I felt much better in the morning, but Lal's cold was worse. Perhaps I gave him mine. We decided to take it easy climbing to Gokyo, and would make two stops along the way. It is possible to walk all the way in one day, but the altitude change is great, and some people have died doing this.
For breakfast, I had a cinnamon pancake with an onion omelet and hot chocolate. We started the two and a half hour walk to Dole around 9 AM. The children at the lodge waved good-bye to us, and we descended a steep trail into the valley below. Spanish moss hung from the trees along the way. We crossed the river, and then steeply climbed the other side of the gorge. Lal's imitation ``Lowe'' backpack was starting to lose a shoulder strap, but it would hold for the day until we had a chance to fix it. For the rest of the day we would be climbing, but fortunately the walk was short, and we could rest often. We passed a couple of big waterfalls, and had spectacular views back down the valley to Phortse, Mt. Thamserku and Mt. Kangtega.
We arrived at the small village of Dole just before noon, and found a nice, spacious private room in a new lodge. Our room had two sunny windows, wood paneling, and colorful posters. The dining room had a stove and lots of windows. I had Ra Ra noodle soup and hot lemon for lunch. Then I helped Lal fix his backpack, using my sewing kit. We discussed our plans for after this trek. He said he would take me to the Annapurna Sanctuary on a 10 day trek for $25 a day. The company would charge $30 a day, but he didn't want them to be involved, since they would take a cut. He also didn't want them to find out about this arrangement, since they would not want to hire him again if they knew he was taking their customers. We would have a day in Kathmandu between treks to get trekking permits and plane or bus tickets, and to do some sightseeing.
By late afternoon, clouds had moved in, and the lodge was packed. I met a man and woman from Alaska. They commented that they weren't used to seeing so many people while hiking, since Alaska is mostly unpopulated. A man from Washington state was also staying here, with his girl friend. He was wearing exactly the same Extrasport pile jacket as I was. Since Extrasport makes boating gear, this brand is not often seen on the trail, but I had bought much of my equipment at a store called River Sports in Knoxville, which sells both whitewater and camping gear.
Some people on their way down from Gokyo said that there had been some problem with food poisoning at the highest lodge there, the Gokyo Resort, and a lot of people became sick. The Nepalis gathered close to the stove to play cards. A lot of yaks roamed outside. One rolled around on its back in the dust and then shook.
I met a man from New Zealand who had a degree in physics, but was now working in economics. He was slowly traveling across land to England, where he expected to find a job in banking. We discussed physics, especially grand unified theories and superstring theory, as well as traveling. He had not been to the United States yet. I also met a British woman who was born in America.
For dinner, I had dal bhatt with curried vegetables. The New Zealander ordered a yak steak with toast and made a yakburger. Then he ordered another one, with beer. When I went to bed, the sky was clear and starry. By now, Lal had no more problems opening my combination lock.
Scott A. Yost, 1994. All rights reserved.