Star Struck and Elevator Madness

Monday afternoon was spent walking a few of the nearby streets of Kathmandu.  This city is, bar none, the craziest and most charming place I have ever been.  The van trip from the airport to our hotel was a huge event!  There are motorcycles.  There are cars.  There are no rules.   It is utter chaos out there.  The cows laying in the road, stray dogs, humans, bicycles, and the occasional monkey all add to the mystique and craziness that is Kathmandu traffic.  I have never seen anything like it.  This unforgettable “road trip” ended abruptly as we pulled into the safety of the “Yak and Yeti“, our hotel for the next 2 nights.  The Yak and Yeti is the climber’s hotel of choice and Peak Promotion pulled out all the stops, with Wilderness Medical Society and Peak Promotion banners decorating the entrance and the lobby.  Today we had a little time in the afternoon and so we took a palace tour and shopped a little on the streets of Kathmandu.

Today, while touring our hotel, I ran into our trekking leader and legendary Sherpa, Wongchu.  While I had heard much about this man, it became rapidly apparent that the man with him was impressive as well, because standing to Wongchu’s left, was David Breashears!  What an amazing experience, talking with these two men who had been working together in the Himalayas since 1981.  I of course had to get a picture with these two legends!  The very photogenic David Breashears is on my left, with Wongchu Sherpa on my right.  Apparently, David recommended we don’t take the elevator in the Yak and Yeti.  I learned this while standing inside the elevator from a colleague as we were stuck between the 2nd and 3rd floor during a power outage.  I now heed David Breashears’ advice and take the stairs to our 5th floor room!

Tomorrow we will tour the streets a little more and take some time to prep for the trek.  The following day is planned for a formal city tour, with our sights on the Monkey Temple, the Hindu temple, Boudhanath, and the Buddhist temple, Pashupatinath. 

Lots more to come!