"Minnesota cold" Day... Dec. 8

Chukhung this morning. 

We woke up to the sky completely socked in with low and thick clouds. Our visibility was approximately 40 yards. Thick clouds and it was cold because the sun couldn't warm the air and the humidity was high......definitely reminded us both of winter in Minnesota!!!  We both looked forward to mostly hiking down hill today but now with the clouds our lack of effort going downhill made it more difficult to stay warm. We froze for the first hour and a half! 

Lower than tree line!

Buddhist passageway on the trail.  

Ceiling inside the passageway. 

Stupa

Hiking in the clouds made the terrain appear mystical. Our goal was to hike to Tengboche (3860m/12,664') nestled on top of an isolated ridge overlooking the entire valley. Tengboche in the Kumbu region is well known for their monestery. Tourists are free to join the monks in their ceremonies offered multiple times a day. We got to Tengboche in time to join the 4:00 ceremony. The exterior grounds of the monestery are ornate and brilliant! The room where we observed their ceremony/meditation was overwhelming with colorful detailed paintings on the walls and ceiling! At the front and center was a giant Buddha shrine with instruments including horns, drums and cymbals. Cameras were not allowed in the temple so you will have to use your imagination!

Entrance of the monestery

Let's hope for clear weather tomorrow as we head back to Namche Bizzare! Oh by the way.... We are back in Colorado elevation after 12 days above 14,000' and we are 7 days without a shower!!! My feet are notoriously stinky and we both chuckled when the guy sitting next to me in the monestery left after a few minutes of the ceremony.  We both looked at each other and were thinking the same thing!!!!  John: "You should figure out a way to harness the powerful smell of your feet and sell it to millitary powers around the world as a deterrent!"