Greetings all,
Quiet day here in Base Camp. Lots of rest, card games, chess with neighbors, (Willi found a helpless French skier to prey on this afternoon), not to mention the fabulous Indian food I got to enjoy with my friends from the Indian army. Not often that you get to eat with a Major, Colonel, and Lt. Colonel! Hanging out at the medical clinic with friends, (chocolate does wonders for free Advil from your buddies), and watching our Sherpas gamble (I have never seen so much excitement over playing with coins, obviously all for fun and not for financial gain) and cut each others hair thru the afternoon hours...quite a fulfilling day.
Right now we are all snuggled into our dining tent listening to Miles Davis, chatting with friends from other teams that have come to visit, and getting ready to eat dinner as the snow falls softly outside... a few more days of this, and we will all be ready to head back up the hill to try for Camp III.
Till then all of us here are talking about home, family and what our hearts are missing so far away...
So till tomorrow, with hopefully more of the same of the above, this is Base Camp signing off for some amazing tomato soup.
Luis
— Luis Benitez, Alpine Ascents International Guide and MountainZone.com Correspondent