Today is an acclimatization day in Namche Bazar. We did a 2.5-mile hike up to the Tenzing Interpretive Center, just above 12,000 feet, but otherwise our assignment for the day is to rest, explore the town a little, and practice breathing at this elevation.
Namche is an incredibly cool town. The only way to get here is a 12-mile hike (or by helicopter, if you’re hopelessly rich), but it’s an entire town with dozens of hotels, bars, pool halls, movie rooms, and shops. Dustin said, “it’s like hiking to the top of Mt. Washburn and finding Deadwood at the top.”
The buildings are settled snuggly on terraces in a U-shape around the rim of the crease in the mountainside. A stupa greets you as you enter at the bottom, and colorful buildings that look as if they’re built of legos rise up on either side. a central flight of stairs functions as a kind of Main Street, with a stream running along the side, turning a beautiful series of prayer wheels. Streets branch off to either side at regular intervals, but from there, take other streets or sets of stairs at your own risk, as many will peter out into someone’s back garden or just a surprise drop-off.
We raided the shops for postcards (let us know if they ever come – I have no idea what to expect of Yak Mail) and I let the shopkeepers talk me into a batch of itty-bitty prayer flags for my backpack (world’s most obvious tourist and I just don’t care) and this awesome yak hat.
Afterwards, we parked in the Liquid Bar (run by a friend of Surya’s) for a snack and to catch the afternoon Everest-themed movie, which happened to be Sherpa, about the 2014 avalanche that killed 16 Sherpas and caused protests that canceled the climbing season for two years in a row., Lighthearted stuff.
For our snack, we ordered a plate of masala peanuts, which turned out to be peanuts tossed with tomatoes, carrots, onions, and ginger. A little row of sliced chilies decorated the side of the plate. I don’t know what made me decide to taste one – I’m usually much more cautious about spicy things – but it was so hot that I sat there in the dark, weeping and gnawing on a raw carrot because my hot chocolate was obviously not going to solve the problem.
Dustin laughed at me, but I heard him sitting over there sniffling as he worked his way (intentionally) through the rest of the chilies.
We returned to the hotel for dinner. We have been advised to eat only vegetarian meals, and to stick with foods that are strong suits for the locals, which means we’ve been eating a lot of “dal bhat.” This is a delightful meal comprised of a cup of lentil soup (dal), a bowl of curried-whatever-is-growing-behind-the-guesthouse (usually potatoes, carrots, and cabbage), a pile of garlic-fried greens, a bigger pile of rice, and sometimes a small dish of local pickles. Pickled what? We have no idea. Some days it’s as spicy as those movie theater chilies, some days it’s simply delicious.
Apples for dessert, then off to bed in our unheated (but totally protected from the rain, thank goodness) room.
Tomorrow, we head up to Tengboche, and get our first glimpse of Everest, if the clouds deign to part.
Thither & Yon 