Snack stop in the rain en route to Namche Bazaar from Tangboche

We live and grow by contrast. The 60 th Everest Anniversary Dinner at Thyangboche was a blast, with the Rinpoche visiting, a feast fit for kings, and a general atmosphere of love and fun. Yet there were disturbing moments to the whole experience of getting there, and returning from our lofty and inspiring perch. Reminders that every up has its down. Lakpa Nuru Sherpa gave us a speech about what it is like to work on expeditions and finished with a plea: anyone who could give him a less dangerous job, please contact him. Mmmm.
Then the monsoon arrived with a fanfare of pouring rain and just as I was about to reach Namche and our lunch spot, I came across a Sherpa boy passed out on the trail, drenched in rain. A Latvian young man had turned him on his side and we became part of the rescue to take the boy, dangerously drunk on Chang and hypothermic, to the hospital. Yes, children have to work to help their families here …. And having money in their hand away from home, in an environment populated by Trekkers who spend on a dish what they get for day of porterage can give them the urge to spend what they cannot afford to spend . The young let it go to their head , in more than one way. Something that perhaps needs to be taken in consideration by companies employing them. There is so much to weight when mixing cultures and worlds… Something I will be pondering as I walk to Lura to ask its women… Where to from here?