The valleys open up to the rarest of beauty…

Cameras cannot do justice to valleys so deep that light barely trickles in as we, the strangers, look down but move upward, stretching to reach the top. Our lenses are no better than those of our equipment at trying to pick up the animals and birds in the undergrowth. Occasionally we sight the icy waterfalls, the snowy traces of yesterdays moisture or the dust announcing the arrival of another Yak train, but for the most part the valleys own their own beauty and we are silenced by the vastness of their depth and the secrets that reside therein.

Children on the trail

My favorite pictures are of the village children on the trail. The run and play up and down the mountain-sides, in cold river streams, through the middle of the villages and on the steep stairways in the larger tea houses. Some read and study on top of precarious structures and around hot stoves. Everyone looks after the little ones; truly, a village raises these children.

And, for the first time, bicycles have been introduced to Lukla, the small village that encircles the notoriously dangers airport. Lukla has a semi flat stretch through the small village; thus, I saw children trying out the two village bikes.

Tea House Trekking

In the Solo Khumbu (the Everest region), there are few level spots; thus the villages have tea houses built on mountain sides. Tents have to be set up right next to tea houses– the tea houses are a little warmer and oh so convenient. In the evening, some trekkers and climbers sit on Tibetan carpet benches and play cards or exchange world views while others gather around the stove fed by Yak dung that was hopefully dried for six days removing any "smell." The 6x8 rooms have a sleeping platform, a roll of foam and an extra sherpa made yak quilt. The windows have small gaps bringing frigid air from the outside. The paper thin walls are laced with holes and gaps for checking on your neighbors health and welfare. A little toilet down the hall means you don't have to wander out in the middle of the night. This in itself is a good reason for shunning a tent for a tea house on a blizzardly blustery night. Gossip runs through the tea houses like the water in the rushing Dhude Khosi River, so everyone hears about the weather further up, what's happening at base camp, what passes are closed and what's going on with climbing preparations for the assault on the mountains. It was scary to hear news of a (non-Sherpa) trekking guide dying of AMS at Lobuche, a Japanese woman with altitude sickness being airlifted from base camp and a solo trekking man missing from the mountains–last seen a month ago in Namche. It was a reminder to all of us to pay attention to the signs of altitude sickness and go down when needed.

Village Schools along the trail

Children, such as my guide's son, often walk as much as two hours each way–everyday–to attend school in a distant village. The government provides schools for children up to 6th grade; after that, if parents can't afford to send their children to private schools, their children carry loads, tend to farms or work in tea houses. Students must go to boarding school in Kathmandu if they want to attend high school. It is expensive, so few children have the opportunity. I talked to teachers about the challenges they face in preparing their students for a future that requires English and an education past the 6th grade.

Trail Life in the Himalayas

The trail is full of unbelievable views, from the highest mountain tops to the lowest rivers from the smallest children walking two hours to school to he strongest porter carrying goods to market or lumber to build tea houses. After Lukla, everything is transported on the backs of horses, yaks or people. Those living in the Solo Khumbu Region have never seen wheels except for those on an airplane.

Lukla is a bustling village

Lukla is an exciting place because all treks and climbs start and end here unless a group hikes in from Jeeri. As a result, tea houses, coffee shops and shop fronts are full of music, chatter and bartering. My first order of business was to find the Lukla post office. I was given multiple directions by various people who seemed to know; however it turned into quite an adventure. After radiant conversations with locals, I arrived in the vicinity and circled until I spotted a sign on a window of a charming house, in a pasture at the end of the runway. After walking around the house, I spied an open doorway, asked permission to enter and heard a voice say, "up." A women appeared and pointed at the stairway. Sure enough, a man at the top nodded that a room to the right was indeed the post office and soon I was in conversation and action, mailing my postcards and discussing the post office. The postmaster pulled out a sack, reached in and selected some stamps, licked them, stuck them on my post cards, and stamped them with a big club. On my way back up the mountain, I shared my experience with a couple of Britts who had been searching for the same place and were delighted to hear my story and directions.

Trail life in the Himalayas

Three weeks ago, when I landed back in Nepal, life without electricity became the reality I remembered. Though there are three villages that boast wifi, a connection is a rarity. Each time I tried, the electricity went off due to blowing wind, a bad connection or a snow storm. Thus–now that I'm back in Kathmandu, I'll try to slip in a few highlights before the electricity goes off the grid in my little hotel room.

Once I landed in Lukla, on the shortest runway and most dangerous airport in the world, I headed up, up, up with friends, guide Ringee and porter Dorjee. Lukla is an exciting village full of people starting or finishing a trek or climb. All climbing in the Solo Khumbu starts at Lukla with the exception of those who hike in from Jiree for altitude acclimatization.

The trials and trivia that come with being a mother.

Myoldest son Kerry has been with me every step of the way. First, because of my "fish eye toy" that he introduced me to which has allowed me to make a series of entertaining pictures. Note the rounded look of the Royal Family's Mercedes parked in front of the 1462 temple my friends and I were trying to get into. We couldn't enter because the royal family was inside, but I did get a picture of the car with my "fisheye." Second, because he's a post master, I look for related info. Today, in the airport, I met the Buddhist postmaster of Paro, and he ask me how USPS was doing. He had been reading about the financial woes, so when I told him my son was a post master, he said he would be praying for him and for our post offices. I guess every little bit helps. On top of that, when I was at the top of Tiger's Nest, I put two of the "Where is George" dollar bills that Kerry gave me into an offering basket. After the Buddhist priest blessed the money,he had me roll the dice three times and said good things would come my way in the future. I was happy about my prospects, but then the wheels fell off the truck so I decided the Bhuddist priest misread the dice. The ball started rolling when I made a purchase for Kerry: large darts (20 inches) for the Bhutanese dart game. The man wrapped them for me, I put them in the bottom of my carry on and then totally forgot about them. Today when I went through customs, they kept asking me what was in the bag and I told them clothes and books. They started dragging everything out–including dirty underwear–and finally unearthed the long forgotten darts. Things were a little tense at first, but once they realized that I really was just a dumb little old lady, they rewrapped them and said they would give them to the cabin crew and I could pick them up when I de-boarded. It was a close call.

TIGER'S NEST: SPECTACULAR VIEW–MAGICAL DAY

Tiger's Nest has intrigued me for many years because of its history, its importance to the culture of the Buddhist people and its precarious perch 11,000 feet into the sky. Built in 1692, it has to be one of the architectural wonders of the world.

Trekking up to the top was an exhilarating experience.

I'm halfway there, but it still looks so far away.

Eye to eye with The Tiger's Nest meant following a trail straight down, crossing a bridge and trekking straight back up to the top. No pictures were allowed once we arrived; however, there were many more steps to work our way into the buildings and view points.

Archery: Bhutan's Number One National Sport

We were lucky enough to come across this archery tournament. Traditional Bamboo Bows were used; however, many tournaments now have divisions for the western style bows.

Fortresses, monasteries, bridges, and phalluses

Over a hundred monasteries were built in the sixteen hundreds, and most are still standing. During that time period, many bridges were built to connect the valleys and shorten the time required to get to the monasteries for religious celebrations. We are waving from the top–thrilled that we made it over this ancient pathway. See the huge iron links that hold the bridge together? They were little comfort while crossing as the bridge swung in the wind and seemed weighted down by prayer flags.

This fortress was built in 1144 to hold back the Tibetans who came over the high pass six times in an attempt to invade Bhutan. The fort is slowly crumbling but was clearly made to withstand not only the Tibetans but the passage of time.

The phallus is a highly treasured symbol of potency and fertility in Bhutan. There are artistic depictions everywhere. I hiked up to this Craft/Textile center and shop, located on a steep hillside. My friends watched from below mumbling something about bad marketing, location, location, location and no beer–no cheer.

LIFE ON THE VALLEY FLOOR OF THIMPHU, BHUTAN

Thimpu, at 7600 feet, is a great place to acclimatize by moving up during the day and down at

night. Bhutan is a beautiful peaceful country with "happiness" listed as its gross national product. Here is a look at the daily lives of pleasant, respectful people who value their children, education, all living creatures (including the dogs that bark all night) relationships and Buddhism. Many work in tourism, farming, and hydro-electric while others eek out a living as artist, craftsmen, textile workers and laborers. Technology is slowly taking foot, easing the difficulties of daily life while the people continue striving to hold onto their culture and peaceful way of life. The King and Queen are highly respected for living a simple and giving life as they move amongst the people as true ambassadors for Bhutan.