A better view without glasses

I move forward step by step. It feels like I am walking through mud, but I am on an altitude of 5300 meters above sealevel. Because of the lack of oxygen on this altitude, I can only move very slowly. When I want to go faster, my heart beats loudly in my chest and I am out of breath in no time.

From Rongbuk Monastery to Everest Basecamp it is only 8 km, but every meter costs me energy. After a few hours I finally reach the viewpoint that offers a look of the base camp.

Because I am a tourist and not an expedition member, I am not allowed to go to any further. With beautifully decorated prayer flags we see the yellow and orange tents of the expedition members in the distance. For me this is the end of my hike. For them the beginning of a precious adventure. I feel admiration and absurdity for the climbers. You know that you can die on your way to the top, but now that I am here myself I understand the mysterious attraction the highest mountain of the world has, also on me.

My traveling companions also arrive to the viewpoint, one by one, everyone at their own pace. And I also see our guide Phurbu appear, he must have been here so often.

Even though Phurbu is born and raised in Tibet, he is also freezing and is well wrapped up, scarf and hat on, only his eyes are visible. His reassuring eyes. He feels at home here.

I take a picture of him. He smiles. His eyes linger in my mind. It is only now that I notice Phurbu never covers his eyes. I remember him telling me over lunch a few days ago that he communicates more with his eyes than with words. High context culture driven for sure, but also because of the simple fact that he cannot talk to all tourists due to the language barrier, so he speaks the non-verbal language fluently. And therefore his eyes are never covered. And what do we do in the West first when we protect our faces? Correct. Sunglasses on..