The Last (?) Pass and the long way out

Bare with this post....it's been almost 2 weeks since I've had a chance to get online and 3 weeks since we were in Nepal. It's harder and harder to want to sit down at a computer when the big decisions are where to eat next and what to see and do......somehow the computer doesn't rate very high.....
To finish off this post we are leaving beautiful Gokyo and coming to the end of our high altitude trek.....

Heading up to our last Pass (5360m - 17,580') Sad to leave Gokyo, but ready for some warmer weather...

Becky boldly heading up to Renjo La....The altitude was slowly wearing her down  and making me want more and faster.....not a great combo..Luckily for both of us, we were not effected by any true altitude sickness... Only light headaches from not enough water......

...Well,  my headaches did take the "umph" out of my stride. I'd down copious amount of water I thought, but it was never enough. My secret power food became Snickers bars! They'd get me up the last part of the passes. (B)

Are you sick of seeing Everest yet....Well this was the last view of the trip from Renjo La ... We "think" it's all  down hill from here on out......

The last pass and the last prayer scarf.... Good weather and good health were ours  through  the Khumbu....

Um, well except for the day we both ate something for lunch that became very unpleasant later. Then the cold I caught from some inconsiderate cough-er going on in the marginally warm huts.  But it was lovely...really! (B)

Becky is less than thrilled and is looking for the 1st hot shower...I'm looking for  another  trek....

Ok, so the scenery and hiking were phenominal, but at this point the stench of my own self coupled with one unpleasant physical ailment after another was getting to me. I admit. (B)

Pasang is happy that, as old as we looked, we didn't walk that way....
3 days early on our trek makes for a big bonus for the boy...No lacking for prayer flags at this pass.

3,000' down to Lumde ......our village for the night. Note that  there will be no more pictures of  Everest...

But every time we saw it, it took my breath away. Really massive. I can't believe I was that close to it! (B)

Lumde, site of the best pizza on the trek, but I only had 3........... Noticeably warmer @ 4300m - 14,100' 

Pasang, Ganesh & Becky overlooking Thame (3750m -12,300') Beautiful spot, great guesthouse (with shower) and sunshine to warm you after....Ganesh has been carrying our gear for the last couple of weeks, but we rarely see him as he grabs our duffle in the morning and runs off to the next village and waits. Here in Thame we decided that we didn't want the trek to end, so instead of flying out of Lukla back to Kathmandu.....lets walk, it's only 6 more days and "all" down hill...Ganesh agrees to carry our gear and act as guide....... 

Thame was memorable for it's many farms in the valleys and a signed walking route that went my many Buddhist historical sites. (B)

Our view from the guest house in Thame after a great hike up to the monastery in the clouds...our fist clouds in weeks.

Hiking down from Thame to Namche the small villages were
mazes of rock walled paths and each village had it's little
monastery.

Back to Namche Bazaar for the night with Ama Dablam looking over the ridge

Ama Dablam was my favorite peak to see though. It was easily recognize no matter the angle we saw it from. We have a beautiful painting in our home of this mountain, given to us as a wedding gift by our friends Jody and Jacquie.

Back to the trees and river crossings 

We sadly leave Pasang at his home in Chheplung and
head out with Ganesh as our leader. Basically we have
given up our 45 minute flight to Kathmandu to hike
out for 6 days and a 12 hour bus ride....Maybe
the altitude did affect us. 

It seemed immediately the trail has changed, very few westerners hiking and  this is the main trail for all supplies coming into the Khumbu that aren't flown in. On mules or backs.....

Gannesh leading out with the duffle bag (only 20 kilos) thru some unusual oak trees

Did I mention that each of the 6 days involves 2-3 thousand feet in elevation loss and gain. We had 4 more passes to hike over and each was about 9,000' then down to the river and across the bridge and up the next pass.  The terracing of the fields was endless and amazing......the vivid greens and the houses perched above... 

We met Veronique, Lawrent (from Quebec) & Chong (from Penang, Malaysia) on the trek out and had originally met them flying in at the beginning of the trek. Here Veronique and Becky "enjoy" a 2 & 1/2 hour lunch wait for food....Pick your lunch spot carefully and everyone order the same thing.......

Lawrent crossing the Dudh Kosi river...the final
"Goodbye to the Khumbu" The bridge was over 100 meters long.

Lawrent and Becky coming in for day 3 of
a 2 & 1/2 hour lunch. We don't learn very
fast.

An actual road winding thru the terraced fields. Not on our side of the valley, but progress marches on and one day all the way to Everest Base Camp.......

On our last pass and last hiking day we finally found a Nepali  "Cheese Factory". We bought big chunks for the Bus ride tomorrow and  over ate while we watched him stir the pot......

That night we arrived in Shivalaya and had our last meal with Ganesh, who we found to have better English than he let on and sent him on his way... Early in the morning we jumped on the forever bus to Kathmandu  for the short ride to Jiri (turned out to be 2 & 1/2 hours) and then the flat tire stop followed by the tire repair stop followed by the lunch stop followed by the back seat bounce all the way back.......

While replacing the flat the riders on the top of the bus didn't want to lose their seats on the soft bundles or our bags. Before every police check point the bus would stop and every one would get off the bus and hike up into the woods. The bus would roll through the check point  and then stop just beyond to pick-up the roof top riders....Naturally, riding on the roof is "illegal".

So back in Kathmandu, we spent our time packaging our trekking gear to send back home, eating, showering and eating some more. We checked in with the"Sherpa Society", who organized our guide and porter and Pasang (another one) invited us to have dinner with his mother at their home...... What a treat and such a kind gesture. Of course we had Dal Bhat and it was a beautiful home..... We figured out how we wanted to leave Nepal ( on Thanksgiving Day)....Of course by bus to the border (the most comfortable so far) and pay our way out of border control with our expired visa.....and hired car to Varanasi (Benares)...Thus ends our Nepal Tour......     Hopefully I'll have a chance to get caught up here.......