Everest

One of the things that keeps me going are those highlight things that make you excited. I wanted to see Mount Everest from the Tibet side or from anywhere for that matter. The biggest worry when I left Lhasa was "will we be able to see the mountain"? Always you hoped it would work out and you always say that it doesn't matter. To me it really mattered. I think I would have been really disappointed if I couldn't see the greatest mountain of them all.
Left Shigatse earlier than all the other tours. We wanted to arrive at the Everest site early and hopefully capture a glimpse. When we left it was cloudy and we weren't sure if it was going to clear or not. We decided to eat lunch while we travelled to save time as well. We

ended up on a really rough road and at one point the van had to stop so we could figure out what was making that sound. Determined it wasn't important and we continued on. The sky was clearing and hopes were rising. Around 2pm we were going over a high pass (5000 metres) and there Everest was. There was some cloud passing in front but we had great views. I thought this will be the best we can get and we were all happy just to catch a glimpse. Went down to a lower spot on the pass and got even better looks. We continued on and finally got to the Everest site around 4:30. Now Everest was almost completely clear. By the time sunset came around there wasn't a cloud in the sky. I don't know how many pictures I took but it was a lot and basically they all look like a big mountain, but I don't care. After sunset we headed to our tent for supper and sleep. The weather up there at 5200 metres was cool. Had my toque and down jacket on and was still feeling cold. After

supper we went straight to bed because we were getting up early for the sunrise. I had gotten an altitude headache and combined with a cold tent really didn't sleep well. Got up and went outside to wait for the sunrise. Temperature was about minus 10 but having Everest right there in front made it worthwhile. Had a perfectly clear morning for a sunrise and got as good pictures as I could from my camera. We headed off down the road to go to the border town close to Nepal. Tomorrow we will cross and leave China behind. I feel it is time as I am tired of China. Was a long day of travel, with some fabulous sights on the way. The last hour was a spectacular gorge of towering mountains, trees, and fast water. One of those hidden surprises that finished the day off just right. Now off to Nepal to hike for maybe a month and a half. See the other side of Everest and the rest of the Himalayas. Unsure of my schedule at this point, but hoping my luck holds out. Onward to a new country and fantastic sites......