Puja!

Today is an auspicious day on the Tibetan calendar.  We're having our traditional Puja blessing and celebration here in base camp.  The ceremony is conducted by a Lama invited from Pangboche with the Sherpa guides assisting with various aspects throughout the ceremony.  All in all, it takes over an hour with a variety of rituals and chanting.

At the end, we celebrate with homemade Sherpa beer called Chang and some rice wine even though it's only 10:30 in the morning!  Sherpa climbers will not climb big mountains without having this ceremony, and once it's done everyone is in high spirits and ready to begin the work of mountaineering on Ama Dablam.

The rest of the day is spent organizing gear, doing laundry and taking bucket showers.  The warm sunshine keeps the shower tent toasty and dries our clothes at the same time, both of which are appreciated.  We're heading up the mountain tomorrow (Monday, October 28) for three nights and everyone is excited! 

In order to make the most of our private base camp tents we're turning in early.  Up on the mountain it will be much colder, and we will have to sleep two or three to a tent.