Spring In Nepal 2025 — Chapter 11

From Lobuche to Gorakshep to Everest Base Camp to Gorakshep

The original version is available in Bahasa Indonesia. Please click this link to read the article, happy reading :)

4th April 2025

Around 5:30 AM, I woke up again. It was time to get ready before breakfast. I headed to the sink next to the restroom. Fortunately, the electricity was already back on.

I turned on the faucet, but nothing came out. Not a single drop of water. Luckily, the teahouse had prepared a basin of water and a dipper on top of the sink. I touched the water. Wow, it was unbelievably cold.

I paused for a moment, trying to figure out what to do. There was no way I could skip washing my face and brushing my teeth in the morning. It would feel incredibly uncomfortable for me to start the day without doing those two things.

Then I remembered that there was still some warm water left in the thermos I had ordered the night before. I went back to my room and filled my water bottle with the remaining warm water from the thermos. Then I returned to the sink and used the water from my bottle to wash my face and brush my teeth. Yeaay, another morning challenge successfully conquered hahaha.

After washing my face and brushing my teeth, it was time to get dressed. Today was the day I would finally take a photo at Everest Base Camp, one of the main goals of this entire journey.

That morning, I decided to wear my blue down jacket so it would look nice in the photos later hehe. Usually, I only wore this down jacket while staying at the teahouse or during acclimatization hikes to keep it from getting dirty too quickly. But today was special, so I decided to wear it on the trek.

I also chose to wear my waterproof pants for the very first time because the air along the trail was getting colder and colder. At the same time, I wanted to prevent myself from collapsing from the cold before reaching Everest Base Camp.

For the first time during this trek, I also wore my light brown hijab to match the color of my down jacket. I had carefully thought through almost everything for this day.

After changing my clothes, I packed all of my belongings except for the sleeping bag and the black down jacket I had worn the day before. Then I got ready and headed to the dining hall for breakfast.

At 6:30 AM, I headed to the dining hall carrying my thermos and water bottle. The moment I opened the door, Raj greeted me as usual.

“Good morning :)” he said.

“Morning :)”

“How was your sleep?”

“Oh, it was really good. Far better than in Dingboche :). I think because the room is quite small, it feels a little warmer inside :). Could you please help me with my sleeping bag and my down jacket later?”

“Yes, I could. Now let’s have your breakfast first.”

“Okay, thank you.”

Raj then walked over to the reception area and returned with my breakfast: a vegetable omelet and a ginger lemon honey.

I forgot what Raj had for breakfast that morning. As usual, we had breakfast together.

After breakfast, I handed the water bottle I had brought from my room to Raj so he could fill it up and put it inside his backpack. Then I headed back to my room.

Not long after, Raj followed me there. I had intentionally left the door wide open because I knew he would come.

“Hello,” he greeted me.

“Please help, hehe,” I said while pointing at the sleeping bag on the bed.

Raj immediately got busy stuffing the sleeping bag back into its cover, while I organized the rest of my belongings inside my big bag. After he finished with the sleeping bag, I handed him my black down jacket so he could pack it into its pouch as well. Then I placed both the sleeping bag and the down jacket into my big bag.

Once everything was packed, Raj helped me close the zipper of the big bag and carried it outside, placing it in front of the room. I then handed over the items that I wanted to leave in Raj’s backpack.

After making sure that nothing had been left behind, I closed the room door and hung the room key outside the door. Then I walked over to Raj, who was busy rearranging his backpack and fitting my belongings neatly inside.

While waiting for Raj to finish organizing his backpack, I decided to make one last trip to the restroom before we set off. Remember, needing to pee was one of the biggest challenges during hiking hehe. So, while there was still a proper toilet available, it was better to make full use of it hahaha.

After returning from the restroom, I walked back to where Raj was getting ready near the dining hall entrance.

Right beside the dining hall door was a mirror. Of course, I could not pass up the opportunity to fix my hijab in front of it.

While I was looking into the mirror, Raj suddenly walked over. He acted as if he also wanted to use the mirror and I was blocking his way. I immediately recognized that mischievous look on his face. So I stepped back and stood behind him instead. Then I smiled at our reflection and raised two fingers above my head, as if we were taking a mirror selfie together.

We both burst out laughing.

That morning, I decided to wear my thick gloves right from the start. I did not want to freeze to death before reaching Everest Base Camp.

“I think you have to be my cameraman for today. I’m wearing my gloves now. I can’t feel the buttons, hehe,” I said to Raj.

“Okay. Oh, you have waterproof pants??”

“Yes. I told you. I don’t want to get all of my clothes dirty at the same time :)”

“Okay, are you ready?”

“Yes, chaloo.”

“Chaloo.”

At 7:00 AM, our trek toward Gorakshep finally began :).

The trek that morning was very relaxing. The trail stretched flat as far as the eye could see. On our left stood brown rocky hills, while on our right we could see several snow-covered peaks of the Himalayas :).

After only a few steps…

“Where is your sunglasses?” Raj asked.

“Here,” I replied while pointing at one of the pockets of my jacket.

“I think you need to use your sunglasses now.”

“Really? Do I have to?”

“Yeah, why?”

“I think I brought the wrong sunglasses. My glasses are not suitable for the mountains :(”

“It’s okay tho.”

“Alright :(”

I then put on the sunglasses I had brought from Indonesia. Actually, I had wanted to buy a more proper pair of sunglasses for the mountains. However, with all the expenses for this trip and the fact that good hiking sunglasses were quite expensive, I decided to make do with what I already had rather than buy a cheap pair that was not really suitable.

Besides, I do not like wearing tinted glasses because they change the colors of everything I see. With a heavy heart, I finally put on my ordinary sunglasses hehe.

After only a few more steps, Rajkumar walked over to me.

“Oh, you look really beautiful with those glasses!” he said with a wide smile.

“Really?”

“Yeahh, you’re so beautiful!”

“Thank you then, hahaha,” I replied shyly.

After about an hour of walking, the trail began to climb uphill and became covered with rocks, with no vegetation at all. The beautiful glacier, shimmering in shades of white and bluish ice, became clearly visible. The magical scenery of the Himalayas grew more and more spectacular along the trail we were following.

The weather that day was neither too sunny nor too cloudy. However, the cold air and strong wind were starting to become a challenge for me.

I followed Raj’s advice from the previous night: walk slowly, but avoid stopping too often. I noticed several hikers moving incredibly slowly, truly one step at a time. But my habit of walking fast was difficult to suppress hehe.

Every now and then, I had to remove my gloves to wipe away dust that had gathered at the corners of my eyes, then put them back on again. Sometimes I asked Raj to help adjust my gloves so there would be no gaps for the cold air or wind to get through.

After nearly two hours had passed, my headache returned. I decided to stop for a moment. At that point, I was no longer thinking about taking photos or videos. Simply staying conscious already felt like enough.

Raj, on his own initiative, started taking photos and videos with my camera. Which was a good thing, because the scenery on this trail was far more beautiful than any of the previous ones.

After watching me repeatedly take my gloves off and put them back on, Raj once again offered to help.

“Why? Why? Just tell me what do you wanna do?” he asked.

I smiled at his expression.

“Could you please help me with my hoodie? There are ropes on the right and left sides. Would you please tie them? It’s really cold :(”

“Yes, of course.”

I closed my eyes. Raj tightened the hoodie around my face.

“Like this?” he asked to make sure.

“I don’t know, it’s up to you.”

“Done.”

“Thank you.”

My headache kept getting worse. Gorakshep was still nowhere in sight. All I could do was surrender to the situation.

I was so exhausted that I did not even pay attention to how Raj had tied my hoodie. I only found out later when I looked through the photos from the trek. The way he tied it was absolutely hilarious hahahah.

“I think I wanna cry now :’) Is there something in my eyes? Can you see it?” I asked Raj while still keeping my eyes closed.

“Oh yeah, there is something in your eyes,” Raj replied.

He took off one of his gloves and gently brushed the corner of my eye with his hand.

“What is it? Is it dust?”

“Yeah, I think so. What are you using on your face?”

“Hmm… my moisturizer… my sunscreen…”

“You can use my sunglasses. Yours are not proper.”

“Yeah, I told you hahaha. But it’s okay, you can use yours.”

“No, just use mine!”

Raj then put his sunglasses on me.

“Thank you so much :)” I said.

Look how he tied my hoodie :’D

We continued our journey. Every now and then, we stopped to give way to passing yaks or zopkyos. I focused on taking it one step at a time.

Around 11:00 AM, we finally spotted several teahouses with light blue roofs. Yes, we had finally arrived in Gorakshep at an elevation of 5,165 meters!!

With a pounding headache, exhaustion, and once again an urgent need to pee, I pushed myself to reach our teahouse as quickly as possible.

I even ignored the breathtaking scenery surrounding Gorakshep :’(

In Gorakshep, we stayed at Snowland Highest Inn.

Upon entering through the main entrance, guests had to walk through a long corridor located on the right side of the dining hall.

This teahouse had two dining halls.

The first dining hall was located near the main entrance, while the second dining hall was situated between the first dining hall and the kitchen. The two dining halls were connected by a connecting door.

The second dining hall also had two entrances. One entrance was located beside the reception desk and led to the guest rooms. The other entrance was the connecting door between the first and second dining halls.

As soon as we arrived at the teahouse, we headed straight to the second dining hall. I chose a seat in the corner, just to the left of the connecting door. In a hurry, I took off my gloves and placed them on the table.

“Where is the restroom?” I asked.

Raj then showed me where the restroom was before returning to the dining hall.

I was shocked to discover that some of the water inside the large water container in the restroom had already frozen into ice hahaha. Just imagine how cold it was :’).

After washing my hands, I returned to the dining hall where I had left my gloves. Raj was sitting to my left.

“What do you want for lunch?” Raj asked.

“Do they have Dal Bhat?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, Dal Bhat then. Thank you.”

“Don’t you want a drink?”

“Hmm… ginger lemon honey, please. I have a headache. Can I have garlic soup?” I asked.

“Yes. Anything else?”

“Can I have my garlic soup first, as soon as possible, please?”

“Okay.”

Raj then got up and walked to the reception desk to place my order.

Luckily, there were several cushions available on each bench in the dining hall. I immediately grabbed one, lay down on my right side, and covered my face with my hat. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep while waiting for lunch to be served.

Not long afterward, Raj returned.

Seeing me lying there, he said, “Ria, better this side,” in a calm voice.

Without thinking much, I immediately followed his suggestion. I changed my position so that my head, which had previously been on the right side, was now on the left. Then I covered my face with my hat again.

What I did not realize was that Raj quietly moved closer and sat near my head. Then, without me even asking, he started massaging my head. For me, it was really helpful, and it was sweet!! hehe.

Thank you, Rajkumar!!

Not long afterward, someone called Raj’s name from the kitchen window. Raj got up and walked toward the voice.

I also sat up from my half-asleep position, preparing to enjoy my Garlic Soup. Sure enough, Raj returned carrying a bowl of Garlic Soup.

“Thank you so much :)” I said.

“You’re welcome :)”

I slowly sipped the Garlic Soup, hoping with all my heart that the headache would go away as soon as possible because the journey was still far from over. A little while later, someone from the kitchen window called Raj’s name again. Our lunch was ready.

While we were eating, we took the opportunity to discuss the next part of the journey: Everest Base Camp.

“After you eat your lunch, you can check in to your room first, and then you can pray in your room. After you pray, then we can go to Everest Base Camp,” Raj said.

“Okay. Will Bal come with us to Everest Base Camp?”

“No. Bal said he wants to stay in his teahouse.”

“Why..? I want to take a photo of the three of us at Everest Base Camp :(” I pleaded.

“Hmm, I’ll ask Bal then.”

“Okay, danebad :)”

After finishing lunch, Raj escorted me to my room to check in. As usual, once we arrived, Raj explained all the facilities available at the teahouse.

This time, my room was located on the second floor, right next to the restroom. Compared to my room in Lobuche, this one was quite spacious. There were two single beds inside, separated by a fairly large window.

After explaining everything about the teahouse, Raj left me in the room.

I then started preparing to perform wudu and pray Dhuhr and Asr. Once again, I was shocked to find that the water stored in the large container inside the restroom had partially turned into a solid block of ice. And of course, it was freezing cold.

But I had no other choice. So I forced myself to perform wudu using that icy water.

My headache had finally started to ease. Around 1:15 PM, I got ready and headed to the dining hall to meet Raj. As soon as I arrived, we immediately prepared to leave for Everest Base Camp.

At that moment, Raj was carrying a single water bottle — my water bottle, hehe. Meanwhile, I carried my trekking pole and camera.

To my surprise, Bal joined us on the trek to Everest Base Camp. Our team was complete, yeay!!

Raj handed his trekking pole to Bal. I could see how much Bal was enjoying using it (or perhaps he was simply enjoying not having to carry my backpack this time? hehe). Since I was wearing gloves, Raj took over the responsibility of carrying the camera.

To reach Everest Base Camp, we had to follow the trail behind our teahouse. Alhamdulillah, the weather was incredibly clear that day, and the Himalayan peaks were visible in all their glory.

The trail around Gorakshep was very dry and dusty because it was covered with sand.

As the cameraman, Raj asked Bal and me to walk ahead while he filmed the scenery around Gorakshep.

Bal tried to gather the courage to speak to me in English. His pronunciation was not very clear, and he looked both shy and nervous hehe.

“Haw ar you, Miss?” Bal asked.

“Sorry? :)”

“How are you, Miss?” Bal corrected himself.

“Oh, I’m fine :). How about you?”

Once again, Bal simply responded with a smile and a nod. Then we fell silent once more.

After only a few minutes of walking, we found ourselves getting closer and closer to the snow-covered mountains. Of course, we did not want to miss the opportunity to take a photo together.

Coincidentally, a group of tourists heading toward Everest Base Camp was passing by at the same time. From their appearance, they looked like tourists from Bangladesh or India. One of the men kindly offered to take a photo of the three of us, and of course we happily accepted :).

Raj handed him the camera.

When Raj and I checked the result afterward, unfortunately we were not very satisfied :(. Seeing our slightly disappointed expressions, a young woman from the group — who seemed to be around my age — offered to take another photo for us.

Alhamdulillah, this time the result was much better :).

Not long after leaving the spot where we had taken those photos, Raj handed me his sunglasses and told me to wear them.

I initially refused because I wanted to enjoy the beauty of the Himalayas with my own eyes. But Raj insisted. In the end, he simply put the sunglasses on my face himself hahaha.

The trek to Everest Base Camp was not much different from the trail we had taken earlier that morning on the way to Gorakshep. The path was covered with rocks.

It felt as if we were crossing a long rocky ridge that was not very high. There were no steep ascents or descents; in other words, the terrain was not difficult at all. The main problem was that, because we were walking along a small ridge, the wind was incredibly harsh. Unfortunately, at that time I ignored one important thing, which became one of my biggest mistakes.

I was only wearing a daily face mask instead of a fabric buff that could protect my face from the wind. The strong wind hitting my face triggered my headache again. After walking for about one and a half hours, I decided to take a short break.

“I got headache, this is too cold for me. The wind goes to my face, it’s really hurt :’(,” I complained.

“Do you want to drink?” Raj asked.

“Okay, thank you.”

Not long afterward, the wind started blowing again toward the spot where I was sitting.

“Cannot you move here?” I asked Raj.

I pulled on Raj’s jacket, forcing him to stand in front of me so that the wind would not hit my face directly.

Raj followed my request.

“I wanna give you this,” Raj said while pointing at the patterned buff he was wearing. “But I’m already use it. It’s dirty now :(”

“Yeah, it’s okay :). Can you please, tighten my hoodie? so the wind cannot go to my head?” I asked again.

“Yes, I can.”

“You can pull the rope then tie it like this. Then do the same way to the other side.”

This time, I showed him how to tie the hoodie properly. Raj followed my instructions.

After Raj tightened my hoodie, I adjusted my mask and made sure there were no exposed areas of skin between my hijab and my mask. Seeing me fixing my mask, Raj immediately helped adjust it on my face.

“Thank you :)”

“Is it okay?” Raj asked to make sure.

“Can you make sure that my skin are covered by the mask or my hijab? You can pull my hijab like this, if it’s still not covered up.”

Raj then pulled the side of my hijab over my cheek to cover the area that was not protected by the mask.

While Raj was helping me, Bal had been watching us the whole time. Bal then said something to Raj in Nepali.

“What did Bal say? :)” I asked Raj.

“Bal.. told me that.. I am really good as a guide,” Raj answered with a smile.

I smiled too.

“Okay, done :)”

Raj then smiled at me and lightly tapped my cheek, which was covered by my mask, with his index finger for a brief moment.

I smiled.

“Okay, let’s go.”

We continued our journey.

As we got closer to Everest Base Camp, the wind became stronger and stronger. I was getting weaker. My steps grew heavier. The headache became more intense. Even opening my eyes felt incredibly difficult because of the pain. Every few steps, I had to stop.

“Look, it’s over there! Can you see the yellow tent?” Raj asked me.

“I dont know. I can’t open my eyes. Just wait, please!”

Once again, I decided to stop and sit down. My progress became slower and slower. Earlier, I would stop every twenty steps. Now, I was resting almost every five steps.

Raj kept encouraging me to continue walking all the way to Everest Base Camp. Eventually, we descended the ridge we had been following. Now it was time to walk across the glacier toward the iconic rock at Everest Base Camp.

Fortunately, the sky was crystal clear that day. All of the massive snow-covered mountains surrounding Everest Base Camp were visible.

But sadly, I could barely open my eyes to enjoy the view. While crossing the glacier trail, I once again ran into Jennie, who had just returned from Everest Base Camp.

“Ria, are you okay?” Jennie asked.

I could see the worry and concern on her face.

“Hi.. I don’t think so. I got headache, Jennie. It’s so hard for me to breath here :’(,” I replied.

“It’s over there. Not so far. Just a little walk. It’s better for you not to stay for long here.”

“Yeah..”

“Okay, bye Ria. Be careful, you can do it!” Jennie encouraged me.

“Thank you, Jennie. You too, bye..”

After forcing myself forward one step at a time, we finally reached Everest Base Camp at around 4:09 PM.

Bal had already been waiting for Raj and me there. While everyone else was busy taking photos at the famous rock marked Everest Base Camp and Chomolungma Base Camp, I chose to isolate myself, sitting down and holding my head.

My headache was getting worse. My breathing was becoming shorter. All I could do was close my eyes and furrow my brow whenever I was forced to open them.

(Even now, as I write this, I can still vividly remember how uncomfortable it felt :’().

While I sat there, Raj went off to take a few photos in front of the iconic rock. A few minutes later, he finally returned.

“Are you okay? Wanna a massage?” he offered.

I could only sit there silently, covering my face. It felt like my mental strength had completely collapsed this time.

Not long afterward, a man said something to me. He was the same man we had met earlier when we stopped to take photos on the way to Everest Base Camp.

“If you got headache, better not too long for stay here. Take a photo then go back as soon as possible,” he said.

“Let’s take a photo, then we go back to Gorakshep,” Raj said.

“Just wait for a moment, please,” I asked.

A few moments later —

“We can take a photo now. There’s no people on the stone,” said Raj.

“Okay.”

Bal helped me climb onto the Everest Base Camp rock. Meanwhile, Raj asked someone to take a photo of the three of us.

Once again, the same man who had taken our photo earlier volunteered himself. Haa, never mind :(.

The photos we took at Everest Base Camp were far from what I had imagined. Let alone posing properly, it was already incredibly difficult for me just to keep my eyes open :’(.

After taking a few photos, we immediately turned around and started the journey back. I truly did not get the chance to explore anything at Everest Base Camp.

I walked one step at a time while being guided by Raj. My breathing became shorter and shorter. After only a few steps, I was already struggling to breathe. My breaths became heavy and labored. Even taking a deep breath felt incredibly difficult.

Whether I liked it or not, I had to force myself to keep my eyes open. Ahead of me was the uphill trail that we had descended earlier.

I began to feel stressed. I could no longer imagine how I was going to manage in this condition.

Headache.

Difficulty breathing.

Freezing cold.

The day was already turning into late afternoon. Yet I still had to make my way back along the same trail. I could not imagine what would happen if we ended up walking after dark.

To make things worse, it seemed we had forgotten to bring our headlamps and only had our phones as a source of light.

By the way, Bal had already returned to Gorakshep. Bal was the kind of person who walked freely and incredibly fast. He could already move at lightning speed while carrying luggage, let alone when he was carrying nothing at all hahaha.

Step by step, I kept moving forward. Every five steps, I would stop and sit down while saying,

“Huuu… haaaaa…” I took a deep breath. “I can’t walk.. I can’t breath.. :’(”

For the umpteenth time, I decided to stop and sit down. My headache was getting worse. All I could do was close my eyes.

I could only hope that every time I opened them, I would magically find myself sitting in the dining hall of my teahouse in Gorakshep. But that was not reality.

“Ria.. open your eyes. Look at me..” Raj said while we were resting.

“No. I can’t :’(”

“Come on strong girl. You’re such a strong girl. We have to walk and then you can take a rest again.”

“:’(”

I stood up once more and forced myself to take another step. Then another. And another.

The number of people on the trail was starting to thin out. The colors of the late afternoon sky were beginning to appear.

“Do you prefer for me to hold your hand or not?” Raj asked.

“Yes, please.”

“Okay.”

Raj held out his hand to me.

I took it.

“Don’t you feel cold?” I asked him.

“Yes, but I’m good :). Look! I’m only wearing one glove :D”

“Why?”

“I’m sharing with Bal. Bal ask for my glove. So, I give one to him :)”

“Hoo, how kind you are.”

We continued walking hand in hand. Because Raj was guiding me, I could close my eyes for brief moments while walking.

From time to time, we had to stop to give way to horses carrying passengers back to Gorakshep. The dimming sky, the increasingly empty trail, and the long journey still ahead began to make me anxious.

Once again, we continued forward one step at a time.

Not long afterward, we came across two more horses heading toward Gorakshep. Coincidentally, only one of them was carrying a passenger. I immediately turned to Raj.

“Oh they have a free horse. The horse is free,” I said.

“You wanna take a horse?” Raj asked.

“How much is it?”

“I can ask them.”

Raj then asked the horse owner how much it would cost for me to ride to Gorakshep.

“It’s Rs 14.000. Do you want?” Raj asked again.

“Hmm not now, it’s too expensive.”

“Yeah :(”

We continued walking.

My breathing was still short. After only a few steps, I would run out of breath again. That was why I had to stop every few steps.

Raj had started to understand my condition. Whenever I sat down, he would immediately position himself according to the direction of the wind so that it would not hit me directly.

Alhamdulillah, we encountered another two horses heading toward Gorakshep. And once again, one of them had no rider.

“Oh they have a free horse again :’)” I exclaimed to Raj.

Raj immediately asked the owner how much it would cost to take me all the way back to our teahouse in Gorakshep.

“Ria, because it’s halfway, they give you Rs 5.000. I think it’s a good deal. Do you want?”

“Yeah I think so, okay. But, this’s my first time to ride a horse hehe. I’m a little bit nervous :(”

“Oh, is this your first time?”

“Yeah..”

The horse owner then guided the horse to stop beside a large rock that I could use as a step.

I climbed onto the horse. With the owner’s help, Raj explained what I needed to do while riding.

“Ria, you can hold this by your right hand and this one by your other hand,” Raj explained.

“Okay :D”

Raj told me to hold a strap at the front with my right hand and another strap at the back with my left hand. When the horse went downhill, I had to hold the back strap so I would not slide forward. When the horse went uphill, I had to hold the front strap so I would not slide backward.

The journey continued. Raj followed behind me. Several times he asked me to look back so he could take a video, but because it was my first time riding a horse, my response was always, “No, I can’t. I’m struggling right now :’)”

Raj and the horse owner laughed as they watched me struggle on top of the horse, especially whenever we crossed uphill and downhill sections. Honestly, it was so nerve-wracking hahaha.

Every time we went up or down a slope, it felt as if my tiny body was about to be thrown off the horse and into a ravine. Terrifying, but also fun hehe.

The horse owner walked in front, leading the horse along the trail. During the journey, he spoke with Raj in Nepali. Every now and then, he looked back at me and smiled, making sure I was okay.

“What is its name?” I asked the horse owner.

“Oghni,” he answered with a smile.

“Haa I see. Thank you Oghni, be careful :)” I said while stroking Oghni’s mane.

“Look! The water is becoming ice hahaha,” Raj said while showing me the water bottle he had been carrying the whole time.

“Oh ya hahahah.”

After a few minutes, we finally passed the spot where Bal, Raj, and I had taken our first photo on the way to Everest Base Camp.

The horse owner looked back once again. Then he gestured for me to turn around and look behind me as well.

With a bit of struggle, I managed to turn around.

Raj did the same.

I was overwhelmed with happiness when I saw the beautiful afternoon sunlight reflecting off the peaks of the Himalayan mountains. The golden-orange glow of the setting sun blended perfectly with the deep blue sky and the white snow covering the Himalayas.

It was magical.

At that moment, I finally understood that the paintings sold by artists in Nepal were truly inspired by real scenes. I felt incredibly grateful to witness the beauty of the Almighty’s masterpiece with my own eyes.

Believe it or not, my headache and shortness of breath disappeared from the very first moment I got on the horse hahaha.

Perhaps the reason I was made weak at Everest Base Camp was to slow me down, so that I could witness the breathtaking sunset over the Himalayas. It was truly a priceless memory, one that I will always remember.

Thank You, Ya Rabb :’).

Oghni and its owner dropped me off right in front of the back entrance of my teahouse. With the help of Raj and the horse owner, I climbed down from Oghni’s back and finally set my feet on the ground again.

Alhamdulillah wasyukurilah, I survived :’).

Raj gave me a gentle pat on the back and said, “You did it!! :D”

“Yeaahh, thank you so much. I’m almost died :’((,” I said while giving him a small hug.

I had not even had the chance to properly thank Raj since we left Everest Base Camp. Besides Allah’s will and help, Raj also played a huge role in encouraging and supporting me so that I could finally set foot at Everest Base Camp. As the foreigners would say, “We would not make it without him :’).”

Next came the payment for Oghni’s service hehe.

Coincidentally, I was not carrying any money because all my cash was inside my bag.

“Do you bring money?” I asked Raj.

“Yes.”

“Can I use your money? I’ll pay you on tomorrow morning hehe.”

“Yeah, it’s okay.”

“Thank you.”

Raj then paid Oghni’s fee on my behalf.

“Ria, do you want to book a horse for tomorrow? For Kala Patthar?” Raj asked.

“How much is it?”

“One hundred?”

“Can I book only for uphill?” I tried to negotiate.

Raj then asked the horse owner.

“The price will be the same for one way or round-trip. I think it’s better to take a horse.”

“Hmm okay then.”

Raj then discussed the plan for the next day with the horse owner. While they were talking, I took the opportunity to thank Oghni and say goodbye.

“Thank you so much Oghni to take me safely. See you tomorrow :’)” I said while stroking Oghni’s mane again.

It’s so funny sometimes. Out of the countless horses in Nepal, somehow I was destined to meet Oghni and its owner, who was incredibly kind and had such a sincere smile.

So happy :).

After saying goodbye to Oghni and its owner, Raj and I went straight into the dining hall to warm ourselves up. We arrived back at the teahouse at around 6:30 PM.

Raj immediately went to the reception desk to get a menu so I could order dinner. After I had placed my order, Raj came back and sat beside me.

“I think I’m gonna die tomorrow :(,” he said.

“Why?”

“For Kala Patthar :(. My leg is hurt :’(”

“If you’re gonna die, what about me then?! :(” I replied.

“Hahaha.” Raj could only laugh.

“What time will we go to Kala Patthar tomorrow?”

“May be at 1 or 2 AM?” Raj answered.

“Really? even I, I only just can start to sleep at 11.00 or 12.00 may be, because it’s too cold :(”

“Yeah, but you can take a horse for tomorrow :)”

“Yeah.. it’s one hundred, right?”

“Yes, one hundred dollar?” Raj replied.

My brain instantly converted the amount from dollars into rupiah. That was around IDR 1.7 million.

“Oh yeah? really? I thought it’s Rs 100? :’(”

“No.. How could it be Rs 100, Ria. Even the food is Rs 1.000 :D”

“Oh yeah, you’re right. It make sense tho :’) hahaha”

My mind immediately started calculating again, trying to remember whether I still had enough cash for that amount.

“Does he accept dollar? I don’t have that much money in Rupees now :(”

“I can ask him,” said Raj.

“If he can accept dollar. Do you mind if I pay your tips in Kathmandu?” I asked.

“Yes, it’s okay. You can give my tips in Kathmandu. I’ll ask him now, okay?”

“Don’t you have his number?”

“I think I have,” Raj replied while taking out his phone and checking his contacts.

“Just call then, it’s really cold outside,” I suggested.

Raj then tried calling the horse owner several times, but there was no answer.

“I’ll ask him directly. He stays behind of our teahouse. Wait here, okay?” Raj said.

“Okay.”

“What if he only accept rupees? Do you still wanna go with a horse?” Raj asked to make sure.

“I think no. I only have dollar :(”

“Okay, I’ll tell him. Wait for me here, I’ll come back again.”

“Okay, thank you :)”

While Raj went to find the horse owner, I decided to go to the restroom. Raj had just returned when I came back from the restroom.

“Brrrr it’s really cold outside. Touch my hand!!” Raj said while shivering.

“Hahaha me too. I just cameback from restroom haha.”

“Look!! the water is becoming ice hahaha,” Raj said while pointing at the water bottle he had carried to Everest Base Camp earlier.

“Yeah.. you know what? So, before I did praying, I had to washed my face, my hand, my legs, and anything else, right? Can you imagine that the water in the restroom was like this. ICE! Can you imagine how cold it is? And I wash my face with that kind of water hahahaha.”

“Oh yeah? you washed your face with ICE? hahaha”

“Yeah.. hahaha”

(There was one scene that was quite important during this trip. I honestly forgot exactly when it happened. After trying to remember, I think this conversation took place on the night we stayed in Gorakshep.)

Eventually, our dinner was served. Raj sat beside me that night. I honestly forgot what I ordered for dinner, but I think it was Dal Bhat.

“Could you help me with the Lentil Soup, please? It’s too much for me :(”, I asked Raj.

“Just eat it,” he replied.

“I said it’s too much for me :(”

This time I started to get annoyed. Because almost every time I offered him food, Raj would reject it. Meanwhile, whenever he offered his food to me, he would add, “I’m not gonna eat before you try my food :(”. And he always managed to make me try it.

So this time, I was genuinely annoyed with him.

“I’m done with you!” I said in an irritated tone.

I paused for a moment. Worried that my words might have sounded too harsh, I quickly added, “about food ;(”

“Are you done with me? Really? :(” Raj asked, putting on his sad expression.

“Why do you always reject me every time I offer my food to you? You always make me try your food and I eat it. But you always reject mine :(. Don’t make me beg, I don’t like begging ;(. It’s up to you now. If you don’t want to help me with the food, then I’m not gonna eat it anymore and I’m not gonna ask you to eat my food anymore ;(”

“Arrgghh.”

With a reluctant expression, Raj finally took the lentil soup from in front of me and finished it.

“Thank you!”

As usual, after dinner it was time for the briefing for tomorrow’s journey.

“Okay, time for briefing now. Do you need my map?” Raj asked.

“Of course,” I replied.

“Okay, wait. I’m gonna take my map.”

Raj left and went to his room to get the map. Not long after, he came back and sat beside me. I was busy watching another group that happened to be having their briefing as well.

“Did you always do briefings for your guests?” I asked Raj.

“Yes, I did the same way if my guests in a group too.”

Raj then unfolded the map on the table, and the briefing began.

“Hmm tomorrow we’re gonna walk from Gorakshep to Pangboche. Can you see where Gorakshep and Pangboche are on the map?” he challenged me.

I started looking for Gorakshep and Pangboche on the map.

“So, we’re here now in Gorakshep. Hmm where is Pangboche?” I mumbled while studying the map.

Since tomorrow would mark the beginning of our journey back to Lukla, I traced the route backward on the map. Eventually, I found Pangboche.

I was quite shocked.

“What?? Pangboche is here? Between Syomare and Tengboche? Are you sure that we’re gonna walk from here to here? :O”

“Yes :D. Tomorrow is gonna be a very long walk ;D”

“Woooow hahaha.”

I still couldn’t believe it.

Syomare was the place where I had lunch on my way from Tengboche to Dingboche. Even to get from Syomare to Gorakshep, we had to pass through two overnight stops: Dingboche and Lobuche.

This time we would cover that distance in a single day.

Honestly, I was pretty surprised by that hahaha.

“Can I make it? It’s too far. Are you sure?” I asked again.

“Yes. Mostly it’s downhill, not as difficult as when we go to Gorakshep,” Raj replied.

“Oh my God hahaha. Yeah, I hope so hahaha.”

“And tomorrow morning we’re gonna go to Kala Patthar. Do you still wanna go to Kala Patthar?”

I felt like I could read Raj’s expression. He seemed to be hoping that I would say no hahaha.

“What time is it again?” I asked.

“Like I said before, about 1 or 2 AM.”

“I’m not sure that I can fall asleep early. I only really managed to fall asleep around 11 PM. If I have to wake up at 1 AM, then I only get two hours of sleep. And after that we have to walk such a long way. I think there’s no need to go to Kala Patthar then.”

“Are you sure?” Raj asked to make sure.

“Yeah. I want to enjoy the trip, not just achieve certain goals. I think you have to change the itinerary next time. The timing is too tight ;(,” I protested.

“Yeah but, this is a normal itinerary. Everyone does it,” Raj defended himself.

“Oh yeah? Really?”

“Yeah…”

“Okay then.”

“So, from Gorakshep we’ll take the same trek that we used before. After that we’ll have lunch in… do you remember where we had lunch when we went from Dingboche to Lobuche?”

“Yes.”

“Yap, we’ll have lunch there and then we’ll take a different route to Pangboche. We’ll pass Pheriche, a place that we could see on our way from Dingboche to our lunch place. And then we’ll go to Pangboche and stay there for one night. Do you have any questions? Oh, we can have a tea break at our teahouse in Lobuche if you want.”

“Hmm we’ll see. Okay, all is clear. I don’t have any questions.”

“Okay, because we’re not gonna go to Kala Patthar then I can sleep until 7 :D,” Raj said with a smile.

“What time are we starting to walk tomorrow?”

“About 7.30 maybe. We eat breakfast at 7, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Okay, let’s order your breakfast for tomorrow.”

Raj then ordered my breakfast for the next morning: a Special Vegetable Omelet and Masala Tea.

After the briefing was over, we decided to stay in the dining hall until the teahouse owner turned off the heater.

I spent the time going through the photos we had taken earlier, sorting out the ones that were not worth keeping and deleting them to save space on my camera.

Raj and I started talking again about the man from earlier that afternoon who had been a little too confident in offering to take our photo, only for the result to be quite disappointing hehe. Well, even though he had kindly offered his help, his attitude still put us in an awkward position. If we accepted his offer, we ended up disappointed with the photos. But if we refused and asked someone else, we were worried that he might feel offended. It was a difficult situation either way.

As I looked through our Everest Base Camp photos again, I suddenly remembered something that had been on my mind for quite a while. It was the writing on the famous Everest Base Camp rock.

“Why did they cross out the ‘Everest’ and add ‘No’ before the ‘Everest’?” I asked Raj.

“I think the Chinese people did it. They changed the ‘Everest’ with ‘Chomolungma’. Chomolungma is the Everest’s name for Tibetan people. While for Nepali, we call the Everest Sagarmatha.”

“Haa I see, yeah it make sense.”

While waiting for the heater to be turned off, Raj and I spent our time playing games on his phone.

Around 10 PM, the heater was finally turned off. The guests had no choice but to return to their rooms. Raj walked me back to my room, helping me carry my belongings as usual.

Like always, I ordered a small thermos of hot water to use for washing my face and brushing my teeth.

After parting ways with Raj, I cleaned up and tried to get some sleep.

Not long after I got into bed, at around 11 PM, all the lights in the teahouse were suddenly turned off. I switched on my headlamp for light. The room became completely pitch-black.

Unfortunately, once again, in the middle of the night I needed to pee. I had no choice but to leave my room.

When I opened the door, everything outside was completely dark. Fortunately, my room was right next to the restroom, so I did not have to walk very far.

And luckily, just as I stepped out of my room, another guest was coming out of the restroom and walking back to a room across from mine. At least I was not alone.

And thankfully, maybe it was actually a good thing that Raj had once told me there were no ghosts in Nepal. That little piece of information became one of my sources of courage whenever I had to walk to the toilet in the middle of the night hehe.

But come to think of it, back at Plawangan Rinjani I also went to the toilet in the middle of the night hehe.

May Allah always protect me wherever I am, aamiin ya Rabbal ‘alamiin :).