Day 17 - Khongma to Tashigaon

We knew we had a relatively short walk to Tashigaon so we didn't get out of bed till after 8am.

It was nice and warm in the sun and everybody was happy to sit out and enjoy the weather.

For breakfast we had fried rice with egg - really nice.

The cost for the 3 of us for the night was 6,500 NPR.

This included 4 bottles of beer @ 500ea.
Also included 5 glasses of Raksi @ 100ea.

Drinking the local hooch was certainly a lot cheaper.

The walk from Khongma down to Tashigaon is just a constant downhill grind.


I took a couple of ibuprofen before we started as I expected this day was going to really beat my knees.



Fortunately it was dry  - much better than the slippy conditions when we had climbed up.

As we descended the trail we met the kid from Khongma returning from school.

He spends the weekdays with relatives in Tashigaon and then returns to Khongma each weekend.


It's no wonder the Sherpa folk are so tough when their commute to and from school is so difficult.

Sections of this trail were just stupid steep.


I was so happy the trail was dry.


It took us 2 hrs and 20 min to get from Khongma to Tashigaon.

When we got to Tashigaon we took the opportunity to have showers and do laundry.

Strongman asked for soap but only washed a single pair of socks.

I again stayed in the dorm room in the teahouse and Mark and Elaine took one of the private rooms.

The two guides were also in the dorm room.

Since it was my birthday we planned a night of celebration.

We started with beers as we washed our clothes.

We then switched to Chaang as it was the first chance we had to try it.

Chaang is served cold and is the liquid they strain off when the ferment millet.
Not as good as Tongba..

The Sherpa momma who ran the teahouse was a real character.

She hung out with us for the afternoon but didn't have much English.

She was very proud of having four sons who've been to the top of Everest.

There was a group of Danish people camping at Tashigaon on their way up the hill.


Their porters were very young and I believe it was the first trip for many of them.



Sherpa momma seemed to be looking out for them and issuing them single cigarettes.

Longman saw me taking pictures and wanted to be part of the action.


He took the cigarettes from Sherpa momma and tried handing them out.


I guess this kid had been taught not to accept things from strange men..

Sherpa momma let me snoop around the storage rooms in the teahouse.

This was her alter in the back of one storage room.

I thought Woody from Toy Story was a funny addition to the shrine.

They brought us some really tasty pickles while we sat drinking.

Unfortunately this was all they had left.

Our evening Dal Bhat was prepared in the teahouse kitchen.

Sherpa momma was back and forth and even drank a few glasses of beer with us.

Dinner was served out on the deck where we had been sitting all afternoon.

It was the usual Dal Bhat with potatoes.

Strongman also joined in the birthday celebrations.


Longman doesn't drink - of course neither does strongman if his wife asks..

This kid was also hanging around the deck for the evening.


I guess he must be part of the extended Sherpa family that seem to run all the teahouses from Tashigaon up to base camp.

While we were sitting on the deck I heard noises a couple of times from outside the deck area.

I had looked over a couple of times but didn't see anybody there.

One time I jumped up with my camera and caught this girl running away.

I guess this was the sister of the kid hanging on the deck but she was a bit more shy..

We carried our celebrations well into the evening with a couple of rounds of Raksi.

I think the locals were a little shocked by our ability to drink.

Weather: 1 hat. Tashigaon was warm enough to take a shower and do laundry. I was able to sit all evening in shorts - either one hat weather or the raksi keeps you warm.

Accommodation: 3 teacups out of 3. I'd even give this teahouse a 4 out of 3. Clean, comfortable and super friendly.