Travel and Tourism

First views of Mt Everest
Enjoying drinks and views of Everest & Ama Dablam from the Everest View Hotel. Everest has the cloud plume coming off it.
Location: Namche BaazarAltitude: 3450m Local Time: 26th March, 5:30pmWeather: Fine, 16C
Hi all - Fiona here again,
We've been enjoying another acclimatisation day here in Namche - but instead of the rigorous bakery tour schedule of yesterday, we actually did a bit of walking and exploring.
Views of Everest We started the day with a hearty breakfast (porridge, Sherpa tea, and omelette) and then the four of us took a short walk up a hill near our campsite where we got our first sighting of Mt Everest. From this far away, it's difficult to tell that it's taller than some of the closer mountains. However, the huge cloud plume coming off the top gave it's size away. It was kind of strange to actually see it in the flesh. From here it looks massive, but with relatively gentle slopes when compared to some of the smaller mountains that have extremely steep sides. Everest almost looks peaceful - but with that cloud plume indicating high winds, I know that it would be anything but peaceful up there today.
After taking in the view, we continued onwards on a walk aimed at assisting our acclimatisation. The first hour or so was steeply uphill until we reached the ridge above Namche. We continued on a little further until we got to the famous Everest View Hotel. Here guests fly in on helicopter, are quickly given oxygen masks and taken by yak to the hotel where they are put inside a pressurised room. Without this, guests would soon be feeling very ill from the altitude as they would not have had time to acclimatise. But for us and the other trekkers, we were able to sit outside comfortably and ordered cold drinks and real coffee. Chris and I (to a lesser extent) had been thinking about this coffee for quite a while. The views from here were absolutely amazing - like we were sitting inside a postcard. Not only could we see Everest (now with an even bigger cloud plume pouring off the top), but we could also see Lhotse, Ama Dablam and lots more. The weather has been extremely kind to us so far - giving us beautiful clear days. Hopefully this will continue further up.

Lumbini, the birth place of Lord Buddha, is situated about 22 km. from Bhairahawa (Siddharthanagar), below the Churia range, 24 km. south from the foothills of the Himalayas, on the western bank of Telar river in Rupandehi district of Lumbini zone in Nepal. It is about 300 km. west of capital city Kathmandu. Kapilvastu, Rupandehi and Nawalparasi Terai districts of Lumbini Zone are around Lumbini, the birth place of Lord Buddha, which are fertile and densely populated.It is about 34 km. from Naugarh Railway Station on the North-Eastern Railway of India. Buddha, Known as the Lord of Asia, was born in Lumbini during the full moon day in the month of Baisakh in 623 BC. He was born under a sal (Shorea robusta) tree when Mayadevi was going to her maternal town on the occasion of delivery. More

LORD BUDDHA
In general, 'Buddha' means 'Awakened One', someone who has awakened from the sleep of ignorance and sees things as they really are. A Buddha is a person who is completely free from all faults and mental obstructions. There are many people who have become Buddhas in the past, and many people will become Buddhas in the future.. There is nothing that Buddha does not know. Because he has awakened from the sleep of ignorance and has removed all obstructions from his mind, he knows everything of the past, present, and future, directly and simultaneously. Moreover, Buddha has great compassion which is completely impartial, embracing all living beings without discrimination. He benefits all living beings without exception by emanating various forms throughout the universe, and by bestowing his blessings on their minds. Through receiving Buddha's blessings, all being, even the lowliest animals, sometimes develop peaceful and virtuous states of mind. Eventually, through meeting an emanation of Buddha in the form of a Spiritual Guide, everyone will have the opportunity to enter the path to liberation and enlightenment.
It is impossible to describe all the good qualities of a Buddha. A Buddha's compassion, wisdom, and power are completely beyond conception. With nothing left to obscure his mind, he sees all phenomena throughout the universe as clearly as he sees a jewel held in the palm of his hand. Through the force of his or her compassion, a Buddha spontaneously does whatever is appropriate to benefit others. He has no need to think about what is the best way to help living beings - he naturally and effortlessly acts in the most beneficial way. Just as the sun does not need to motivate itself to radiate light and heat but does so simply because light and heat are its very nature, so a Buddha does not need to motivate himself to benefit others but does so simply because being beneficial is his very nature.