Kathmandu From Mike McGuffin:

So finally we are ready to go. We leave for Arughat Bazaar tomorrow; from there it is all on foot. The highlight of my stay here in Kathmandu was an audience we had with His Holiness Tengboche Rimpoche, who is a reincarnated Buddhist Lama. His Holiness presented us each with a silk khada scarf, which he had blessed, and wished us a safe journey. Though a heathen myself I do have reverence for holy people; His Holiness had a very peaceful aura, which I felt deeply. In an effort to garnish all the good juju I can, I also bought a necklace from a Tibetan woman at the Swyambunath Temple. I figure the more stuff I have around my neck the better.

Kathmandu has definitely been an experience like no other. It’s a town where the cows are safer than the pedestrians. The local people here are spectacularly kind, and one of my favored experiences has been visiting with Jeff and Tami’s friend Quayuum. It’s quite odd to walk into a carpet shop in Kathmandu and see your friend’s wedding picture hanging above the cash register. Good call on Quayuum Tami.

It’s difficult to grasp the idea that tomorrow we leave Kathmandu for an 8,000 meter peak. As a team we are developing a strong bond and I believe that we are ready to be put to the test – which we will certainly be.

Dispatches