vaga #7/4 Namche Bazaar

PART IV

Namche Bazaar

Namche Bazaar, a large village much bigger than Lukla and the last of the national park surrounded on all sides by beautiful snowy peaks and the first time I saw them. A typical village of the area with more than 2 thousand people and less than 500 houses (of course everything is approximate) it floods in high season, about 17 semi-labyrinth blocks on both slopes of a ravine with a small river in between. There is no flat land, you go up, you go down, a few streets are paved with stones. The architecture equals that of Lukla and here adapts beautifully and sometimes very curiously to the geography; there is a clear architectural line, all stone, window frames and doors painted in colours, usually a light blue but somewhat dark at the same time and bright. It was quite deserted, and many places were closed. The town is known for its fervent activity to be the place of acclimatisation by the forced height therefore the day is spent. It tastes like a hippie sports enclave with plentiful restaurants, internet cafés, bars and is supposed to be the most remote "Irish bar" in the world. The central town of the region, with police, mail, markets, a bank office and a couple of ATMs that are not guaranteed to always be filled with money. Helicopters can land only for emergencies, it is not a tourist route, the average temperature is 6 degrees and for electricity there is a small hydroelectric plant, although the minutes to recharge anything are counted. The atmosphere of the high mountain was felt, dry air, cold and the lack of oxygen when breathing. I loved everything, the walks we took with Rafa on the day off, left me with my tongue out, the height and steep streets like Valparaiso. The lower part is 3,440 m and if you go up to the last house you will be at 3,700 m

Our tea house was large and empty, pleasant in its basic services and designed to receive many trekkers. I took my last hot shower, and it was quite cold, numb all the time, obviously you had to pay for the warm "hot" water. Rafa did not touch the water for the 15 days and was happy without any problem with that, although I complained since we shared a room. At least at first, then we were both with the same stinky clothes and body. Gopal tells us that we just happened to have a Buddhist holiday and recommended seeing it. That comes in another chapter because it was impressive.

you enter through that sacred door, the stream turns the sacred drums when passing the water therefore they are always in motion, it is very magical the act of entering the town

It was the ideal place to settle and that's why I took my pc, with Internet signal, a book and the last one with access to hot water for showers. The rest of the next few days, without possibility since you enter distant and uninhabited valleys, there were only "tea houses" in key places for guests. I woke up feeling as good as the day before I left, neither a sore muscle, full of energy, nor symptoms of altitude sickness, I felt ready to go on, and I talked about it with Gopal. The climb of the previous day was the test for him, many and many especially women are discouraged from continuing, (it was hard) and they stay in the beautiful town, he told me – "you don't have any problem to keep going, madam" – and we moved on...... I kept having a good time.

from my window Buddhar eyes owaching or care for you..

Well, I did not stay at the end in Namche Bazaar, as I originally had thought with my pc and book and here comes the differences between someone who prepares to walk 15 days in the Himalayas, in times of rain, cold and height versus someone who went to accompany a son for as long as possible and wait for him, to go to look at the landscape and ended up doing the whole trek.

"Backpack", we crossed paths several days later with a couple of gringos on a lunch break and left the backpacks outside and there I saw my backpack next to theirs lol, mine looked like a schoolboy's backpack. Mine was small, without support or armour so that it does not touch your back and sweat on your clothes by rubbing, I had to go around changing my t-shirt in the breaks for a dry one that I carried in my backpack since I left them soaked. At night in the common fire, I dried the bra, breeches, socks, t-shirts, without any shame, it is survival. Nor did I have t-shirts of that "dry fit" that are taken out and that dry in a  second and that is what is used. In their backpacks they had the water included inside with a tube to drink without having to stop and take out the bottle, another tube hanging was the sunscreen, and several other hanging items that I did not understand. I showed them to Gopal, seeing them side by side, and he smiled..... theirs top, ultra technical, mine like a school bag.

"Physical preparation", talking to them during lunch they told us about their preparations. A year ago they began to program it and all the small ascents they made in the USA, first of two days to finish in 5 days as training. Me, in silence. The truth is that it has always favoured me to be athletic all my life and I do sport whenever I can but inconsistently, I did not always have the time, nor the conditions. My muscles are developed, however I was still surprised by the response to trekking since I was overweight by 10 kilos and now smoked.

"The boots", the most important part of the equipment. Mine were good, but they bothered me, I had already changed them a couple of months ago and bought some bigger ones and thick trekking socks, but it still hurt my nails. I was worried because I didn't want to use them because of the discomfort, and it wasn't minor. So I walked with sandals, I bought some good anklets to be affirmed in case of a slip and as long as it did not rain I continued with them. So like this I arrived over 5 thousand metres. Everyone, locals and trekkers who crossed my path did not take their eyes off them  when they saw me with sandals. hahahaha,. I gave the boots to Pemba at the end, as he carried them and I later learned that I had ingrown toenails, the reason for the annoyance.

"Braces", now another topic absolutely alien to trekking, I had put on braces in Jakarta about 15 days before, and I was walking with a major discomfort, I could not chew, and I did not know that they hurt so much until you got used to it, and it took me weeks. I only ate a little soup with noodles and mushrooms and nothing else. Gopal, began to worry about the lack of calories, asked me to eat strong things for the exercise, but I could not, then he asked to put two eggs in my soup Rafa mocked me, he also had braces as a boy and complained about the annoyance, he reminded me that I told him - the discomfort will end soon - without giving him more attention, and now it was time for his sweet revenge and with a sarcastic smile he told me -- the discomfort will end soon - and at least you have ibuprofen,  what I didn't have.

.

So, overweight, a school backpack, sandals for ingrown toenails, sore from the braces and drying clothes as soon as  I could, I continued day after day, totally out of what I expected. In the agency they were surprised to know that "madam" did the 14 days, and they congratulated me when they arrived since they were aware of my abilities and where they were going to leave me alone in some "tea house".

Nice surprise and a gift that life had kept for me

speaking of architecture of the area, it caught my attention in all the houses and accesses to enclosures several had curtains with symbols, either protection from evil spirits or for good vibes for the house, some are with geometric symbols. Behind the curtains is the door.

Namche Bazaar, I fell in love, and would return at any time, magic, beauty, mountains