Day 5

Beding to Na - 3740 meters to 4180 meters

That's about 12,270 to 13,713 feet!

We are getting up there!!

Before we could leave to go to Na, we needed to go to the monastery for a special ceremony so we could have a successful trip. We were all blessed by the lama and he tied a cord with a red knot around our necks. This is called a "protection and blessing cord" and is to have power to protect one even when out of the lama's range. We also received a 'kata' - a white scarf that was placed around our necks.

After the blessing, we headed on our way with our first stop being the place where the angel knelt and prayed. After walking a bit more, we came upon the Dalai Lama chair. It's a large stone that could serve as a chair. It overlooks some interesting rock formations which also had a story. There was also a fertility stone that all of the young touched and it will hopefully grant them safe childbearing.

Lunch was again in a spectacular place and afterwards, we stopped by the pregnant woman rock. Climbing quite a bit today, we finally got to Na. Just outside of Na, it was so surreal! There were yak corrals everywhere, a monastery, many stupas with old rocks and inscriptions, and even a very large painting on a rock.

The town is not terribly large, but lies in a beautiful valley above timberline. Many potatoes were planted and we stayed at a very nice tea house right next door to Chhiring's father. In fact, he grabbed many people and invited them in to talk and drink some yak milk. Another person we met was Mingma's uncle. He was on an expedition with Reinhold Messner in 1981 to climb Everest. On this trip, Mingma's uncle lost all the tops of his fingers to frostbite! However, doing some research, I think they were on Makalu, not Everest. Also on the way to Na, we met a man who had just lost his son to Everest this spring.

It's been raining this afternoon, but we all played UNO and cribbage until dinner time and then bed! Tomorrow is a hike to the lake!