Happy Halloween from Namche Bazaar

We made it to Everest Base Camp at 1:18 PM on 10/28. It was so neat! There were two expedition teams there - the Americans which had summitted successfully on 10/18 and still had their tents and gear there, and the Koreans which were not successful. The Korean team was still there so some people chatted with them a bit. We took photos next to the American flag and Tibetan flags marking EBC and also of Khumbu Icefall. Wow - scary. On the way up we actually saw a sherpa carrying about 6 ladders which they use to get across the glacier. We also saw the Russian helicopter that crashed a few months ago sadly killing 24 people. It was right next to EBC it's sad it wasn't able to land.

Yesterday we had a long trek - from Dingboche to here - 9 hours and 2 days worth. On one of the steep downhills, Jeff holding on to a tree while peeing got knocked by a yak which tweaked his knee a little. So we decided to take it easy and split up the return trip.

Yesterday we bought airline tickets back to Kathmandu for 11/2 for some airline (TBD) and for some time (TBD) and for that matter it might not even be the 2nd. We have to reserve our seats the day before. It's odd -they take the money say they'll make some calls and then we'll figure it out when we get to Lukla.

We've taken lots of photos and have a lot of stories to relay, but will save that for the cheaper internet places in KTM. Patrick - feel free to share this blog site with the rest of people from work as long as it doesn't remind them too much that I'm gone. Ha! :-) Thanks also for the comments and thanks to Jeff and Shelley for taking such good care of the cats. Liz's parents emailed that they were doing well - thanks again! Koleen - our email should still be working. Everyone else - our yahoo email is trekking_barris@yahoo.com - we love to get messages and hear what's going on. And by the way - how are the Tigers doing in the World Series? Also, Scott - Jeff brought your trekking book you loaned me accidentally so we have it and will give you a Borders gift card when we return the book. Everyone else who loaned us books - they are safely at home.

Happy Halloween everyone. Our Halloween costumes are smelly trekkers! Two days until shower time. Happy trails - Love Liz and Jeff

October 23, Namche Bazaar

Greetings from the Khumba Region! Our flight from KTM to Lukla was a little scary - we sat right behind the pilots and could see their cheat sheets and watch them fly the plane just above the mountain range. A little hairy and there was rain. Nice that the windshield wipers didn't work when they turned them on.

Our hike from Lukla to Padhing - day 1 of hike - was great although it's been rainy. Today it even snowed and now there's a fresh layer everywhere. Just wanted to say a quick hello. The price here for one minute is about what it is for an hour at normal elevations. Signing off - love Liz and Jeff

October 21, Tihar Festival

Today is the 3rd day of the Tihard Festival which is the 2nd largest festival in Nepal (1st largest in India). This festival is 5 days - the first day honors the crow, the 2nd day the dog, the 3rd cows, the 4th bullocks, and the 5th brothers and sisters honor each other. We missed the 1st day, but in Dhulikel did see a lot of dogs with flowered colors and bright spots on their foreheads. The guidebooks make it sound quite comical as they say that dogs here are normally kicked and mistreated, so they must find it odd to truly be king for a day. The reason is that dogs lead the dead in their afterlife to somewhere... The 4th day of the festival marks the beginning of the New Year for the Newari people (the people here in Kathmandu). Throughout the festival the Goddess of wealth supposedly visits homes that are candlelit at night. We did a lot of candle flickering inside homes. The last day, brothers and sisters exchange gifts - the girls give the boys food and the boys give their sisters money!

October 19-21 Dhulikhel to Kathmandu

We stood in line trying to leave Tibet for about 3 hours on the morning of the 19th and then drove for about 10 minutes dodging buses, people, and other obstacles through no-man's-land until we got near the Nepal-side. There we carried all our stuff across the border (customs and immigation) (and the river which is the divider) and hopped on another bus. Most other travellers were in 4WD vehicles, but we were in a bus that nearly toppled over in the potholes. Actually Brett told us that our Nepali guide was actually in a bus the week prior that did roll over. 5 hours and 90 km later we were at Dhulikhel.

Dhulikhel is a small town set in the hills of the Kathmandu valley about 30k from Kathmandu. The hotel was superb. Not a resort by normal standards, but compared to the Jail Cells - heaven. The food excellent, views, balconies, TVs with HBO - complete relaxation. We spent 2 nights there. Yesterday during the day the manager from the hotel took us on a walk through the countryside which was neat. We went past a school that was playing games outside - including cock fights (boys hold one ankle behind their back and jump around on one leg trying to knock each other over) and saree racing (girls tie on a saree as fast as they can and then run - not holding it - down the other end of the field). We also got to ride on top of a few local buses like the Nepali do on our way to Panauti to see a Hindu temple. While Tibet was Buddhist, Nepal is 85% Hindu. The hotel manager spent some time talking about the different Gods and explaining the caste system.

At Panauti we actually got to see a cremation at a holy Ghat. The temple there is considered to be very sacred because 3 rivers merge there (1 underground and 2 above ground). When we got to the temple we saw the beginning of the cremation procession. The body was carried down by presumably his two sons (it was a man because we could see pants on the body) and they circled the pile of wood logs 3 times before setting it down. They then said some things and lit the mouth on fire which flamed high - they must have put an accelerant inside the mouth. Then they lit the head and started to light the wood beneath. The sons then bathed in the river and sat waiting. Afterward they would shave their heads except for one lock and then wear light clothes, not eat food prepared outside the household and do a series of other things for mourning. It was interesting and we all sat watching for about 20 minutes. Our guide said that the body would take a few hours to burn. Children (under 2 years) are not burned when they die because they are thought to still be pure so instead their bodies are weighted down in the river. Previews of what we'll see in Varanasi, India.

Today, after 2 days of great food and room service, we drove into Kathmandu. The food here is great! We've already eaten 4 donuts and had real Italian food for lunch. Tonight is the last supper with the group. Tomorrow our flight leaves at 11:15 for Lukla. The plan is to hike up to the Nepal EBC and then possibly do a few side trips before heading back. We don't know if we'll have internet on the trail and will be back to KTM in 15-25 days. We are leaving books here and extra things so our packs are really light - yay!

Love you all and look forward to hearing more comments/emails on our return. Liz and Jeff

October 17 - 18, Tingri and Zhangmu (Dram)

The lodging at Tingri is what Brett and the rest of us soon afterward referred to as JAIL. The common room was nice, but the rooms - small cells with no windows and cots. Fortunately there was a common shower which we could use and also a very cute kitty. Jeff ended up playing Show with our driver, U2, and another driver most of the night while Liz sat close to the stove and chatted with the group. Another saving grace was that we did have a great view of Everest (Chomolungma the Tibetan name) and of another tall peak.

The drive on the 18th to the Nepal/Tibet border town Dram (Tibetan name) /Zhangmu (Chinese) was gorgeous. We started in the morning with a 5200 meter pass and then by lunch were at 3600 meters and then started descending toward Nepal. As we got toward Dram the scenery changed dramatically from the sandy dusty highplains to green trees and water falls. The town of Dram is situated on a hillside with the shops and homes built lunging off the side of the switchbacks. The hotel here was nice, but interesting as our room was above the restaurant so we had to walk through the dining hall and then up more floors.

October 16, Rongphu Monastery

We travelled over 2 passes measured at 5200 meters and 5220 meters to Rongphu Monastery. One of the passes showed 4 of the world's 14th tallest peaks. Everest, Lhotse, and I'm not sure on the other two names, but have a photo of them.

Accomodations at the Monastery Guest House were very basic - 4 people to a room, broken windows, and cots. Upon arrival we walked to look at Everest and sat down to watch the sunset. It was gorgeous and very impressive. That night after dinner in a common room at the guest house we played Show, talked with other trekkers and cyclists from around the world and then went to sleep. We slept at 4950 meters and were the only ones of the group who really got any sleep. The next morning we started hiking at 8:30 AM to Everest Base Camp. It was very cold. The water froze in our water bottles on the way there. It was 8 km each way and as I wrote earlier, we made it in record time. We took a lot of photos and a video of us hanging/tying our katjia (white prayer flags we were given on arrival into Lukla) on a pole marking Everest Base Camp. It was very exciting and the Tibetan people cheered us as soon as they realized what we were doing.

We all had lunch at the Hotel California. Surprisingly there are quite a number of tents at EBC where you can get meals and even stay the night. According to the Lonely Planet, this is quite different from the Nepali EBC that notes only having trash from previous expeditions. The tea house, Hotel California was named after a few trekkers who passed through years ago that were from California. Our entire group was able to hike up which was impressive. About 2/3 of us hiked back down - a few hopped in a horse draw carriage. Once back at the Monastery we all hopped back into the Land Cruisers and headed for Tingri.

October 15th Sakya (10-21 logged in)

It's been awhile without internet, so even though today is not the 15th we thought it would be easiest to follow to enter logs/photos for each day. Using Jeff's notes which he was able to write in the bouncing Land Cruiser and the Lonely Planet, here goes...

Actually before Sakya after writing in Shigatse, we took our Tibetan "Show" game to a park and ended up playing, more like getting our butts kicked, with a few Tibetan kids. It was fun and we drew quite a crowd. Afterward we walked the Cora around the monastery which was very picturesque and gave a good view of the city below.

Sakya, elevation 4280 meters, used to be Tibet's capital. Today it is a small town. Although we had planned to visit the monastery it was closed when we got there and all of us were a bit "monasteried-out" to wait. Instead we saw a Protector Chapel that had wolves (full body) hanging from the enterance. Poor taxidermy! We also watched a few local people separating the barley grain from the straw which looked like time consuming work. Afterward we went for a walk along a hillside, past a few Stupas to a nunnery. About 10-12 school kids followed or rather in some cases, were leading us to show us different things. Some sections of the walk were narrow with about 12" room bfore cliff face drops. On the way back to town, we saw an old Tibetan door with a Mickey Mouse on it - very out of place.

October 18, outside Tingri

We made it to Everest Base Camp!!! Wahoo! This is going to be very quick as we are on a lunch stop and so after ordering I (Liz) ran out quick to share the good news. Jeff and Liz are doing great! We slept 10/16 at Rongpu Monastery which is at 4950 meters and the next day hiked the 8 km each way trek to Base Camp (just over 5200 m). The trek normally takes 2 hours and we did it in 1:22 there and 1:09 back. We were first each way!! Anyway - I'm sure my yak burger is almost ready as this is slow so must run. Actually - it's fried vegetables. Yak is pretty gnarly so Jeff has been going mainly vegetarian too. Love us - we won't have internet for a few more days. Tomorrow we cross the border into Nepal and then have 2 nights at a "resort". We'll be in Kathmandu 10/21. Our guide was able to get us tickets to Lukla for 10/22 so we'll fly into the Everest Region on the Nepal side to hike then. Okay - really must go. Love us

We've Added New Photos to Earlier Posts

Check them out!!

October 14, Shigatse

Last we wrote we were loading up in the Land Cruisers leaving Lhasa for the Tibetan Himalayas. We drove about 5 hours to Samye. Jeff and Liz nicely got an English speaking driver with just one other person - Alain (French Canadian snorer). He's quiet and until recently we thought he was the perfect co-passenger. We've realized he likes to stop to take photos of absolutely everything - and he's not quick about it either. Needless to say, group travel is interesting. In total we have 4 land cruisers, two of which have 4 passengers and the driver makes 5. We feel pretty comfortable.

In Samye we visited the monastery (go figure) which is about 30 km west of Tsetang if you are trying to find it on a map. The monastery was founded in 775 and was the first monastery in Tibet. After visiting the monastery, Jeff and Liz went on a hike to see a Stupa and get a better view of the monastery. At one time there were 108 buildings within the monastery complex, most of which were destroyed during the "Cultural Revolution". The monastery was surrounded by a huge wall with supposedly 10,008 mini-stupas on top. Near the wall were also about 1000 prayer wheels which mark the cora. To end the hike, Liz and Jeff ran/slid down the backside of the ridge which was a huge sand dune. Fun! During our walk through town we noticed that the Chinese are really moving in and rebuilding the area. This is very controversial and we see large military encampments everywhere.

We stayed at the Monastery Guesthouse which is where Brett taught us to play the Tibetan game "Show". The guesthouse was very basic with bunk-style rooms and the gnarliest smelling bathroom. We slept 4 in our room, with another 5 in an adjoining room, and the rest in another room. Meals were also basic.

The next morning we started at 6:30 AM for a 13-hour drive to Gyantse. It was a long drive, but a fun one as most of it was off-road. We also saw the beautiful Yamdrok-Tso Lake which is at 15,739 feet (approx4797 meters) and was turqoise blue. Unfortunately, it was a little cloudy, but we still managed to get a few good photos included photos on top of Yaks! From there we drove back down toward another pass to Gyantse. That pass was 16,041 ft. Again, Jeff and Liz feel great! A few are feeling some affects of the altitude, but not us. Yay! Gyantse was at about 3950 meters. We slept there and to our surprise, the hotel room had a bath. We soaked in the tub for about 30 minutes - heaven after the Sayke Monastery. In the morning we saw the Gyantse Monastery, hiked up to a fort, and then drove to Shigatse which is where we are now.

And, we almost forgot - our hike in Lhasa was a bit of an adventure. We started early in the morning when it was still dark and 4 of us - Jeff, Liz, Colin (Brit), and Yap (the Dutchman) to climb up the 5100 meter peak. We got up just about 4000 meters when the vultures came. Not just one, but hundreds and flying very close that you could see there eyes, mouths, individual feathers on their bellies, and hear the swoosh, swoosh on the wings and their calls to each other. Evidentally we were equidistant between 2 sky burial sites. In Tibet, when people die the bodies are taken up to these sky burial sites, chopped up, and feed to the vultures to complete the cycle of life. This usually happens about 40 days after death so the people believe that the soul has moved on. Brett, our guide has witnessed two and told us how the vultures will devour a body - skeleton and all - in 10 minutes. The bones end up getting crushed and mixed with "sampa" a barley and sugar mixture so that the birds will eat them. With this in mind, it was pretty scary when we started getting attacked. Because there was no trail to begin with which made the journey perilous to start, and Liz was still getting over her flu, we decided to head back into town and have a beer at the Yak hotel.

Yesterday we arrived in Shigatse and Jeff went to the market to buy the game "Show". We've been playing since. Shigatse is the 2nd largest town in Tibet. This morning we walked around the Tashilhunpo Monastery which was interesting - there are 620 monks there according to our local guide which was built in 1447. Apparently, about 2 weeks ago a western guide and tour group were all thrown in jail at this monastery because the guide was talking about the Tibetan and Chinese 11th Ponchinlamas which is very very political. The group was locked up for 3 days and the guide for 2 weeks. So, we've been careful not to say much as there are spies lurking and a Chinese jail sounds horrible. The monastery has the giant future Buddha statue inside which is nearly 27 meters high.

We also saw where the Chinese are now re-constructing the Shigatse Fortress which was knocked down during the "Cultural Revolution". Now realizing this can be a source of tourism revenue, great effort is being made to reconstruct it. Supposedly the structure looked like a mini-Potola Palace.

Tomorrow we leave for another monastery in Sakya and then the next day we will be at the Rongphu Monastery which next to North Everest Base Camp. That night we will sleep at 4900 meters and then make the 8 km trek one-way to Everest Base Camp, and then back. From there we travel to Tingri at the Nepali-border and then on to Kathmandu. We will not have internet until Kathmandu and then will only be there one day. Brett, our guide, is trying to make us flight reservations from Kathmandu to Lukla for 10/22, but it is the busy season so we'll see if we can get them. Lukla is where Jeff and Liz will begin their trek to the Nepali side of Everest Base Camp.

Hope all is well with you all. Thanks for the comments. It's fun to hear from you! Much love, Liz and Jeff

Oct. 9, Lhasa Tibet

Greetings from Tibet! We've been here 3 days and leave Wed. AM on our 8-day land-cruiser voyage to Nepal.

We are at about 3400 meters according to Jeff's watch - 3700 according to the book. Lhasa is the holy city of Tibet and the home of the Dalai Lamas (all except the 14th which we can't discuss [there are Chinese police and video cameras everywhere]). The weather has been really sunny and warm during the day, but drops down to about 35 F at night.

The first day here we went to the Jokhang Temple which was constructed on what was thought to be the heart of the demoness that was keeping Buddhism from being spread during the 7th century. There was a lake there which the 33rd king ordered be filled in and the temple be constructed. This is Tibet's holiest shrine. We first got there and walked around the 3 story temple, and then at 6 PM the locals were allowed in for free and a huge line emerged. At 7 PM the monks started chanting which was neat to hear. After that we went to the worst Tibetan restaurant ever which gave Liz serious food poisoning! Night 1 was vomitting and diahrrea; day 2 couldn't eat, and night 2 a temperature of 100.2. Jeff was a sweetheart and nursed Liz back to health complete with holding her hair while she puked, rubbing her tummy, and getting more water in the middle of the night.

The next morning we had 2.5 hour Tibetan language course (initially meant to be 1 hour but we have some very zealous, nerdy group members trying to out do each other with their more complicated sentences that it took forever). Classically, right afterward we all resorted to "hello" and "how much" instead of "tashi delek"...

After the class we took a bus out to the Sera Monestery which is on the side of a mountain to hear the monks debate. That was quite entertaining and we got some good photos. The monks loved the attention. In a large courtyard there were a couple hundred monks paired off with one sitting on the ground asking a question and the other directly in front responding and then slapping his hand to emphasize the points. Sera Monestary was founded in 1419 and has about 600 monks who attend 3 different colleges. We skipped the group dinner as Liz was sick and got an early night.

Yesterday, we saw the Potola Palace, winter home of the Dalai Lamas. Apparently getting to see this is getting to be more difficult each year and next year the rates will be trippled to 300 yuan. We needed to inquire ahead, get a permit, show passports, they kept our passports, and can only see it in 1 hour. It is huge and multilevels - 13 stories! This is where Brad Pitt's 7 Years in Tibet was filmed. The building was started in 1645 during the reign of the 5th Dalai Lama and took over 50 years to complete. Many of the Dalai Lamas have been buried here. One of the shrines was made of 498 kg of solid gold plus thousands of jewels. It was 5 meters wide and 7 meters tall. Very impressive.

After Potola Palace we ate a small lunch, tried a pancake (thanks Dad for the tip), and went shopping at the Barkhor which is a kora (pilgrim circuit) that proceeds clockwise around the outside of the Jokhang Temple and is loaded with shops. Only these vendors must have litterally thought Jeff was Brad Pitt because they started asking prices at about 3 times what we would pay in the US. That was a little frustrating, but fortunately there isn't anything we need. Jeff does want a large horn that collapses down (Mom want to carry that back from Bangkok?). Ha! We will try to bargain again today as the Chinese Golden Week holiday ended yesterday so there may be less tourists to buy.

Speaking of Jeff looking like Brad Pitt, he has had Chinese women ask to take their photo with him at various places, and then yesterday two women told them they loved him and wanted to marry him and asked where his wife was! He immediately turned to grab Liz and said - she's right here.

Yesterday afternoon Brett, our guide, who by the way is excellent (he spent 10 months teaching English here in Lhasa and is very knowledgeable on the area and Buddhism) arranged for us to visit a hospital and meet with a Tibetan doctor. The doctor went over the medical tonkas (which are the religious paintings) and described how Buddhism, astrology, and medicine intertwine. He also mentioned that they still do blood letting and have 77 points for blood letting, and that rural doctors taste people's urine as a quick diagnostic test. They have the urine, pulse, and color of the tongue and eyes for dianostic tests. He also mentioned that they cure stuttering by rolling back the tongue in a metal vice and slicing it at the base which separates the vein in two and is a form of blood letting. He said the patients always say it works because if not, they do it again. Ha! Very primitive by our standards.

Today we visit a blind massage school, and then tomorrow is completely free. Several of us are going to try to hike up to the top of a nearby peak that is 5100 m. We'll see how we do. We probably won't have internet until we reach Kathmandu - although Brett keeps talking about some resort we'll be at for 2 days at the border which might. Love Liz and Jeff

October 5, Chengdu

We've got a lot to write since our last entry...

Last we were off to the Homestay about 5 hours outside of Langmusi. While waiting for the bus, we saw 6 tiny little piggies about 8" long - very cute. When mommy piggy left, Liz snorted at them and they turned to listen and then Jeff let out a much louder snort, and then they squeeled and ran off making screaching noises.

We stopped at a Nomadic tent on the way to the homestay and our local guide asked this woman who happened to live near the road if all 12 of us could see the inside. She obliged and let us in to 12 x12 room with a stove and fire to burn yak dung for heat. There was also hanging meat that was drying and some more fresh meat sitting on a plate. Also inside the tent was a huge pile of dried yak dung about 5.5 feet tall.

From there we went to the Homestay which is considered a "winter home" for nomads. The woman we visited earlier in the day said that she and her husband and children would be moving to their "winter home" in a few days; she was 34. A "winter home" is made of bricks and has a similar stove / yak dung burning pit, a concrete floor and windows. The 12 of us plus our guide slept inside. Dinner was cabbage, veggie soup. We couldn't help, but be a little disgusted that the primary chef was not only our bus driver, but also Nan, the 67-year old grandma who would rekindle the fire by adding dung, and then roll the noodles. Needless to say, Jeff and Liz didn't eat much and about 8 hour later a few group members were feeling the affects.

Even though we didn't eat too much, there was beer and good conversation. The evening was cold and we all slept very close together. A few hours after going to bed, Allane (the French Canadian) fired up the chainsaw with his snoring that could break glass. No joke - we all woke up and then woke him up. Not only was it super loud, but inconsistent and then he'd choke and gasp for air. We were at about 11,000 feet there.

In the morning we watched our local guide pour 3 cups of oil into a pot to make scrambled eggs. We all kept saying, less oil, until finally Jeff just grabbed the pot and took over completely - hooray! Nan was shocked by how little oil we used, but seemed to like them as well.

From the homestay we drove 7 hours to a small town toward Chengdu in the snow. It snowed all day and was pretty chilly on the bumpy bus. We stopped to take photos at the first bend in the Yellow River where it meets the White River, and then continued to follow the White River. That drive was yesterday, and also Collin, the Englishman's birthday. We arrived at the hotel around 6 PM and all met up for a birthday beer, followed by a long-awaited hot shower. Yay! Then a birthday dinner. Last night's hotel was the first on our trip that we've had that had a squatty toilet. All the toilets in route have been squatty with the gas station variety being just a raised concrete floor with a small cut out for the crap to fall down beneath. Sometimes we think actually peeing on our legs would be more pleasant than using them. Ha! But the shower was great - Jeff was in it for 40+ minutes. It had been 3 days since he had showered. Dinner last night was a buffett which was good. Jeff found a dish that he loved - potatoes and pork.

This morning we woke up with sore throats from inhaling too much yak dung smoke! The day started early - 6 AM - with a 7 hour drive to Chengdu. The ride was uneventful, but long. We got in around 1 PM to a great hotel - very clean and normal toilets. Hooray! We had lunch and then went to the Giant Panda Breeding Center which was very cool. We got to see infant pandas through glass that were in incubators born Aug. 6, August 7 and August 13. Interestingly, two twin sisters each gave birth to two sets of twins within 24 hours. The 4 were in the incubators plus another one. We also saw some juvenille pandas playing. They were really rough housing and pushin each other off the play gym. We watched them for about 30 minutes. There were also adult pandas and red pandas, and an informational video. It was very cool.

Too bad we have such a nice hotel and have to leave so early tomorrow. We are meeting at 5:20 AM for the early flight to Lhasa. We will be there for 5 days and will have internet. We're going to try to upload a few photos now. Love Liz and Jeff

October 3, Langmusi

We arrived in Langmusi about 8 PM the day before last after driving 5 hours from Labrong. Langmusi is a very small Tibetan town in the Gansu/Sichuan provinces - half the town is in one province. The town is surrounded by high peaks, steep grassy meadows and evergreen forests.

The day we arrived we all went to eat at Lesha's which is infamous for its humongous portions and most notably the large yak burger. One guy in our group, Florian, attempted the large yak burger which if you eat the whole thing you get to design a shirt and put it on the wall. Before starting, he inquired where the restrooms were, then started the greasy burger, and about 1/2 way excused himself. Ha! Very knarly. Jeff and Liz opted for the vegetarian American burger which we were happy didn't also have meat in it.

The next day after banana, chocolate pancakes which were a treat, we headed out for an acclimitazation hike and tour of the town. We went by the Dachang Lamo Kerti Gompa which has about 700 monks in it studying medicine, astrology, and philosophy. It was built in 1413 and was very colorful inside. Our local guide, Derja, told us all about the various Gods, Lamas, and rituals which is a lot of information. Outside the gompa there were a lot of Tonkas (Tibetan religious paintings) and one of the most interesting was the Wheel of Life which illustrates how karma can predict the next reincarnation of life. The good reincarnations are Gods, Demigods, and humans with humans being the best as they are the only one capable of acheiving enlightenment - nirvana. The worst are animals, hell, and the skinny necked large bellied ghosts (greedy hungry spirits).

From there we walked along the White Dragon River passing prayer wheels that were being spun by the flow of the river. We walked to a sacred Tiger Cave and then past through the valley into a deep gorge. We ended up hiking for about 4 hours with gorgeous scenery. We had packed a lunch so ate along the way, and then many of us opted to scramble up the side of the gorge gaining about 1000 ft according to Jeff's altimeter.

Last night the group went out for a dinner that took forever. October 1 marked the week-long beginning of Chinese Independence so everyone has a week-long holiday. During this time hotels and restaurants are crowded, especially Beijing as people go to see Chairman Mao's mausoleum. The food was good and we got an early night.

Today we are going to walk around the Serti Gompa which is the smaller monastery and then drive to a homestay. Bye for now - Liz and Jeff