A Hot Shower

I took a hot shower yesterday. And it was glorious.The water that came out from the shower head was such that back home I’d be calling a plumber. There was no way to regulate the temperature, and the shower itself was on a different floor from my room. But after five days relying on wipes to clean myself, it was sheer heaven. It’s the little things.

When you’re trekking in Nepal things get quite rustic. Most creature comforts go out the window pretty quick. You begin to appreciate things you usually take for granted, like having a real toilet, and heat, not to mention high-speed internet. Though maybe that’s a good thing as it keeps us present. It’s also not a real necessity, other than to get this blog published, which is now on a bit of a delay as a result. Oh the catastrophe. 

I have to say though, the Everest Marathon team has done a terrific job taking care of us. Our group of guides, porters and doctors are always there for whatever we may need. They make sure we get three abundant meals every day, plus tea time. They provide more than enough boiled water for us to drink. And while the variety of food is limited, and made up of large amounts of carbs, every place we’ve gone to has gone out of their way to serve us Western foods such as pasta, to make sure our stomachs don’t end up in full rebellion. It gets tiresome, but we know it’s likely for the best. The night before last we even got cake to celebrate our upcoming race. 

Trying to Stay Healthy

You may have realized I mentioned doctors. We have two of them following our two hiking groups. Last night they came over to take everyone’s blood pressure and blood oxygen levels. From now till race day we’re told this will be a semi-regular occurrence. The altitude is definitely starting to play havoc with our bodies, in varying degrees. Some have been outright sick or with near-constant headaches. For myself, it’s been a bit of upset tummy. Fortunately, it’s remained mild. Nothing to worry about. It is getting increasingly hard to breathe though. Most of us have stuffy noses and what we’re told is a mountain cough. But again, all manageable. Eat, drink and sleep well. That’s the best thing we can do for ourselves right now. That, and go slow. Our acclimatization time in Dingboche now over, today, we go up to an elevation of over 16,000 feet [4,900 meters]. Four more days before we reach Everest Base Camp.