Catch-up: November 6-17

That was the last up-to-date entry I wrote, but here's the catch up I did toward the end of the trek:

Sunday morning, November 7. Started up the hill after breakfast. After getting up past the bazaar, we walked most of the first half in inspired silence. It was amazing. The second half of the hike was a real challenge. After a good downhill in which we lost about 1000 feet, we hiked steeply uphill, gaining around 2000 feet, for the last hour or two into Tengboche at 12,700 feet or 3867 meters, where we collapsed in the dining room of the lodge. After a wonderful church service on a ridge in the last of the sun, we played some cards at the bakery with expensive but less than delicious apple pie and chocolate croissants, and then Lacey and I napped until dinner, after which commenced a night of often-interrupted night of sleep.
Monday morning, November 8. Before breakfast, we went to the morning prayers at the huge Tengboche monastery--which was rebuilt with the help of Sir Edmund Hillary after an earthquake in 1934 and a fire in 1989. Afterward, we began the hike to Dingboche, but after crossing a bridge and getting partway up a big hill, Babu took Tim, David and I, who weren't doing so hot, back down to join Mike, Brett, and Mariah at the lodge.
Tuesday morning, November 9. Babu, David, and Tim headed back to meet the group while Mariah, Brett, Mike and I hung around the lodge for the morning before heading back down to Namche at noon. It had been a very tough night, to say the least, and the hike back was also very challenging. After that steep, steep, downhill that seemed to last forever, it was half that much up again, and then, as soon as we could see the stupa that meant we were getting close, it kept being one contour further than we expected.
At last, we made it to Namche, and spent the night in the charming Namaste Lodge--a locally-owned place that, unfortunately, couldn't hold the whole group, before waiting for the others at the Nest (the bigger lodge we had stayed in on our way up). It turned out that the rest of the group didn't make it to our final destination at Kala Pathar either, and turned back after reaching Dingboche. They consoled us by agreeing that the best views had been at Tengboche, where the mountains were incredibly close--enough so that we had to crane our necks upward to see them out of the windows in our rooms.
We left Namche on Saturday morning. In my last bout of helplessness, dear Babu carried his pack within mine, and I made it to the teahouse in Phakding without too much trouble.
On Sunday morning I was finally feeling better, and we made the pleasant two or so hour hike up to Lukla in the clouds, but with a clear view of the rolling blue river below us. I managed with my own pack well--not quite up to my usual ripe speed, but hiking pretty quickly.
Wednesday, November 17. Yes, we were meant to fly out on Monday. The lesson on accepting change continues here in Lukla, where we read, play cards, sleep, eat, read some more, play more cards, and so on. Seeing as we have classwork to finish up back in Kathmandu, we're crossing our fingers for a chopper tomorrow if the clouds persist (helicopters can fly when planes can't, and on Tuesday, the only clear day, only so many planes could get in and out and we were not at the top of of the list).