The joint base-camp of Mt Everest and Mt Lhotse has been decorated like a newly wed bride, with hundreds of colorful tents set up by the expeditors, who are all set to make the ascent towards Everest peak, in its golden jubilee year.

Altogether 33 expeditions teams have set up their camps at this base-camp, situated at a height of 5400 meters and are waiting for a good omen. Most of the teams have already concluded their worship to Miolojangma (The Goddess Everest), praying for her blessings in making their expeditions a success. Out of these 33 teams, 27 are bound for Everest while seven are attempting Lhotse and three are headed for Nupse.

Except for a Japanese team, all the Everest expedition teams are climbing the Everest through southeast face. Seventy-five per cent of the teams have set up their camp at second camp while some have already set up 18 camps at the third camp. They are exploring the climbing roots in the south coulee. Religious flags or festoons hung around the base-camp have added beauty to the naturally beautiful Khumbu Glacier, which backdrops the base camp.
"I feel that I have arrived at a separate planet - said Dinesh Silpakar, a trekker, who came here to enjoy the celebrations at the base camp in the golden jubilee year of ascent on the Everest - "I had never thought of having such wonderful enjoyment here".

Everest Pollution Control Committee has set up a cyber cafe at the base-camp, to facilitate immediate flow of information through out the world. "We have set up this cafe with a view to easy and fastest flow of information about expedition", said Vishwo Bajracharya, program manager of the committee told The Kathmandu Post.

OTHER NEWS

• Nepal's true friend Toni Hagen passes away: April 19 : Dr Toni Hagen, one of the best friends of Nepal who has been widely acclaimed for his extensive research on Nepal's human and physical geography and who helped put Nepal in the world map, passed away in Switzerland yesterday. He was 86.
  
  
• Forget foreigners, domestic tourists are equally good: In a bid to revive sluggish rafting business, which has been hit hard by a sharp decline in number of foreign visitors, local rafting agencies have started to adopt a new strategy to attract domestic tourists, particularly the locals. Such a major shift on the traditional business policy has come in combined efforts of the local hotel association, rafting agencies and other concerned travel trade personals. The hotel association has even announced to provide special discounts to locals so that more locals come in.
  
  
• Government suggested to strengthen tourist police: A task force has recommended the government to expand existing human resource and strengthen physical facilities of Tourist Police to render it effective. Currently tourist police are serving from three permanent beats, one each at the Tribhuvan International Airport, Thamel and Basantapur and a mobile team patrols the major touristic places. After the increase in the number of tourist police, ten different beats would be set up inside Kathmandu valley and one in Pokhara.
  
  
• Nepal Day' to be observed in Germany: 'Nepal Day' is being organized in Frankfurt in October this year with various programs at the initiation of Bodo Kruger, Honorary Royal Nepalese Consular in order to promote tourism of the country which has been passing through difficulty over these years. Over 200 German and Nepali travel agencies are expected to participate in the event, Kruger said, adding that the participants of the countries would interact on the issues of mutual interest during the event. Deeply impressed by natural beauty of Nepal, the 'largest museum of nature' in his words, Kruger has been promoting Nepal as the best tourist destination for the Germans in his capacity as a consulate.
  
  
• Nepal-US sign anti-terror aid agreement: Nepal and the United States of America signed Antiterrorism Assistance (ATA) in the capital, according to a statement issued by the American Center here today. The two governments signed a Memorandum of Intent formalizing and strengthening both nations' participation in the Antiterrorism Assistance program. In a ceremony at Singha Durbar, Home Secretary Tika Dutta Niraula, representing Nepal, and Ambassador Michael E. Malinowski, representing the United States, signed the Memorandum of Intent, "which allows further co-operation between both nations in the fight against terrorism".
  
  
  By Hari Shrestha, Resident Representative in Kathmandu