Scott Hamilton Tuesday, May 4 Pheriche Village, Nepal

After a strenuous two-day trek the E-3 team has arrived in Pheriche Village, in the heart of the Himalayas. From our camping area in a yak pasture we can see the peaks of Tamserku and Tawochee. Tomorrow our journey will take us to a site near Lobuche Village, at an elevation of about 16,000 feet, along the edge of the Khumbu Glacier, and only a few kilometers from Everest Base Camp. The trek from Namche Bazzar to Pheriche took two days, and because our members and equipment were spread out along the trail we were unable to do satellite communications enroute. A hundred rupees (current exchange rate is about 65 rupees to 1 US Dollar) could buy a hot shower in Namche. All members of the E-3 team took advantage of this interim opportunity to get temporarily clean. The process was a bit different that what we are used to at home, however. The first step was to go to the second floor kitchen of a local teashop, with sign language and broken a bit of Nepali convey the wish for a shower. After paying 100 rupees a large kettle was taken from the stove and several gallons of hot water are poured into a large tin can in the corner. The next step is to go downstairs to the "shower room", no lights there, so you have to take a lit candle with you to enjoy several minutes of gravity fed hot water…until the tin can runs out.

From Namche the team took a narrow winding trail down to a river crossing at the tiny town of Phungi Thangka (pronounced funky tonka) followed by a long, steep climb to the Tengboche Monastery, located on top of a hill below the spectacular summit of Ama Dablam. The entire E-3 team attended a Bhuddist prayer service in the Monastery, accompanied by burning incense, ringing bells, chanting, and the blowing of enormous temple horns. The expedition's prayer flags were blessed, thereby activating their "magical" powers in preparation for deployment at Everest Base Camp. In the late evening we made our way to a camping area at Deboche. Early yesterday morning we trekked through Pangboche, following the trail ever higher into the heart of the Khumbu Himal, leaving behind the land of trees and rhododendron blossoms as we rose above the tree line to the harsh landscape of higher altitudes.

Early this morning we set up the DRASH tent (www.drash.com) which has proven to be extremely popular with all the researchers, medical workers and telecommunications experts. Eye and vision problems are prolific at these high altitudes, due to constant exposure to wind, sun and airborne dirt particles, and wood smoke in the houses. Dr. Ken Kamler and Dr. Jennifer Grin have been hard at work providing diagnosis and treatment to a long line of villagers seeking treatment. Dr. Nick Craig has been busy consulting with Dr. Christina Hennessy the lone physician at the local healthpost run by the Himalayan Rescue Association. Visual acuity tests are also being conducted on E-3 members. A replacement generator is enroute to our camp, having been flown by helicopter to Namche Bazzar, where our other generator died a premature death, running but failing to produce electricity. Our plan is to spend the night at Pheriche, then depart early in the morning for Lobuche, where we will spend two nights. The E-3 team will dedicate one full day at Lobuche to medical research and additional acclimatization for members before moving onward to Gorak Shep. Gorak Shep translates to "dead crow" in Nepali, and will be our last stop before completing our journey to Everest Base Camp.

Scott Hamilton