I'm not sure how it could have got there. A squashed fly between pages 122 and 133, Day fifty three: to Annapurna Base Camp. It's moving for heavens sake! A breeze from the window, the wind is up again tonight, causes the fly to quiver and shake on the page. I'm reminded of the image of a fly within the pages of Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki. The meaning of the fly was lost on me at the time, and even now! Tomorrow I'll deal with this desiccated fly.

But it's the end of day fifty two, actually the entire day, that remains with me because the author clearly was close to giving up, but didn't.

Wongchu wants one of the Sherpas to come and sit with me through the night, but I dissuade him, and, watched over by an inanimate but impressive array of tablets, tissues, ointments, creams and sprays, I close my eyes and wait.

The whole book, Himalaya by Michael Palin can be read on the Internet.