Blog: johnloguk

OH HOW WE LAUGHED!

Isn't it strange how simple common place incidents and situations can bring back the most obscure memories? I had one the other day which induced fits of laughter in a very public place, and then lead to total embarrassment and a hasty retreat!

I was minding my own business walking back to the car from a meeting, when I passed the rear entrance to a favourite pub of mine. I'd not been in for ages, and sadly I didn't have time then either, but suddenly I realised that I had a big smile on my face. This could turn into quite a rambling tale, but please stick with it if you can....

I was taken back to a trip to Nepal a few years ago, when we happened to drop into a mountain medical centre at Manang on the Annapurna Circuit. It was one of those run by an organisation known as the Himalayan Rescue Association, staffed by foreign doctors doing research into altitude sickness. They also do a great service for trekkers, climbers and locals, giving lectures on the dangers of high altitude and doing on the spot fitness checks.

The centre at Manang was staffed by Kiwis, who I always find good value wherever I meet them in the world. The Annapurna Circuit is probably the busiest trail in the Himalaya after the "tissue trail" to Everest base camp, so we quickly got chatting to a group of trekkers while we waited our turn in the queue. I was engaged in a popular trekkers game with a really nice British girl called "food fantasy" (the game, not the girl!). Now don't get me wrong, the food on trek is great, well great considering the conditions it is prepared in, but after a few weeks you always find yourself dreaming of roast beef and profiteroles!

I mentioned that I could die for a white chocolate cheesecake from my favourite pub back home. The girl went all dewey eyed and said "oh God yes, I know a place that does gorgeous puddings too, especially the white chocolate cheesecake". I asked her where her particular dream pudding came from and she said, "oh you won't have heard of it, it is a beautiful old place called The Wig and Mitre in Lincoln", I nearly fell off my boulder, we were thinking of the same pub! Now I'm sure you saw that coming, but anyway, the conversation continued.

It turned out that her Dad was in the RAF, the reason most people seem to end up in Lincolnshire, and we had a rare old reminisce until the queue for the doctors died down. As I was having my blood oxygen levels checked, the doctor went through a check list of questions. How was I feeling? Oh great, feeling really fit actually, I replied. Drinking plenty? Oh yes always keep well hydrated. Where are you headed?.... Before I could get a word out my mate Andy butted in and said "oh he's with us, just chugging round the Annapurna Circuit, nothing too adventurous". The manic twitch and wink told me that something was afoot, so I just muttered my agreement.

The next thing I know is the doctors are all gathered in the back room, and we kept hearing odd phrases like "you must have made a mistake", "that can't be right" and "what are they Klingons"? Another doctor came through and did all the tests on us again, before retiring to the backroom for another session of head scratching with his colleagues. "Yep it's definitely right, it's not the equipment" etc etc......

Then the doctors came back through and sat down and declared that we were the fittest trekkers they had ever seen. They had never known any trekking group be so acclimatised on the way up around the circuit, in fact I think they were on the verge of donating our bodies to scientific research right there on the spot!

They were getting so serious, and we tried to keep straight faces, desperately trying to think what could be in our diet to cause such amazing acclimatisation. We couldn't keep it up for long though and had to spill the beans. We had in fact just spent a week climbing Chulu East and were on the way down, not up, so no wonder our blood oxygen was so high. There was a terrible silence, the doctors went ashen, their chance of scientific celebrity dashed before their eyes, we thought we were in serious trouble.... But not for long. The place exploded in the wildest laughter, back slapping, cries of "you cheeky b******s", and later that evening we had an awesome party together.

But then I realised that I was back in Lincoln, standing on a cobbled street laughing manically, surrounded by worried looking tourists. With the words "you cheeky b******s" ringing in my ears I legged it rapidly out of sight and started to dream of white chocolate cheesecake!

by johnloguk on 22:10 on 15th June 2007