Started from Pangboche around 8:30 under beautiful clear skies. Two big uphills to tackle today—Deboche up to Tengboche and Phungi Thanga up to Sanasa. My Khumbu cough morphed into a full-fledged snotfest last night, so I had trouble sleeping and gasped my way up the hills. Ate yummy hash browns with cheese for lunch. We were told it was almost flat to Namche. Ben's definition of "flat" must differ from mine. Wide trail with rolling hills encircling sides of mountains. As we get lower, we pass more and more newbies on their way up—still in clean clothes, pale faces smeared with white sunscreen. We discuss messing with them, "Base Camp is closed." "You're almost somewhere."
We catch snippets of conversations and accents from all over the world. Lots of Aussies and Kiwis; a group of Germans is at the Panorama Lodge in Namche. The rooms here now seem almost luxurious compared to what we had up high—floors are carpeted, rooms are lit, the communal bathroom even has a flushing toilet that actually flushes. A sink with running water sits in the hallway.
Delicious dal bhat for dinner and more Rummy with Ben and Daniel. Wish I could breathe out of my nose.
To Phakding tomorrow and then to Lukla. If there were just a way we could bypass Kathmandu on the way home... I'm not ready for the crowds and pollution. Will not have seen a car in almost three weeks.
Ready for a shower!
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| a last sighting of the summit of Everest (left of center) |
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| Ben and Daniel on one of the 8 suspension bridges |
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| the "road" to Namche |
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| wide load |
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