Lunch with Sam

Sam treated me to a lovely lunch in Kalk Bay to thank me for helping me with her site.

Sam's beautiful letter

Sam's beautiful gift

Day 4 of Everest Hike: Namche Bazaar (3445m) to Tengboche (3850m)

The hike from Namche to Tengboche was a medium hard day.  When clear, this part of the hike offers extensive views of peaks but it was cloudy and misty for us.  Not that this mattered. It was cool and pleasant hiking conditions and the mist and cloud added to the atmosphere and made for some lovely photos. 

Leaving Namche Bazaar

Climbing up to and then walking along a valley

Stupors along the way

Stupas are sacred Buddhist structures that symbolize the enlightened mind of the Buddha. They are places of worship, meditation, and reverence for Buddhists.  Stupas are built at strategic locations along trekking routes and in villages to provide blessings and protection to travelers and communities. They are considered auspicious and are believed to ward off evil spirits.

Walking along a river

Birds and flowers along the way

Eurasian hoopoe

The going gets tough after lunch

The hike followed a familiar pattern with a relatively easy morning followed by lunch and a brutal climb at the end to get to our destination.  By now were were learning the secret. Climb steadily, but super slow, focusing only on the step at hand.

Reaching Tengboche and its beautiful monastery

On a clear day, Tengboche offers extraordinary views of Himalayan peaks but it was cloudy and misty when we arrived so the views were hidden. We stayed at a tea house right next to the famous Tengboche Monastery which we got to visit. It was an amazing and very spiritual experience.  The monks were in the midst of a prayer and chanting session in the inner sanctum when we entered.  We were allowed in and got to observe and listen close up.  Very special.

Bamboo Buddha with Xenia for lunch and sound healing meditation

A very peaceful spiritual retreat on The Central Coast, 1.5 hours outside Sydney. Lovely, healthy food (a juicy rack of over-roasted veggies), lounging in the beautiful garden on comfy chairs and an amazing sound healing meditation session to end it all off.  

The Silver Pegola (Phnom Penh)

Within the Royal Palace compound is the extravagant Silver Pagoda, also known as Wat Preah Keo or Temple of the Emerald Buddha. It is so named for its floor, which is covered with five tons of gleaming silver.

It was a sweltering and humid day so the highlight for me was finding a tree shaded temple of Buddha statues where I could sit and recover.  Mum, you would definitely struggle with the heat!

I also loved the old murals that stretched along the walls.

Beautiful murals of ancient scenes on the walls.

The shaded temple where I took respite.

Another temple not far from the compound.  I loved the red colour.