I slept VERY soundly last night! The sleeping chambers are separated by truly thin plywood walls, so thin that they probably should not be there at all. This leads to all sorts of humorous exchanges with our neighbors, who thank goodness are our teammates as well. Apparently there were many dogs howling and fighting into the wee hours, but thanks to the miracle of modern chemistry I heard none of it.

As hoped, the day dawned clear and strikingly crisp. Everest, Lhotse, Cholatse, and Ama Dablam were stunningly sharp. A leisurely 8:00 AM start to the day for breakfast, then a visit to the monastery. It really felt as though we had traveled to Tibet. Although we were asked not to photograph the inner sanctum, we were encouraged to shoot the exterior and inner courtyard. This monastery was destroyed by fire in the early 1990’s, and rebuilt to precise specifications a short time later.

We went for a short acclimatization hike up to see some of the chortens and prayer flags that adorn the ridge above the monastery. Chortens are small stone memorials to honor people who have passed away… in this case, we suspect that they honor prominent members of the monastery community, including lamas. Clouds came ripping in from the valley below, lending an etherial (and cold) quality that seemed appropriate for this setting.

The bakery called to us, and we answered by ordering coffee and pastries (the chocolate rum cake was fabulous).

A smoky evening in the dining room (which is heated by one wood stove and one propane stove), two bowls of ramen soup with veggies and eggs, a bowl of hot canned fruit, and a small snifter of hot grog, then off to bed.

I am feeling just fine, aside from a small head cold which is typical up here, and is rapidly improving.

Word of the day: Leisure