These past three days have involved a significant amount of driving. The landscapes have been breathtaking, and we've made stops every couple of hours at various viewpoints or points of interest. Each leg of the journey takes around 10 hours. The cultural contrasts are quite intriguing, and I plan to write a dedicated post about those insights. Each day of driving includes at least two checkpoints where our passports are collected and checked against our Tibet Permit. At every tourist stop, there are numerous souvenir vendors, many of whom are quite pushy. One new experience for me was the setup for special photo opportunities for a fee. You could pose with a yak, hold an adorable small goat, stand in front of a Harley, be surrounded by large mastiffs, or pose atop a jeep with someone dressed as a singer, among other imaginative setups. The hotels here are certainly different from what Americans typically know, but they have been uniquely comfortable. The visit to Everest Base Camp was not what I had anticipated nor how it was described by our guide. There are four base camps—three for tourists and one for climbers. This was disappointing because it would have been fascinating to see climbers preparing in action. The accommodations were entirely new since our guide's last visit. They consisted of several tent-like structures covered in yak hair. Inside, there were modular units with six individual cubicles, each furnished with a bed and a nightstand. The common area of each tent had some chairs, a couch, a sink, and a hot water dispenser. My bed was equipped with an electric blanket beneath the sheet because there was no heat. I had a nice comforter and a cover. There are no showers on the entire site, which accommodates around 500 guests in these tents. It appeared there were about five communal bathroom units with squat toilets and urinals. I could charge my phone and had signal, but there was no time to use it. We arrived just in time for sunset and quickly sought out a high point for a good view of Everest. The summit was hidden by clouds, and we remained until dark, hoping for a fantastic shot, but sadly, it didn’t happen. It was cold and windy, but we were prepared. The next morning, we left our tents at 7 AM to catch the sunrise. This time we were fortunate, and it was stunning. Mount Everest is magnificent, and we felt incredibly lucky to see it all. Breakfast was quick and not very pleasant (warm, weak rice/lentil soup, a boiled egg, a steamed bun, and no coffee or tea). At 9 AM, we met our guide for a tour of a temple, where we witnessed the monks' morning chanting and their breakfast being served. We could take a few respectful pictures while inside. Arrival to and from the base camp is via an EcoBus, which is powered by natural gas. It takes about an hour to drive from the camp, after which we switch to our tour van and continue on another long drive with limited sightseeing. We had lunch at a nice place, but our guide warned us not to use the bathroom because it was reportedly extremely filthy. I plan to write an entry about restrooms, as I can't imagine how bad it must have been. We stopped about 30 minutes later to find a restroom. Everest Base Camp marked a new altitude high, and we all felt the difference. I think I previously mentioned that we lost a German member before leaving Lhasa because he couldn't acclimate and had to fly home. Yesterday, two of our group started feeling unwell and looked quite bad. Besides our tents, there were more comfortable rooms at nearby hotels that I was unaware of and wouldn’t have used anyway, but the two ill individuals opted for those. The rooms are supplied with oxygen so they can sleep with a higher concentration than normal, easing the strain on their lungs. Many guests were seen walking around with oxygen canisters, and some rented oxygen generators that they carried on their shoulders. Two others in our group are also feeling unwell, though not as severely as the two girls. I feel relatively good, but I walk slowly and need to rest occasionally after short flights of stairs. One group member brought a finger device to measure oxygen levels and heart rate. At my lowest, I recorded 85 for oxygen and a heart rate of 79. The heart works harder to distribute oxygen where it's needed. Due to the cold and lower oxygen levels at base camp, my fingers became quite cold, and I started to feel some tingling. However, I am still okay and continue to refuse oxygen, as I’ve been advised that using it now may render it less effective later. I actually feel fine, though slow and needing frequent breaks. My worst symptom has been trouble sleeping; I find it hard to reach a deep sleep, which seems to be common among the group. I’m hopeful for a good night’s rest tonight as I could really use it. You can tell it's
The lineup of table hosts for Chi Fan for Charity (CFFC) 2025 is almost complete.
This week, we have two new Italian restaurants, two new Lebanese places, a new COMMUNE RESERVE, and additional options on our To Try List.
These three days have involved a significant amount of driving. The views have been remarkable, and we've made stops at least every two hours at scenic overlooks or points of interest. Each leg of the journey takes around 10 hours to reach our destinations. The cultural differences have been quite intriguing, and I plan to write a separate entry detailing those observations. During our driving days, we encounter at least two checkpoints where they collect our passports and verify them against our Tibet Permit. At every tourist location, there were numerous trinket vendors, many of whom were quite assertive. What stood out to me were the people offering to take special photos for a fee. You could pose sitting on a yak, cradling a lovely small goat, beside a Harley, with large mastiffs, or standing on a jeep with someone dressed as a performer, among other creative setups.