Finally- the Taj

It has taken me awhile, but I finally finished my drawing/sketch of the Taj! I started this project last summer when I first got my Wacom drawing tablet…yeah, I need to choose more simple projects.

Summer’s here!

I’m loving this HOT weather. I’ve been spending quite abit of time outdoors training for my Olympic tri- running, biking and now open water swimming. Last night I went for a swim at Half Moon Lake (just 20min east of Edmonton) and there was a moose moose-paddling across the lake- how cool is that?

Thanks to some Transport Canada co-workers, biking training has been raised up notch and now I’m doing long distance rides of ~60km/session. My swim training has suffered abit though as I’ve been traveling for work these past few weeks. No worries- I still have until race day (Aug 23rd) to practice!

I recently competed in a Sprint Tri at the Summerside Lake triathlon early this month. It was great fun! The water was a chilly 14 degrees C, but luckily I invested in a full body wetsuit (I have a sleeveless one, but that didn’t cut it). My feet unfortunately were numb from the cold water and biking didn’t help with circulation. So when it came time to run, it was a pretty slow start (I even had my right calf cramp up which never happened before!). Fortunately I didn’t fall too far behind.

[Me in the transition area at the Summerside Lake Tri]

I ended up in 11/39th place in the female category; 6/17th in my age/female category and 33/80th place overall. My co-worker Kevin, placed 3rd in his age category and 11th place overall! I was soooo jealous. It was well-deserved though- he’s pretty well disciplined in his training.

Work’s been busy as well. Since my return from the UK/Germany, I’ve travelled to Charlottetown (PEI), Ottawa, Winnipeg and Yellowknife for meetings, conferences and training. I’m abit tired from traveling…I’ve now got a pile of desk work to sift through- mostly environmental assessment reports to read that are many volumes long (literally)!

[Parliament hill- attended a tour of the center block- went up the "peace tower" (i.e. big ben look alike) and visited the house of commons' public gallery. Unfortunately, no Harper or Iggy.]

[Oldest part of Parliament- the library, built in Victorian Gothic style, and known as the "most beautiful room in Canada". It is also the only part of Parliament that didn't get destroyed by the fire of 1916. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take photos inside because it would be too disruptive.. but I can tell you first hand, it was absolutely gorgeous inside with its walnut, cherry and oak interior! Check out the photos here on the CBC website-http://www.cbc.ca/sevenwonders/wonder_library_of_parliment.html]

[Locks of the Rideau canal. Famous canal which Ottawatarians skate on to get to work in winter (not through these lock however).]

[More of the beautiful Rideau canal. Spent one morning jogging alongside the canal and Ottawa River which it flows into.]

[A Real Canadian treat- beavertails. Out west, we call them elephant ears. Basically it's a big flat deep fried donut with brown sugar and cinnamon sprinkled on top. Mmmmm, calories!]

[Had a good laugh at this one! During Obama's visit to Ottawa, he came into this bakery and bought one of these "Canadian" cookies. Now the bakery is marketing them as "Obama cookies!". LOL.]

Other than that-I’ve been just hanging out with family and friends. Most Sundays, I help out my parents at the Good Buddy downtown mall kiosk serving Vietnamese food- atleast one of my parents get a break from working. Not sure how they do it, but my legs are so sore from standing all day long!

As most of you know, Tim’s still in the UK awaiting some news on immigration (I applied to sponsor him as a common-law partner). It’s been alittle over a month since we applied- but atlas, there is hope!! I recently received a letter of approval to sponsor today (whoop!). It’s now up to the visa office in London to review the permanent residency portion of the application and determine the validity of our “common-lawness”. Please let it be quick- I miss my Tim Tim!

[My dad and the girls (nieces) on Father's Day. My siblings and I treated my father out to dinner at...Good Buddy (restaurant)! There was no where else he wanted to eat (sadly).]

[My brothers Kiet and Phong, and mum on Father's Day]

A proud auntie

One of the joys of living in the same city as my family is that I get to be a good auntie. This past Saturday I cheered on my nieces at their dance recital hosted by Variations Academy of Performing Arts. They’ve been dancing for about 2 years at this academy and I really believe that it has helped them improve their self-esteem, but above all else, get over stage fright! They really enjoyed dancing on stage (despite their nerves at the start) and remembered all their steps. Congrats Kyana and Kyala- you’ve made your auntie very proud!

<Kyala, age 5, is on the right>

(Kyala again enjoying her 3 min of fame)

(sister Tuyet prepping Kyana for her tap recital)

(Kyana, age 7, looking as graceful as she can in her ballet shoes)

Anne with an “E”

If you are one of the many dedicated fans of Anne (with an E), you may have correctly guessed that this post is ALL about my exciting visit to Green Gables (and of course, PEI)!!! Green Gables is the place that inspired Lucy Maud Montgomery to write the novel and subsequent sequels on “Anne of Green Gables”- however, most of you would have been exposed to “Anne of Green Gables” through the popular CBC television series in the mid-80s. 

 

In loving memory of her and her work, Green Gables has been made a national historic site (near Cavendish National Park). And even though Anne is highly popularised on the island (they sell Anne paraphernalia EVERYWHERE you go), Green Gables itself is worthwhile to see. It’s situated along a beautiful creek and lush forest- a perfect place for any person to be inspired and write stories in my opinion! 

 

 

Unfortunately I missed opening hours (9-5pm) and so wasn’t able to tour inside Green Gables. But here’s my happy-happy-joy dance for finally having to see Green Gables after so many years knowing about it!      

 

 

Believe it or not, there is actually more to see in PEI than just Anne of Green Gables (truly!). I rented a bike for a day to tour the quaint and charming town of Charlottetown (pop. ~32,000). The beautiful Victorian homes along the waterfront filled me green with envy and left me wanting a similar character home beside the sea.

 

The people were very friendly (and chatty too!), and the fresh seafood was abundant and absolutely delicious. Tip: go for the seafood chowder and scallops any opportunity you can.  The lobster was also good and I was contemplating bringing some back home- they are relatively cheaper in the east coast (say $5 vs $8.50 per pound), but if you were to include the packaging and hassle of flying it back, the costs outweigh the benefits in my opinion. 

 

<There’s only one word to describe Charlottetown…quaint. Each business and personal home have their own unique character. Most houses were Victorian or Georgian style homes, where as the basilica and stone parishes were of Romanesque-revival.>

<Classic Victorian home- Beaconsfield House built in 1877.>

 

 

 

<Provincial house where the Fathers of Confederation met and discussed confederation in 1864; the British North American Act was passed in 1867, which became the foundation to the Constitution of Canada.> 

 

<Attached housing in downtown Charlottetown…I love how colourful they all are!>

 

<St.Duncan’s basilica, Charlottetown>

 

<Cycling along the waterfront boardwalk of Victoria Park.>

 

<I rented a bike for touring around town and cycling parts of the Confederation Trail. Luck had it that it poured of rain the whole afternoon. I was determined to get my money’s worth though and biked what I could!>

 

<Canadian famous COWS ice cream. Unfortunately I am currently training and so declined the opportunity- now THAT is strong willpower! I did however drink some high caloric ale from a few micro-breweries around town.>  

 

<Mmmmm, lobster!! And yes…a bib is necessary!>

 

Since I was in Charlottetown for a work-related conference, I took the opportunity to spend an extra day after the conference to tour the island. With a 24hour rental I drove the Green Gables coastal drive (Brackley Beach to Cavendish to Malpaque Bay to Summerside) and the North Cape Coastal drive (west portion of the island). In my opinion, the North Cape Coastal drive wasn’t very scenic as I didn’t get to see much of the coast. And when I did, the beaches weren’t very spectacular. Oh well, if I ever have the opportunity to return, I’ll have to explore the Eastern part of PEI. Enjoy the pics!

 

<Marine life exposed at low tide>

<Brackley Beach National Park, PEI>

<Malpeque Bay, famous for its fresh and cheap oysters. Unfortunately the oyster barn was not yet open for the season- darn!>

<13km Confederation Bridge joining PEI and New Brunswick. Toll is ~$40 leaving the island; coming into the island is free!>

Some special messages for my Timmy below: 

<3000km apart separated by the Atlantc Ocean. Come home soon baby! x>

Back from England, home of the English!

Just returned from a wonderful vacation in the UK and Germany. Tim and I spent some time visiting his grandparents in Lincolnshire, grandad in Wales, and sister Jo from south of London. Inbetween these family visits, we managed a weekend flight to Germany to visit my relatives, and toured around London, Bristol, Bath and Liverpool…all of this within a 2 week time span! I’m terribly exhausted but it was definitely time well spent!

Upon arrival, the weekly weather forecast in Cheshire was the following:

• cloudy, light rain, followed by heavy rain
• showers, light rain, and cloudy;
• heavy rain and light rain;
• cloudy and light rain…
• I think you get the point now. LOL. 

Despite the English rain, it didn’t dampen our spirits. Tim was in a great mood being in an all English environment- bacon (back not streaky), pies, sausage, pickles, cheese… and of course, what’s England without English people to talk to? 

As I am traveling quite abit for work for the next few weeks (currently in PEI), I’m unfortunately too busy to write a full account of the adventures and misadventures (like almost losing my passport…again!) of my travels. Hopefully these nice photos offer a sneak preview of this most enjoyable vacation. 

Me at the Beatles Museum in Liverpool. Highly recommended!

Original entrance to the Cavern Club, Liverpool (club where the Beatles played alot and gained local fame). This club had to be relocated due to the lack of a fire escape. 

Some nice Heritage Buildings in Liverpool.

Streets of the Alstadt in Dusseldorf, Germany. Just beer and food! Photo credit: Tim Fletcher. 

Making and packaging chocolate at the chocolate museum in Koln, Germany.

Cousins Hue and Cuong at the cathedral in Koln, Germany.

Cousin Jenny and I presenting black pudding stewed with apples and mashed potatoes, a local German dish called Himmel on Ahd. 

Cousins and second cousins (and Tim) in Germany.

Tim and his grandparents, Leverton, Lincolnshire.

Caernavon castle in Wales. Place where Prince Charles was crowned Prince of Wales. Photo credit: Tim Fletcher.

Isle of Anglesey, Wales. 

Heaths of the Isle of Anglesey, Wales. 

Tim and his granddad Rodney. Can you see the similarities??!

Nice photo of Tim! Isle of Anglesey, Wales.

Bath Abbey, Bath.

Bridge, Bath. 

Clifton suspension bridge built by I.K. Brunel, one of England’s greatest engineer in history. Bristol, England.

Tim and Brunel’s SS Great Britain, Bristol. 

Houses of Parliament, London. Actually got into the public gallery to watch a debate- exciting!

Shakespeare Globe Theatre, London. Watched the tragedy Romeo and Juliet…whilst standing for 3 hours. All worth the 5 pounds we paid though! 

Banksy graffiti art http://www.banksy.co.uk/menu.html well-known British graffiti artist, Bristol. 

My favorite English food of all…PASTIES!!! Ate so many I started to look like one!

Pretty pelican, London. 

Mmmm, ale, pie and mash at a traditional pub in London. 

Smiling slug.

Here in Edmonton…

Not just for a visit, but to stay…for good! Feels strange to be back in my hometown and be living in a totally different life(style) since when I left it, which was…when I was a poor University graduate living with my parents in 2001! I am now living independently from my parents (despite their desire to have me move back home and have a well-paid career. I feel so grown up now! 

Tim and I have moved into a nice cozy apartment in the downtown core- a great opportunity to experience REAL city living (living in downtown Regina doesn’t count!). Check out the “virtual tour” of our apartment building here: http://vertica.ca/jasperoneleven/. It feels kind of surreal to be surrounded by tall buildings, cafes, shops, nice restaurants, pubs…and, above all else, YOUNG people! Regina has such a large population of elderly and “mature” folk that being here makes me feel young and hip again. I feel somewhat rejuvenated!

Strangely, I also feel the need to get to know and talk to everyone, like what they do in Regina. That’s one of many things I’m going to miss about Regina- the small community feel and the expectation that you’re bound to run into someone you know EVERYWHERE you go! 

So, so far so good. This past week was pretty hectic- the week started with my farewell  luncheon, co-celebrated with a co-worker (& good friend) who is going on maternity leave. To top, I had prepared a farewell presentation, speech and song (see below) for my fellow co-workers. I hadn’t even completed the first few sentences of my speech and I already started choking and tearing up. GAWD- saying good-bye is so HARD to do! Not only was I playing guitar badly, I was singing badly as well (because I was choking up so much)- how embarrassing!! Happily, my co-workers enjoyed it- it’s so hard to say good-bye to people you care about. 

(Parody of Neil Young’s Four Strong Winds)…

C                                 Dm

I think I’ll go out to Alberta

      G                    C

   Weather’s good in winter (or so I’m telling Tim)

                 C           Dm                           G

   I’ve got a job (with Transport) that I can go working for

           C                      Dm

   Still I wish you’d all could come along

        G                C

   And maybe move in with my mum

             Dm                   F              C       

   But we’ll just have to make the most of what we’ve got

 C           C               Dm

      Those four letters we’re trying to rename

            G             C

      And an E that runs beside

                C                 Dm               G         G

      All those things that will change come what may

              C                  Dm

      For Mai times here are all gone

              G                C

      And I’m bound for moving on

                Dm              F             C         

      But I’ll look for you if I’m ever back this way

      C                         Dm

      Many coworkers that are friendly

            G             C

      Seven years with PFRA 

                C                 Dm               G        

      All those things will be cherished and reminisced

              C                Dm

      For Mai  times are all gone

              G                C

      And I’m bound for moving on

           Dm                   F             C         

      I’ll look for you if I’m ever back this way

            C                Dm                 G                  C  

   If I return in a year or two, and if Serena’s not so pregnant

             C            Dm                G        

   You could meet me at the mall for a coffee break

          C                           Dm

   But by then most of you would have retired

       G                   C

   Not too much for me to do 

             Dm                   F            G

   Unless Guataloopay decides to host another bonspiel?

C           C               Dm

      Those four letters we’re trying to rename

            G             C

      And an E that runs beside

                C                 Dm               G         G

      All those things that will change come what may

              C              Dm

      For Mai times are all gone

              G                C

      And I’m bound for moving on

                Dm              F             C/G         

      But I’ll look for you if I’m ever back this way

 

 

Before I left, I managed to sneak a little office prank on my coworkers- teeheehee, I’m so devilish! On my last day of work, and after drinking a few beers at Beer Bros. with my and Tim’s coworkers, Tim and I “snuck” into the office half-pissed and started to tape condoms (new, sterile) onto my coworkers’ telephone receivers. Hilarious! 

I was also frantic about finishing my french course this past week as well. The french coordinator was adamant that I finish the course before leaving so it was an intensive few weeks of language training and long days of staying after work for evening classes. Luckily the grammar portion was easy to pick up and we were able to breeze through those sections. And being that I was the only student, I was able to “forcibly” speak french for 3 hours a day. My oral comprehension improved dramatically! I successfully passed my french exam (for the OF10-11/official language course levels) with an 88%!! 

I’ve been strongly encouraged to continue my french learning here in Edmonton by my teacher (she thinks I’ve got an aptitude for the language). My goal is to get my “A” levels of bilingualism (level required for bilingual administrative-type positions  within the federal service) within a year. I’ve only got ~20 more course levels to qualify for the exam. And considering I completed 2 course levels in a month, c’est vraiment possible! Within 2-3 years, I hope to get my B levels (level required for bilingual scientific/technical/managerial-type positions).

So here I am, waiting for our furniture to arrive. The move was alot of work; even though I had packers and movers to do it for me, there’s the cleaning and organizing that had to be done! Since the movers don’t work on weekends, I’m expecting our furniture and belongings to arrive Monday or Tuesday. Ugh- just a few more days until I can really get settled in! Can’t wait. Until then, we’re off to go shopping at IKEA to pick up some cool stuff for our new apartment

Weekend of ’spieling!

I had so much fun at this weekend’s PFRA Bonspiel that I just had to write about it! The PFRA (the branch of Ag Canada that I work for) hosts an annual tradition of bonspiel which is held at various towns or cities across the Prairies. This year was in Regina, and I had the pleasure of being part of the bonspiel organizing committee. It was, in my humble opinion, a huge success. We had an awesome turn out of 26 teams registered (mostly coworkers from all over the Prairies), plus guests for the Friday and Saturday night social. That’s over 104 people in attendance!!

Best thing about bonspieling (with PFRA) is that you get to dress in costume. In going with this year’s theme of “Deja View: you’s a has-been”, our team went as Elvi (plural form of Elvis). I tried to be in character throughout the Bonspiel, but I eventually ran out of steam by Saturday as I was suffering from a terrible hang over. Tim really enjoyed the event- he only fell over once and many thought he didn’t return the next day because of his injury (everyone was asking me where he was and if he was okay). In fact he wasn’t in costume Saturday so no one was able to recognize him

We ended the bonspiel with a delicious banquet meal at the Victoria Club, danced for a few tunes and mingled with coworkers. By the end of the night I was feeling abit sad…I’m really going to miss my coworkers and PFRA. I’m hoping Transport Canada will be just as fun; if not, I’m going to have to start a tradition of bonspieling for the department

(The Elvi- second runner up for most entertaining team

(Coworker in his Green Acres costume and his son Arnie)

Tim and coworker Erin sweeping HARD!!!

Coworkers in WKRP Cincinnati costume- first prize for Best Costume)

Couply shot of Tim and I at Saturday night’s banquet.

Some good news

I am happy to announce that I accepted a new job position as an Environmental Officer with Transport Canada…in Edmonton! This means being closer to family and old friends AND the Rockies!!!

This decision may sound like a no-brainer, but it was surprisingly tough to make. I’ve grown a rather close attachment to my coworkers and PFRA, especially when the whole of my career, up until now, has been with them (7 years!). From being a low-paid intern at the start of my career, they gave me the much needed support and career development opportunities that helped shape who I am today. I will forever be grateful.   

The other tough component of this decision was the change in career path. This new position involves the regimented work of ensuring that development projects are assessed on their potential environmental effects as directed by the federal legislation- the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. Less in the field of applied research than what I am used to. But after a few sleepless nights thinking about it, the employment prospects in environmental assessment and regulation are growing and will continue to be in high demand. The applied research field that I am in now is limited in employability, and I eventually would have to advance to a Master’s degree to specialise in a research field in order to advance my career.

So I decided that I wanted it all and found a way how to potentially get it all- i.e. move to Edmonton, get a Master’s degree (distance degree from the UK with a dissertation/research project), be close to family, and perhaps when  the time is right, start my own family. I got a few busy years ahead of me now! 

I’m so very excited to start this new career path and new life in Edmonton- although it feels more like a merge of the old (reconnecting with family and old friends) and the new. I haven’t been back since I graduated in 2001! Of course what could make life more complete than to have a loving partner to share it with? Tim will be joining me too! His company (Squareflo) has agreed to still keep him on and have him work remotely. Awesome! 

Just so you are aware, getting the Transport Canada job wasn’t a shoe-in: the recruitment process took approximately 4 months to complete, from the time I took that 3 hour exam in October to enduring a 3 hour-long interview (including a writing component) in late November. But I managed to pull through and impress them in the interview (so I was told). Anyway, point being- even though you are in the federal public service, you have to study and work just as in hard getting a federal job than any other person! 

This month will be busy, busy, busy- with my move and arranging for a new place to stay (hoping for an apartment downtown so I can bike to work). I am also currently taking French training and so have been spending alot of my evenings and weekends studying. I’m sad to leave my language course unfinished (ends April 1st) especially when I worked so hard to get departmental funding for it! Oh well, hopefully I can continue my French learning in Edmonton. 

à la prochaine/Until next time!

Last entry for Everest (finally!)

It has taken me a year, but I’ve finally finished it! Yay!

October 17, 2007 Thukla- Lobuche- Gorak Shep (4600-5170m, 570m elevation gain)

I woken up a few times last night by other trekkers coughing their Khumbu cough (walls were thin plywood, non-insulated). I thought I heard a woman sobbing but it just turned out she was coughing all night. I felt terrible for her; she still had a ways to go yet.

Met a nice English bloke Alex at breakfast today. He’s hiking solo, which I think is doable; however he says he takes off less popular side trails which I don’t think is very smart unless you have a guide with you. He’s gotten lost a few times already. He’s a military hopeful so I guess loves the physical and mental challenge of it all. He’s a fairly regimented guy; I could see him in the military- he’s definitely got the haircut anyway. 

After a long trudging hike, we made it to Gorak Shep in under 3.25hours. After Thukla, you ascend quite sharply up a “hill”- at the top there are a few memorials for Sherpas and foreigners that died attempting to climb Everest.

A few notes: Don’t stay at Loboche, it’s a dump; if you can push on to Gorak Shep. Loboche had piles of rubbish about, old equipment…just generally unmanaged and ill-kept. There wasn’t much for scenery either.

After Loboche my breathing became quite stable- it was just my legs- they didn’t seem to want to move, as if they weren’t in existence. Not enough oxygen to get the muscles going I guess. Couldn’t complain about the weather though, it was bright and sunny all day. Combined with last night’s snow fall, it was extra bright out. 

The trail from Loboche to Gorak Shep was along the moraine/glacial scour and so there was crest after crest to climb- so the hike seems abit relentless and demoralising. I started to think that we’d never reach around the corner to see Everest and Gorak Shep. 

I could tell we reached Gorak Shep because Tim (who was hiking in front of me) turn around with a big gaping smile. Too funny. He didn’t have to say anything- I returned the smile ‘cause I knew after how many days of trekking, we FINALLY made it to the “end” of the trail”.  

We are staying at the Snowland Highest Inn for 200Rs for a room with two single beds. The toilets are clean and the common room/lodge is warm and heated. We’ll be spending the next 3 nights here (tomorrow is the climb up Kala Pattar, and day after is to Everest Base Camp). We want to increase our chances of getting beautiful weather for our summit up Kala Pattar and get clear views of Everest. Apparently it’s often hidden in clouds. 

We found Alex, the English bloke we met at breakfast today. He’s staying at a basic porter’s lodge next to ours. It’s dark (no windows) and smelly (from porters), with really poor lighting. It was a bit morbid inside- no one talking just huddling close to the dung burner stove. Alex said his dinner of dal bhaat was watery and flavourless, and left him still hungry. Well if he’s going to enlist in the military he better get used to bad food. 

I however, don’t plan to go into the military and demand a decent meal. The meal proportions at our lodge were minute! I was still hungry after our meal. Many of the other trekkers had multiple orders which made me really jealous (and hungry). I made myself believe I had to limit food intake not because we were on a strict budget, but simply because I was dieting…on my way to Everest. Gawd, can’t wait to binge when we get back to Kathmandu!!! To give you an idea, a piece of toast costs an equivalent of 1USD; it may not seem much but for 1USD, it can get you full entree back in Kathmandu. LOL- when did I become so cheap??

(on our way to Gorak Shep)

(Gorak Shep! And Nupse and Everest- Everest is behind Nupse wih the snow blowing off the peak)

October 18, 2007 Gorak Shep- Kala Pattar (5170-5554m, 384m elevation gain)

We saw Alex in our lodge’s common room this morning- no one was awake to cook breakfast in his lodge (including heating the dung stove). Poor guy.  

The three of us originally planned on hiking up to Kala Pattar together, but Alex changed his mind and decided not to stay in Gorak Shep any longer than he had to (don’t blame him; he’s staying at an aweful dingy place). So he’s going to Everest Base Camp and heading back down to Dingboche in a day. 

Tim and I originally planned on hiking up to Pulmo-ri base camp/Two Glaciers today to get a better view of Everest; and then up Kala Pattar if we had any energy left. According to our guide book, Pulmo-ri is supposed to provide better views of Everest (and be less crowded too).    

Unfortunately our semi-scramble left us breathless and tired; we ended up scrambling the other side of Kala Patter rather than Pulmo-ri. Oh well. The peak wasn’t too crowded and we enjoyed the view of Everest Base Camp from there. It was sunny and cloudless so the photo taking was optimal. Unfortunately all my shots seemed overexposed from all the snow ;-( Arg!

Okay, I’m starting to get bored in the evenings. Perhaps it’s a good thing we’re close to ending our trek. I’ve finished the TWO novels we brought, I really have not much to say in my journal any more (lack of interest in writing) and I solved the hardest ever Suduko puzzle. 

(My attempt to piece multiple photos together with Photoshop. Needs work but you get the idea)

(Reflection of Everest and Nupse off of Tim’s sunnies)

(Tim and I at Gorak Shep)

(On our scramble to find Pulmo-Ri, but it just ended up being a longer way up to Kala Pattar)

(a nice visitor on Kala Pattar)

(Couple shot!)

 

October 19, 2007 – Gorak Shep to Everest Base Camp- Pheriche

Everest Bast Camp. You have to do it- the hike is really scenic! Again a really nice sunny day with beautiful views of Everest. Had a terrible headache on the ascent to base camp which followed me all the way to Pheriche. 

If you ever stay in Pheriche, stay at the “Mountain guide’s lodge and restaurant”. The food proportions were substantial! They actually filled the whole plate up! 

(enroute to Everest Base Camp)

(Hiking along the glacial moraine)

(Voila, Everest Base Camp- Thai Expedition team was there to climb Everest. Unfortunately they weren’t successful.)

(A closer view of Everest Base Camp, Khumbu glacier and the south col of Everest)

 

October 20-22, 2007 (Pheriche to Namche; Namche to Lukla)

So out of boredom in our afternoons/evenings, we’ve decided to descend back to Namche as quickly as possible and skip Gokyo and Gokyo-ri. We aren’t too crushed about it; I’m sure the views from Gokyo are spectacular, but we’re running out of steam and enthusiasm. After 14days of trekking and achieving out ultimate goal of seeing Everest and base camp…we’re pretty content. We’re both really excited to return to Kathmandu and gorge on some German bakery! Yay!

The last hour and half trekking to Lukla was absolute torture. My achilles tendon on my right leg was hurting and so it was very painful to do any decent or walking for that matter. BTW- Lukla is a dump- recommend not to stay there if possible. 

Mr. Gorka from Gorka Airlines owns the Himalayan Lodge next to the airport. so we stayed there. Get this- we were asking for a flight itinerary so he gave it to us verbally after dinner. 

Lukla airport is utter chaos and has a real short landing strip- comedy! Well not so funny if you’re the person on the plane. I could see how Sir Edmund Hillary regrets building this airport; the tourist traffic is horrendous. One tour group after another boarding and unboarding the aircrafts. 

Arrived in Kathmandu- had a wonderful shower. My hair just feels fantastic! Splurged on a nice dinner at a place called “Feed and Read”- a bookstore/restaurant. It was candlelit and they even had Indian performers playing tobla and suitar during the meal. We even splurged on some German bakery. Well-deserved. 

Note: Timmy loves his ketchup- he can’t get enough of it!

(Himalayan Thar on our decent to Namche)

(Lukla airport)

(Tim outside the German Bakery in Kathmandu)

(Our custom embroidered Everest Base Camp tee shirts)

(Tim’s Everest beard- 17 days of facial hair growth, LOL!)

Mount Edith Cavell Snowshoe Trek Dec 27-29

Location: Mount Edith Cavell, Jasper National Park

Distance: 12km

Description: A snowshoe trek up to Mount Edith Cavell hostel along a summer road. Gradual upslope; commonly done with cross-country skis. Day trip to Angel Glacier recommended (~5km return from hostel).

Together with some great friends, Tim and I ventured on a snowshoe trek up to Mount Edith Cavell hostel after Christmas to shake off those extra pounds gained from the holidays. The road up to the hostel and Angel Glacier is closed during winter and only accessible by snowshoes or skis. It’s a beautiful hike in the snow topped forest; and the valley is incredibly silent. Everything just feels so dormant; if I were a bear, I’d sleep throughout the winter too! All that was heard was the crunch of the snow underneath your snowshoes and the your laboured breathing from the hike.

Luckily the weather warmed up just in time for our trek- with temperatures ranging from about minus 5 to 15 degrees C during the day. Because it was warmer, we were able to take rest stops when needed. If it was any colder, you really wouldn’t want to stop to even pee! So yes, there were no catastrophes and no frostbitten extremities. The only thing we suffered from was sore achy muscles.

I helped organize the group meals and surprisingly portioned enough food for the six of us. Take a look at the menu I drafted menu. I highly recommend chili and beef barley soup for a winter trek- so hearty and filling, but most of all, fairly cheap to make! 

Anyway, here are some photos taken of our trek. I highly recommend it, particularly for first time winter trekkers/snowshoers/skiers. It’s fairly short and there’s a rustic cabin at the end of the trail to warm up and recoup, so there are no worries of freezing during the night. All my friends I went with said that they’d do it again, it was THAT much fun! Next year, I’m going to try and convince Tim to ski into an alpine hut with me but he’ll have to train quite a bit this winter though  

Happy New Year everyone!

(Left to Right: Me, Tim, Sarah, Mike, Craig and Jenny)

(Tim, the cool trekker)

(Cozying up in the cabin)

(On a day trip to Angel Glacier)