March
25th,
2010 - I arrived in the village of Chhukung around mid-day, secured a
room, and sat in the sun room (a dining area with windows for walls
and a roof that captures heat from the sun) of the Chhukung 'Resort'
soaking up more ridiculous views. A couple of notes here. The term
'village' is a tad misleading as many of the stops along the way
through the Everest Region are nothing more than a small collection
of guesthouses erected specifically to service trekkers. And many use
words like resort, hotel, and lodge but contain nothing more than the
basics. That is not to say they are not comfortable in their own
unique way, just that they lack the type of luxury their names may
imply.
The
Chhukung valley is absolutely stunning. I sat in the sun room,
sipping overpriced tea, and basking in the magnificence. I had the
rest of the day to kill. The following day would be a saunter up
Chhukung Ri followed by my crossing of the Kongma La the day after
that. Giddy as a school girl.
Shortly
after I arrived I met an Englishman and a Frenchman who had just
crossed the Kongma La from the other direction (starting in the village
of Loboche). This was good news as I was a little bit afraid that I
might be the first a-hole to cross the pass this season. So much for
my trailblazing aspirations.
