Mule Highways (Everest - Part 2)

After deplaning the flying glass bubble, I meet my porter, hand off my 10kg duffel, and start on the trail (Map).

We walk through the towns - charming, brick, with Buddhist prayer flags and wheels every 20 feet.

The first two days the trail is all on the “road” from village to village.

But it's not a car road.

It's a mule highway, with the occasional human porter.

Almost everything coming in or out of this area is on someone's back - a donkey, mule, dzo (yak/cow hybrid), yak, horse, or human.

I can understand why - it would be impossible to maintain a road. Between traces of prior landslides and erosion, or mud and rocks, you're constantly battling the elements. A small portion of supplies come in and out via helicopter, so the helicopter industry is alive and well. However labor is incredibly cheap - 50 rupees per kilo for up to 100 kilos on a human's back - the helicopter industry is not going to capture majority of the market share.

A few of the ridiculous things I saw humans carrying on their backs throughout this trek:

The road to Namche is brilliant weather and mostly uphill. Passing between the villages I'm loving all the well fed dogs just sunbathing in the middle of the street, not giving a care to human or mule alike.

It's a battle to get ahead of the donkeys (impossible, they always overtake you), respect the yaks (dangerous on both sides - sharp horns on the front and hooves on the back) and staying far away from the granola chads whose natural environment would best be a molly induced dark loud place judging from the music coming out of their bluetooth speakers. I secretly hope one of the yaks with the big horns takes a dislike to the Chad oblivious to the fact that he's not on a beach in Ibiza. In a day our paths will split - with the Chads taking the direct popular route to Everest Base Camp, and me taking the circuitous route.

A pack of goats decides I'm the leader of their crew and they follow me for a few terrifying minutes (they have sharp horns!) before their owner shoos them back.

For now there's plenty of oxygen, so the terrain is mostly woods and few suspension bridges

A well placed bungee jumping business is off one of these

I spend every night in a different "tea house" - basically a humble bed and breakfast. On my budget there is no central heat, communal bathrooms, and a single outlet only in the dining hall

Some advertise modern comforts:

Compared to what's coming next, this is true luxury. And I'm all too happy to fork over $3 to purposefully scald myself in hot running water.