Puja Ceremony with Rongbuk Lamas

Today we had our puja ceremony and I must be honest - I don't enjoy them.  There's lots of chanting and praying from a trio of lamas.  Sherpas then put up a puja pole in a rock base that they had previously built.  Then prayer flags are are suspended from the top of the pole.  After this the lamas smear barley flour on each climber's face. This ritual is done to signify that the recipient of these ministrations will grow old.  Lastly they drink great quantities of beer and whiskey and everyone gets pretty silly.  I just stand off to the side and shake my head a lot.  The only interesting thing is that the lamas came from the very famous Rongbuk Monastery. (in Everest history)

Yesterday I went for a walk up the valley and then onto the toe of the glacier to investigate a weather station.  Today I think I will just walk further up the valley in the direction we will be going in about four days when we make our first trip to advanced base camp.  ABC is a little over 21,000' and will be quite cold.  Once there we will spend four to seven days and climb once or twice to the north col at 23,000' for acclimatization.  Phil says there is no need to sleep there like people used to do; the effort to stay only drain one's strength.

Our internet is limited.  It is very cold when the sun goes down and it is windy most of the time but not as bad as I'd feared.  I am doing very well, sleeping fine and eating like a horse

I have good news about the woman who was bitten by the dog.  She was able to get the medication  needed without going back to Kathmandu.  The rabies meds were brought to the border and carried over.  She has medical training so was able to self-administer the medications. She is now back with her team.