Mt. Everest

...otherwise known as the "Non-Event."

It's true, we didn't actually get to Everest. Humbug. The road was washed out. Oh well, landslides happen! Sorry to disappoint any hopeful readers!!

This is as close as I got to Base Camp:
I think this is a picture of the great mountain though, off in the distance:
I say I think, because I'm not sure. We did get to see it once, on our way, and so we took pictures, but now all the mountains kind of blend together and I can't be sure which is which. Anyway, we weren't really that disappointed, because (besides just generally being happy go-lucky kind of ladies ;), we had such a phenomenal time driving through the countryside and seeing the little villages and the farmers and peasants along the way. In fact, on the day we were supposed to go to Base Camp, we did something better (in my opinion), which I will tell you about later. Anyway, I'll see Everest next time I go. Perhaps I'll keep on motoring on through to Nepal next time as well.

So, let's back up a second. After arriving in Lhasa, we went to a wonderful tour company owned and operated by Tibetans, and hired a Land Cruiser for a 5-day tour to Everest. Here's our trusty little vehicle, spacious, comfy, and seatbelt-less:

And here's our driver (to the left...a wonderful little dad-like guy who was always laughing and singing and couldn't really speak any English at all), and our guide (to the right...a quiet, friendly brother-like guy with good English):

And here are my lovely friends, enjoying a snooze (one of many) along the way (we usually drove for 5-7 hours a day):I, on the other hand, could never sleep in the jeep, so when I wasn't making faces at the driver to keep him awake (when his 5th Red Bull was starting to wear off), this is what I did the whole time, happy as a clam, I might add:

A note to my uncle who posted a comment about Everest on my previous post: you totally should "drag" yourself to Everest!! All my friends' pictures are phenomenal, and it's really not often that the road is impassable. And the Tibetan side is really easy to climb (to Base Camp anyway), unlike the Nepali side. If you wanted a true challenge, I'd say go for the Nepali side. Then, of course, I'd recommend driving through the Tibetan countryside!!