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Alpine Ascents International's
Khumbu Trek Fall '99

NEPAL TIME:   

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Namaste and Goodbye

Barbara Wentworth

Namaste from Barbara Wentworth, Kettle Moraine Physical Education teacher, Magee Elementary.

We were all sad to leave Namche, the heart of the Khumbu region, and head for Lukla and our flights home. We were treated so special by whoever we came in contact with. Our Sherpa Sirhdar, Ang Chu treated us to milk tea at his teahouse and a scarf which had been blessed for a safe journey home. Our hosts in the Panorama Lodge, where I emailed you from, also gave us a blessed scarf. I hope we all can return to this beautiful place and greet our newly found friends again.

Our entire expedition has arrived safely in Kathmandu in various stages due to flight changes, but we're all back safe and sound and winging our way to home destinations. I received the USA Thanksgiving messages from all when I reached Namche and would like to respond to my 5th graders with an acrostic poem of my own (hint to readers — look at the first letter of each line to spell Thanksgiving):

Thanks to all who have believed
How the world can be made smaller by communications.
Avalanches sliding into white powder ever downward
New friends and experiences never to be forgotten
Khumbu crud — cough and cold — no escape by anyone (even Pete)
Scaling rocks to reach to the top of Kala Patar
Going to sleep in below freezing temps
Ice inside and outside the tent
Veering to miss yak dung
Interested in new people and new words
Nepal — a beautiful place and a beautiful people
Going home to family and friends!

I have some exciting news for the Magee Elementary students. I visited the primary school in Namche Bazaar just up the hill (always up) from the Panorama Lodge where we were staying. Nine of their 4th and 5th graders gave me their addresses to pen pal with KM students along with their teachers. This will give them practice in writing English which they begin to study in 4th grade along with their native Nepalese language. I took their picture with the digital camera and showed it to them on the playback mode and they were so excited they were tripping on each other to see it. We will send your pictures to them along with letters you write so they can see who is corresponding with them.

As a final farewell to Mountain Zoners, I leave you with hopes that more connections can be made like this so that children can learn of each other, become friends, and share cultures. Many thanks to the sponsors of this project for supporting education in a unique way. To Pete Athans, a fantastic person who made sure we were well taken care of, I am indebted to him for his insights into the people and culture, stories, information, and his ability to lose at hearts and spades with humor. I feel privileged to know Pete and will follow his next climbing adventures on the Mountain Zone with more interest than ever. Special thanks to the Mountain Zone for providing this satellite and internet educational opportunity, and of course to the yaks for carrying the doggone satellite phone up and down the Himalaya for us!

Barbara Wentworth, MountainZone.com Correspondent

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