New audio update from TA on Everest.

This is the text of TA’s audio message:

Hi this is TA calling in from my hotel here in Kathmandu.  I just wanted to say happy Buddha’s birthday, they are celebrating the birth here in Kathmandu today.  Nadia, Marian, and Myself had a great walk this morning, going from Thamel out to Boudhanath to the Stupa there.  I didn’t get a chance to visit it earlier, it is a world heritage site, one of seven I the Kathmandu valley, and a place I often like to visit before climbs.  Since I didn’t get there before I was happy to visit today especially being such an auspicious day.  It was amazing to watch the Stupa being prepared for today with strings, and strings, and strings of prayer flags that where being purchased and sponsored for folks to hang up.  They also coated the top dome with new white wash, and then saffron gets soaked in water and thrown on the Stupa in the pattern of a double lotus, we purchased some of the saffron.  And throngs of humanity, just waves and waves of humanity pulsating around the Stupa in clockwise direction.  We actually circumnavigated the Stupa at every level we were allowed to today, so that was wonderful.  When we would get too overflowed with all the people we would pop over to one of the rooftop teahouses and have a cup of tea or a lassie or a meal to become western again in our ability to deal with humans.  Then we would head out again for some more rounds around the Stupa.  It was a wonderful day celebrating Buddha’s birth and also welcoming Greg and Fergus back to Kathmandu.  They are two of the summiteers from our team and the rest of the team shouldn’t be too far behind them, we send Bob back to Australia tomorrow.  So comings and goings here in Kathmandu, good day here, relaxing into life in Nepal.  Wishing you all the best wherever you might be, thanks for following along.  Take care

TA