Gunsang April 8, 2001 Day before yesterday was spent in the brooding cold blowing snow with Heather recouperating from digestive problems. Yesterday was a bright sunny day – very clear. We departed early after a nice breakfast at Bargain Kumar’s and arrived after only 1.5 hours in Gunsang. We all took a nap on the roof of the hotel in the wind shelter of an overturned bench listening to BBC radio on my shortwave. Best story was about Sweden offering the lone grey wolf “Martin” political asylum from Norwegians hoping to cull him as the last of his pack. Disaster struck yesterday morning when I accidentally deleted all of my pictures from the camera – some of them very fine shots. Ugh. All I can do is say now I have the opportunity to take even better photos during the remaining 10 days of the trek. Walked to Yak Kharka and back last night to deliver a note to some Israelis who’s group had split for a rondezvous they couldn’t make due to illness (and to get some exercise). On the way there just rested (doing a ‘tzula’ in Hebrew) with Amir the Israeli who thought his girlfreind was flying to Pokhara from Hongre airport back near Manang due to illness and he would hike on alone for the rest of the circuit. Froze my hands returning back to Gunsang and it turns out Amir’s girl is at our guesthouse – got lonely and now is in pursuit. On my own personal development side it looks like I have far too many goals regarding playtime interests to get very deep into any of them. I will have to see how I can ID five best among them to carry forward to the depth at which they can be practiced unconciously and thereby bring me closer to the devine.

April 9, 2001 Mid morning. Waiting for Shane and Heather near a crossing – questioned some Germans. They believe that the path I am on and the upper path I can see from here that split off about 1.5 Km back with a sign saying “hydro project” both meet in Thorung Phedi. I hope Shane and Heather are on the other one. I will continue to Phedi then backtrack down the other path if I don’t seem them there. The dangers of letting myself get ahead!

Got there to the place where the path converged and coming around the fold of the mountain – e-gads! People like ants –tons of them- streaming down, slipping and sliding down an ultra steep path covered in snow and ice. Walked up the last fifty meters of this path to help Heather sliding down on her ass with a broken wood walking stick and her totally inadequite approach shoes. I asked her to plant her heels as I shouldered her bag. She refused continuing to slide on her butt claiming that she felt more secure with a low center of gravity. I fear for her safety for the big descent on the other side of Thorung pass.