Trek Dispatches
Satellite phone updates from Todd Burleson's Alpine Ascents Khumbu Trek

Burleson

Theater in the Khumbu
Thursday, April 16, 1998 — Namche (11,300')

	Hear Todd Burleson's call from Namche Click for [RealAudio] or [NetShow]
Satellite phones for Everest cybercasts provided by MVS/USA

Yaks crossing a suspension bridge are a common sight in the Khumbu
[click to zoom]
(photo: Potterfield)

Hi everybody at the Zone, it's Todd. I'm in Namche, it's early morning, and we're getting ready to head down to Lukla. We've had a great few days here.

Galen Rowell came by yesterday and had dinner with us which was really nice, and then we went to the first Nepali/Sherpa theatrical company premiere, I guess you would call it. It was interesting, a little chaotic but some good dancing and amazingly enough the play they had was about AIDS which is interesting — AIDS is not an issue in Nepal, especially in the Sherpa culture up high in the mountains. But what does happen in the mountains here is that sometimes children are kidnapped and sold into prostitution in Bombay and that was what this play was about. This young girl had gotten AIDS in Bombay and escaped and came back to her parents in the mountains. It was interesting to see that play; we had a translator which made a big difference. Galen took a bunch of photos, and he'll probably publish one of them because it was an interesting play.

KHUMBU TREK
PHOTO GALLERY
Namche's great, the weather's good. I haven't talked to Wally, but it looks like the winds are little lower now. Winds were pretty high early on last week so a lot of the mountain was blown dry from snow. Trekkers are all great, and we'll call you from Lukla. Hope everybody is well. Take care, and we'll talk to you in a day. Bye.

— Todd Burleson, Leader of the Alpine Ascents Trek

DISPATCHES