The world's highest post office gets busy ahead of the Mount Everest
Olympic Torch relay.

(ASIA) MOUNT EVEREST, TIBET AUTONOMOUS REGION, CHINA (MAY 5, 2008) REUTERS

The Mount Qomolangma (Everest) post office, which claims to be the
highest in the world, is doing brisker trade after journalists, Olympic
officials and engineers moved into the area to prepare for the Everest torch
ascent.
    Business had been affected after foreigners were banned from Tibet
after the recent riots in the regional capital, Lhasa, last month.
    The post office, perched at 5,135 meters (about 17,000 feet) above sea
level opens at 11 am (0300 GMT) every day seasonally from April to August.

    It was first set up inside the base camp at the foot of Mount Everest
in May 16th, 2001, but was moved five kilometers away after preparing
activities started to get ready to take the torch up to the peak and security
became tighter.
    It receives around 100 letters on average every day.
    "I am very excited about posting the letter because I think it is
a very precious experience for me in my life to send a letter today from
here," said customer Sha Shiwei, deputy director of the publicity
department of Beijing Olympic Organising Committee (BOCOG).
     China has closed the north face of Mount Everest to expeditions until
the Olympic torch ascends its peak.
    There are three employees at the post office altogether-- the
postmaster, his assistant and the driver.
    It costs three yuan (about 43 U.S. cents) to send a letter to the
capital city of Beijing, and 9.5 yuan (about 1.35 US dollars) to send a letter
to England.
    A stamp chop has been designed especially for the Everest torch relay.
It won't be made public until the the torch reaches the top of the Mount.
    "We have made a special stamp chop for the Olympic torch relay to
Mount Qomolangma. This special stamp chop was made after the approval from
BOCOG. Now we are not using this stamp chop because we should get approval
from BOCOG first.  We cannot use the stamp chop at will, we should listen to
BOCOG. When they say yes, we can use the chop. Now this stamp chop is locked
in a strong box. When we get notice, we will use it," said the postmaster
Ci Ren Ping Cuo.
    It has been reported that the flame will be taken to the Everest peak
in the first week of May, but organisers have kept plans for the ascent a
closely guarded secret for fear that it may be hit by protests.
   Anti-Chinese demonstrations disrupted the international stretch of the
longest torch relay in Olympic history after the March 14 riots in Lhasa
sparked off unrest in Tibetan areas of western China.