Early morning start to an eventful day! For the first time we had Everest and the surrounding peaks in our sight....beautiful, amazing, threatening, stunning! After a good hour and 20 minute climb, covering about 400m in altitude, we arrived! Breathtaking!

It is difficult to put into words what sometimes rocks you...this WAS one of those occasions! There is just something amazing and special about this mountain range, the stories I already heard, the adventure within me, the history! 1953 was the first successful ascent to Everest...60 years ago! Now, many countries are queuing up every year to fulfill individual dreams and stretch the human body to nearly impossible boundaries. Meanwhile in a lot of the villages here in Nepal, this has become an essential stream of income for most inhabitants. Katmandu alone exploded from a small city (approx 400.000 people) 20yrs ago to a metropole of more than 4 million people. Just some 4-5 yrs ago, Katmandu was not bigger than about 1,5 million! Things have changed! Only 4 yrs ago, Nepal rid itself from their king and since then became a republic!

Then again, a lot of things stayed the same... Poverty and illiteracy are still very high and it is difficult to find a decent a decent school outside of Katmandu. Children have to wander for hours in the moor inns and afternoons through mountains to get to schools. I met an expat Nepali on the plain, he was arriving from Saudi Arabia, where he works for 6 months of the year, one month off, as a laborer. family back in Nepal. Not easy... But what also remained is the attraction of Everest! And the increased development in technology and medicine seems to make an Everest expedition more accessible than ever....it still remains an amazing feat by any standards.....!!

After returning to the guest house, a (luxury) hot shower and into a local coffee shop for some apple pie and Lavazza coffee!!! Just to kill time, before I will head for a relaxing massage....things did change, even here on 3600m above sea level...!