Everest was everything Id imagined and more. As my schedule hit at the worst possible time for treking....(Monsoon Season....the worst time to actually view Everest) I had to make do. To my delight it was spectacular! The  summer rains graces the lower Himalayans with a greenery that compares with the charm of Ireland. The flowers that are never visable during the hieght of the treking season were ubiquous....and unique to this region and alltitude. Durring our days we caught an abundance of luck and never really were caught in any consistant rain.The first effort to fly to Lukla was failed due to weather...the folling day we were off and in the plane was my first ever view of this Mountain Region....Breathtaking!!! The landing strip at Lukla....to steal my Friend Anthony Keirans discription....is like landing on a match book cover, its extreamly short and dead ends into a mountain....one of the more nerve racking arrivals Ive had. My trip was to take me through the heart of the Everest  area. This area is inhabited by one of Nepals 72 ethnic clans the Sherpas. They are warm and incredably hard working, both Ang and Dorjee are from this caste and their ability to speak English, Nepalesse and Sherpa mad e the trip confortable. Ang explained the regions topography, flora and fauna, and the many traditions of the Sherpa people. My total time on the mountain was 11 days..6 up, 3 down and two at the top. When god decided to paint a picture of natural beauty he made the Himalayans flawless...snowcaped peaks, incredable flora and air so clean if you bottled it you`d be a millionaire. There are no roads in this region, a 12 foot and at times one and a half foot trail is the highway to all the villages along the way. The porters are the delivery trucks carrying as much as 300 pounds on their backs to the top if need be. A beer in Lukla will cost $1 and at Goresheap..near basecamp it will run you close to $4.50.....this because some porter is humping 15 cases on his back all that way. These guy are incredable, I offered for a photo op to carry a porters load a bit...it was about 70lbs of stone for a house they were building....I put the strap on my head and leveradged the weight against my back walked 50 feet in such pain I could`nt wait to get it off me....guys were carrying three times as much for days.....make selling paper a grace from God!! This was the 50th annivarsary of Sir Edmond Hillarys triumpant summit and his legacy is everywhere, He`s attached himself to the sherpa people and his foundation has built 28 schools and multiple hospitals. He is there hero and with great reason he has increased the quality living expenencially. At one of the lodges we stayed at Ang and Dorjee interduced me to "Chang" a milky beer concoxtion drank by the sherpas....after a few of these Ang was showing me traditional Dances with the other porters and guests...it made for great fun and a light afternoon. After six 4-8 hour days of hiking we finally reached Basecamp which had a errie moonlike appearance. We caught glimpes of Everest but never the perfect cleen shot. My photos are magnificant, however not totally complete. To breath at base camp is like being partially choked....you only recieve between 30-50% of the oxegen you get at sea level and then your attemting to hike as well....hike 80 yards and then rest for 10 minutes is par for the course. If you have the opportunity and the energy this trek is everything you would ask for....although be warned the accomadations are quite rough around the edges....and I would highly recomend Ang...he was refered to me and does a great job of making you feel welcome. The day before I left Kathmandu, he had me over to place for lunch and wraped a traditional  farewell scarf around my neck. From start to finish he and Dorjee made the experience priceless!! Because the Mountain is competative and agencies gauge Americans like us a small advertizment for my boys are as follows:  Ang Babu Sherpa ....e-mail babuang@hotmail.com  My friend Anthony originally used Angs services and set Ang up on hotmail consequently Ang has taken 10 different groups or individuals up the mountain, I assure you,you wont be dissapointed!!!

       Waking up in the world with trash should be Delhi, Indias theme. The people were nice but if you invented the Trash Can in this country you`d be make a bundle! I only spent a few day here so I dont want to make any sweeping ( nice pun ) judgements but between the beggers and the polution...it could use some work. I did take a side trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal....it was stupendous...a true work of beauty!!! My next stop and fourth continent....this starts my last swing home.....Europe here I come....with Turkey the first country I´ll wake up in!!