When I woke up it was snowing heavily and it looked like it snowed all night. Outside there was about 6 inches of snow and more was coming. I was a bit worry about how hard the day to Tengboche was going to be, but after breakfast the snow was already lighter and it looks like the sun was about to come out.
Raj broke trail to the main trail which was in good shape as it had already being used by Yak trains. In the way to the main trail, we stopped at the Gompa for some pictures.
About an hour after we left, it stopped snowing and the sun finally came out. We got nice views of Lhotse, Nuptse and Ami Dablan.
After a pleasant walk on a snowy trail, we arrived to Pengboche where we ordered lunch. Before lunch, I learned some card magic tricks from our trip leader, Bhen, that I'm looking forward to show to friends.
The snow melted very fast and the trail became very wet as we headed towards Tengboche. After a long and pleasant downhill, a steep uphill in a forest of rhododendrons led to the entrance of Tengboche monastery. The monastery is situated in a saddle with amazing views of the mountains and the valley before. There is a visitor center, but visitors are also welcome to attend praying ceremonies at 6:30am and 3:30pm.
 | Most monks were away celebrating Buddha's birthday two days ago, so the praying was just done by 3 monks. Still it was an incredible experience as they recite the mantras in a very musical way accompanied by the clicking of a stick against a conch or the sound of a drum. All this under the gaze of a giant Buddha statue surrounded by an elaborate altar. |
The rest of the gompa is also amazing. Although this is modern reconstruction (the old one burned in 1989), it's still quite beautiful and one of the highlights of this trip.
After visiting the Gompa, we returned to the lodge (we were staying in one of the lodges that belong to the monastery). There, I met two women from California and with Raj, we played rummy for some time.
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