from there.

 See you there!