Today I have seen Mt. Everest for the first time

A great wake up at NamcheBazar, the "capital" of the Hymalaias at 3500m, first I've seen a couple of peaks ovet 700m, then the Ama Dablam, Lothse, Nupse and somewhere far away the Everest,at about 7a.m. ! Here in the day it is very hot: 30 C at 4000m and here you can really fell the altitude, but also the acclimatisation.

I am sure that until know I had made great portrets of the sherpa people, now it is the mountains time.

And weare in the middle of the buddhist area: oh mana padme hum is our mantra at this moment.

Nepal, live from Kathmandu !

After a nice flight, with a terrible stop in Bahrain (33 dergees at 20.00 o'clock in th evening, with 98% humidity - the hottest day/night of my life :D ) we've arrived safe and on time at kathmandu.
Great hotel, fine food, great people are the first impression. 3GB of photos in the first day: we've seen a nice festival of un-married womens: they look great, I think I'll stay in Nepal for long time :)) In the night a great traditional restaurant, with tasty food, dancing (yeti dance, pown dance) and music. We ' ve meet Stelian Pavalache and we had 2 long nights of discussions, with some palinka with wine bottles.
The net is too slow to put pictures on line, at this time.

Tomorrow we'll fly in toward Everest, for 22 days !

Nepal: 14 september, the big day !

So, there are few days left before our depart to Nepal: on 14 September we'll take the plane (actually we'll change 4 planes ! ) on the route:
Bucharest - Turkey - Bahrain - Nepal Kathmandu - Nepal Lukla
Our impacience grows, but the weather forecast is terrible on the way: heat and humidity, real feel temperatures up to 51 C ! in Bahrain and over 40 C in Kathmandu, where we'll stay about 3 days before leaving toward Namche Bazaar, Hymalaia.

Sunday it is planed that we'll step on Nepaleese soil, the Kathmandu airport is waiting for us with its inscription:

“It is not for you to Change Nepal, but for it to Change You”

Halstatt, between mountains and the lake !

The first salt mine, and a brilliant civilization, and iron age epoch called upon its name: Halstatt, and a great holiday spot today, on the Halstattersee lake shore:



















And above Halstatt, which is situated at 500m altitude a mighty 3000m mountain: Der Dachstein with its eternal snows !

The refuge of the future

It is Schiestlhaus in Hochschwab, a demo building, with complete autonomy in electricity and water. And yesterday it was 2 years old.

The front, with the solar panels:



The back, with the rain water collecting system:



Solar panel, in mist:



At the entrance everyone must take house shoes:



The mountain boots and the wet raincoats stay in a special, very hot, room:



This is a dormitory with 11 beds. You must bring your sheets to sleep here. The beds are big and comfortable.



The big glass door to the dining room:



Dining room with mountaineers in action:



Very big windows with a panoramic view ... to the mist !



The place is haunted by the phantoms of some lost mountaineers...



But if you don't like this you may still find some emergency refuge, somewhere lost in the mountain...




Personally I have found the refuge too high tech, comfortable, but too luxurious, and I didn't quite liked the attitude of the refuge-keeper...
Maybe in 100 years most of the refuges will be like this, but it is sure that the refuges of the future are those keep by true mountaineers, with love of the mountain and respect of the people ;)