Day 7
The seventh day was a bit rough, but it was fortunate that it was a rest day. The day before, due to my stomach problems, I had a fever and didn't feel well. During the rest day, I could sleep more and just relax and eat. It was a magical day, with many highlights. First, we donated over 170 jackets to the children at the school, and it was amazing to see their smiling faces as we gave them the jackets. Being there in person and feeling the energy of their real lives and conditions made the experience completely different, it touched our hearts and for me, it was truly magical.
These were moments of purpose realization... Our mission is significant: writing history and, more than this, creating value for the world, helping people, and inspiring them. This is a dream come true, all in one. I am grateful to be part of this team and to be able to support this grand mission with small steps and see those great smiles. Madswimmer is not only about chasing records. They also invest in communities and children's lives. By undertaking these daring expeditions, they challenge others to step out of their comfort zones and make a difference by donating from where they are. That’s why I’m grateful that I’m part of this team now 💙
After the ceremony, we had lunch and then went to the river to wash our bodies and train for the cold water. Afterward, we returned to camp and washed our hair with the three girls using just one and a half liters of warm water, which was out of comfort experience because there were no normal showers or toilets.
All the time we are dealing with real extreme conditions, but we try to adjust and stay clean, happy, and healthy.
In the evening, we received information that the sherpas couldn't find enough yaks for our journey, because they were grazing in the wild. We need the yaks to transport all our luggage and food to the mountains, so the Sherpas had to go again to search for more yaks. We depended on them, and they assured us they would find them, so we stayed at the school base camp at 3200m altitude one more day waiting for them and using that time to rest and recover. Also, we would use the extra day for high-altitude acclimatization training.
Day 8
We started the day relaxed, slept longer, had a nice breakfast, and then began our high-altitude acclimatization training. We started at 2200 meters and ended at 3750 meters, gaining 450 meters in altitude. This was good training for our bodies to gradually adjust to the 4000-meter altitude, which is important as the next base camp will be at that altitude.
After the training, we had some resting time, which was really helpful for sleep, making some last calls to loved ones, and just relaxing before it got colder and more challenging.
During our rest time, we had the opportunity to play with the children from the school again. One girl gave me her hair accessories as a present, and it was a magical moment for me. She gave it from her heart. I had played with all the kids, and I really felt the love. I expressed my love to them, and suddenly she asked for my name and gave me the accessory without any expectations, just with pure love.
Another touching moment occurred when a small child, maybe 3 years old, fell and got his new jacket dirty in the dusty water. Despite this, he remained calm and didn't cry or scream. I cleaned his jacket, head, and pants, and he just stayed there calmly. In our spiritual journey as a human being, this is what we try to learn. We try to learn to accept what’s happening in our life being united with the universe and not feeling any drama or any attachment. And this child was the proof of having no attachments to the jacket, or to the feeling of being clean, or to the feeling of being dry… he was just there, he was just being.
This experience inspired me a lot and humbled me. I learned so much on this journey, both physically and spiritually, and I feel grateful and humbled by it all.
At the end of the day, we also did some preparation, planning the next days and informing ourselves of the weather conditions.
From now on, we are not going to have an internet connection, we will start the journey to higher altitudes, closer to our goal.
And never forget, out of comfort zone magic can happen!
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