Well, the still don't have their visas. If they don't get them by tomorrow (Monday) they'll have to wait a week. Here's Carolyn's update!

Everest K2- WEBLOG
This file will be updated as soon as reports are received from the climbing team. The writer, Carolyn Moreau, is traveling with the team and producing these written updates.

7:45 AM EST,April 3, 2004

Saturday April 3, 7:20 a.m.
KATMANDU - The rest of the Connecticut Everest Expedition team arrived in Katmandu last night. But their flight got in late from Bangkok, so we were not able to get their passports to the Chinese Embassy before it closed to get the visas we need for Everest base camp in Tibet.
The political situation here is getting worse. Our Sherpa tells us there was rioting in Katmandu last night outside a soldier barracks. Today, the hospitals are full of people with broken bones, and gunshot wounds. We haven't seen any English language newspapers today, so we must rely on the Sherpa, who get their news from the street.

Mingma Sherpa, who is Lhakpa's brother, says that Maoists closed down schools in Nepal yesterday to prevent children from taking their final exams.

We knew nothing about this. A violent thunderstorm knocked out the power in Katmandu, so we ate dinner by candle light. The streets felt safe and tranquil as I walked back to the hotel about 10 p.m.. At that time, I thought my worst problems were that I couldn't charge all the batteries for computers, cameras, videos and satellite phones because of the outage.

Today, you could feel the tension building on the streets. People were standing around looking anxious, as small bands of Maoists marched through the streets waving red flags and shouting.

I'm worried about the journey to the Tibetan border that we're supposed to make on Monday. The visas probably won't be ready until at least midday, so we are facing a night time drive through a countryside where roving gangs of Maoists regularly stop trucks and buses and demand money. Elizabeth Hawley, the Reuters correspondent in Katmandu, has warned us to hide our cameras and phones during this trip.

We are trying to flee Katmandu before Tuesday when the Maoists call a general strike. If we are delayed for the three days, it will make the climbers late to base camps and reduce the time they have to adjust to altitude.

But no one on the team seems concerned about the Maoist threat. They are engrossed in packing large plastic drums full of mountaineering equipment and making last-minute preparations.

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I'll admit, I'm a little worried. These people are my best friends and I HOPE everything goes well. Imagine not being able to travel at night and having to hide your camera equipment and cellphones!!! Glad I live in the good ole USofA!!!