Patience is a virtue. Day 4

Waking up early doesn't necessarily mean that you will get going early. It is clear to us that Kevin and I operate on a different clock than the rest of this country. At first we called it island time in the mountains, but now I have realized that life here just takes longer in general. Patience is a virtue. Eventually, things fell into place and we were fed and happy. We were both stoked and anxious to get out of Tal and on the trail. While packing up camp amidst our new Frenchy mountaineer friends and their Sherpa entourage, I couldn't help thinking, "this scene is weird."

It was a tremendously long day. As the hours ticked by, the valley seemed to close in around us. We were getting our first views of the snow covered beasts that surround the valley. Despite being somewhat near 8000 feet, these peaks tower over us somewhere between 20,000 to 25,000 feet. Seeing them has been a jaw dropping event for me and a constant reminder that no matter what I have or will accomplish, I am still so small.

Chame (our stopping point for the day) is a lovely mountainside town. People are out and about, dogs run up and down the streets barking incessantly. We retired early. Long days like this, one after the other take their toll on you. While preparing for bed, Kevin yelled my nname. I turned in time to see a HUGE centipede scamper across the wall above Kevin's bed. The sound it made was otherworldly. It's size was shocking! With a mighty blow of his book, Kevin defeated the 100 legged creature.

In the next few days, our trekking will be hindered by altitude and acclimatization, and quite possibly weather. The French expedition got shut down, groups of people have been headed the opposite direction (signs of pass crossing failure, injury or illness), and we have heard of inclement weather for a few days out. It is very possible that we get turned around also as Thorung La sits at 17,760 feet. World's Highest Pass! It will be what it will be, no reason to worry about those things which we can not change. For now, I will keep thinking of good weather while passing the prayer walls.