Meeting the man who has been repairing the trail to Tangbouche by donations alone was as a bit of a let down as I was expecting to see someone chiseling away at the rocks! Unfortunately it was just a man with a sign sitting on a chair in the middle of the path! The sign explained all the work he has done but if I'm honest I was reluctant to donate too much as the man was on his arse! I wouldn't mind a job that got me paid for sitting down... Okay maybe a bit harsh, he did a fair distance in his younger years! I paid him anyway.
Certain friendship groups are starting to form and its nice to see everyone getting along! It's letting me be myself more around the group.
Today's lunch was much quicker as the order was rung ahead of us, so was there as we arrived! But ordering 2 hours before you eat is torture! I went for the traditional Sherpa stew- still keeping to my strict vegetarian diet- it was great! It's just a mix of pasta potatoes and whatever veg is available all thrown into a stew, works really well as hearty mountaineering sustenance.
After lunch the trail got tough and had to climb all of the 400m to Tangbouche in the mid day heat!
Ive also started to notice as we get higher in altitude the worse the facilities become. Western toilets become holes in the ground, Mattresses lose an inch in depth each night, and costs rise!
Once settled we decided to visit the famous Tangbouche monastery. Its basically just some monks humming and throwing rice at tourists who try taking pictures... Not my thing but I appreciate its part of the culture. Leaving the monastery the snow came in thick and fast and would have been picturesque if I wasn't so freezing! First day I wish I had more layers, as the village has very little protection from the conditions on top of the ridge!
The idea behind my veggie diet is that because nothing can be killed inside the national park meat must be carried up from Namche which Is a few days away now so increases your chance of getting ill! Although that doesn't mean I'm totally safe from the simple lack of hygiene in the cooking methods, hence me spending the evening in bed feeling rough! The mountains are biting back!