5Lama Yeshe was waiting for us when we got off the plane. He’d gone ahead to find porters to help carry our supplies. He wore rich maroon robes, as always, with his well-worn Jesus-like sandals and a saffron-colored fleece jacket over his robes.
I was still in awe of him.
“Ready to go for a walk?” said Lama. His excitement was contagious. He was like a kid taking off for Disney World.
Lama introduced us to the group of people he had gathered to come with us on the trek. The porters were dark-skinned and their faces were covered with soot and dust.
“Isn’t it kind of rude to hire people to carry our stuff?” I asked.
“No problem,” Lama said. “These men very strong, carry food up mountain every day.”
“We’re helping them,” said Mom. “This is how they make a living, to sustain their famili
