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Day 11 Lukla to Thakding |
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Carved boulders
Rock carved Buddhist mantra
Gautama Buddha - the original Buddha
Padama Sambhava - the Buddha who brought Buddhism to Tibet
Green Tara, the Nepalese princess who married the Tibetan king who brought Padma Sambhava to Tibet
The image of the medicine Buddha, Bhaisajyaguru, is always blue. Looking at the medicine Budhha's image can cure illness, even the Kathmandu quickstep...
Naughty Buddha demonstrating mysterious tantric practises. |
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The trek steadily improves today with each step away from Lukla. Walk north along Lukla High Street, carefully avoiding any leaking sewage. Also avoid taking a left turn that descends to a village below. Walk down the wide path. Cross a wooden bridge near a waterfall in season (15 minutes). Turn left downhill in front of the Nima Hotel tea shop. Pass through Cheplung village at 2,600 metres (35 minutes). There are a number of lodges:
Cross a steel bridge and pass the Everest Guest House. There sure are a lot more hotels on this second part of the trek. Pass the Japanese Apple Pie Orchard. Pass yet more lodges, which no doubt get the first pick of the experimental apples. Begin the descent from the Lukla plateau (50 minutes). There's a great view up the valley. Cross what must easily be the very worst bridge in Nepal, it must have been left here for heritage reasons, either that or the Sherpas like to live dangerously. There is a short but exceptionally steep climb to the Wind Horse Lodge and Restaurant in the village of Ghat. Whilst I was here a family group of local children were getting a cold bath under the village tap, with the oldest child dunking the next youngest, and so on down the chain. The principle seemed to be that if 'I've got to suffer a freezing cold bath you've got to as well'. The youngest seemed to suffer most, but then that's most families for you (1 hour 20 minutes). Pass Ghat Gompa, (1 hour 30 minutes), wherein there is a large musical prayer wheel with beautiful Buddhist paintings inside. This is the beginning of the artistic patronage of wealthy Sherpas who have earned good wages mountaineering. If you are interested in art - there is what is effectively a free gallery of Buddhist art from this part of the trek onwards. Pass the Thamserku Lodge and shortly afterwards arrive in Thakding. Careful where you stay in Thakding, the numerous porters' lodges belch out smoke which gets into the bedrooms of the hotels. There are plenty of hotels to choose from in Thakding (2 hours 25 minutes). |
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© Ian Johnson 2003 |
