What more could a mother want?

April 15th Kyangen Gompa, Cris’ version

It’s 8 am and the kids are already at it playing Penalty (DUMBAL) with Pemba! Dumbal is a new card game to us. 5 cards each- discard first and then pick up card from deck or last card discarded into pile- goal to have equal to or less than 5 points in your hand- if you feel you are holding the lowest hand you can “call the game” and all show their hand. On discard you can discard a 3-5 card straight flush or 2 of a kind or anything you don’t want to keep. Jokers wild. Pemba’s English is poor but he makes up for it with wild animated laughs and smiles. He is a delight to have around and the kids love him too!

At 4:00 am I awoke to a mild headache and despite no glasses on I could see there might be blurry snow on the ground!!!!! Winter- I thought, she brought Ari snow for our last planned hike to Tsergo Ri (4984m). I restlessly slept for another hour and half and told myself- if my headache does not improve or there is another “sign”, I’m not going to climb. Jesus Christ! I’m 47, I have 2 kids sleeping next to me living at 13,000 ft for several nights. I need to be responsible and like Mia would say- “when is it enough”.

5:30 am I felt okay and was getting giddy for the 8 hour climb. Plan was for 5:45 check in with Dawa, 6:15 breakfast on the 4th floor of our “5 star hotel” (we had to ditch the first place after 2 nights- so dirty, only squats, the start of my GI distress and let’s face it- I’m a wimp!), start hiking at 6:30 and HOLD ON!!! Plans have changed- the Himalaya “Revenge” had different plans for me! Just before 6 am the stomach cramps began and shortly afterward MORE DIARRHEA! Another sign- NOT going to climb. Grandma DeAnne would be proud of me! Safety first, NOT a responsible thing to do today . AnyWHOOO, I had simple breakfast (they had white TOAST-thank god!) with Ari, encouraged him to go without me and walked them up the trail about 10 minutes. The trail was dressed with a half inch of snow on the ground and the sun just starting to peak over the mountains- it was peace on earth even with a tummy ache! This was so worth it! I tear up again- Winter, god dammit! I miss you so much it hurts! Even the Yaks sprinkled with snow and grazing remind me of her. Their eyes, their foreheads, Winter!!! Forever- will tear my heart apart and give me drive to keep going and keep living.

6:30 am and I am alone walking the trails back to town. No cars, no machines, total quiet, esp with the snow to dampen any sounds. Occasional bell from the monastery. Occasional people siting. Few trekkers. Yaks, black crows, snow, 20,000 ft mountain vistas, sun, quiet…. And my kids are sleeping soundly in weighted down packed sleeping bags as well as the requisite down packed comforter supplied by the hotels. What more could a mother want??

I wandered the trails and the town, I visited the monastery and took pictures of the everything. I chatted with a woman from Spain in Spanish/English as well as purchased a small onyx ring and another orange jewel from a local just opening her “Tibetan Shop”- early just for me. She asked me to come back tomorrow and exchange my green marmot puffy jacket for some Yak woven blankets- She wanted it for the cold winter and didn’t have access to good ones up here- just the old worn out purple fleeces that she showed me.

7:15 I walk back into the hotel and don’t even make it up one flight of stairs before I am greeted by the most cheerful, beautiful smile of my daughter! Linden is up and happy! “Good morning mama! Why aren’t you hiking???” I tell the story (see above) and we sit in the dining room and await Asher to wake. She begins to journal and I ponder what book to read next on the kindle…. I completely enjoyed reading the Book of Joy. I finished it last evening and told myself at the time that I needed to journal about it sometime! To review my highlights on the Kindle and share all the brilliant messages with my children. (see next post)