Phakding (phok ding) to Namche Bazar (nom chay) – April 20

Duffel bags outside our doors by 7, breakfast at 7:30, packs on and hit the trail at 8. Breakfast consists of fried eggs, pancakes or toast with peanut butter and jam. There is always hot tea and hot water. I haven’t eaten eggs, pancakes or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in about 15-20 years, but you bet I’m eating them here…sparingly, so as not to upset my regular vegan constitution. I figure a little egg won’t hurt me, and with all the trekking we’re doing, I need all the calories and protein I can get. The Sherpas serve us all and are always waiting to assist with any special requests. It is humbling to see and receive their ever-patient spirit of servitude.

The trail was much busier this day, as many teams that got a late start at Lukla tried to make up some lost trail time to Namche. We encountered hundreds of yaks and mules carrying cargo, as well as porters hauling trekkers’ gear and supplies for teahouses up the mountain. It is incredible to see what these men (and a few women) can carry on their backs! I’ve taken a number of pictures of these porters because it is simply amazing to see them loop a strap around their foreheads to carry loads of up to 100 pounds. It is common to see the strap connected to a basket or free load of hay for the yaks, propane gas cans, sundries, vegetables, cut meats, bottles of water, cans of beer, building construction materials and more. I’ve even seen them carrying steel beams, rocks, cement and 2x4s! Whatever you see on the mountain was carried up on someone’s back. As a result, the price of water, pop and beer have gone up each day the higher we travel up the mountain.

The trail was thick with dust, as the rains from the day before had dried up and the heavy foot and livestock traffic stirred up whatever lay beneath their tracks. I didn’t think much of it as I breathed it in, huffing up the inclines, until a new friend of mine reminded me about what we were breathing – airborne yak and mule dung mixed in with the dirt. I then realized why so many porters and Sherpas wore scarves or masks over their faces. I also recalled reading about the “ Khumbu cough,” which afflicts many trekkers, climbers, and even the Sherpas and porters. My buff was packed in my duffel bag so I made a mental note to wear it the next day.

Lunch at a lodge along the main street of a village included hot lemon tea, a puffed dough-like pocket bread and curry potato stir fry. I enjoyed basking in the sunshine of the restaurant patio along the river. I charged my phone with the solar charger and took off my boots and shoes to dry my feet. Another trekking team was wrapping up their meal. I assumed they were also headed to Base Camp. Just as I was showing Gary and Andrew how to walk like a camel with my hands on the ground in front of my feet, I heard a voice say, “Well if that’s not deja vu.” It was Kelly, the man I sat next to on the plane from China to Nepal. We kept leap frogging each other in Kathmandu and now on the trail. I guess that’s inevitable when there is only one trail to the destination everyone is headed for.

Today was a day of bridges. We crossed seven LONG suspension bridges at least one thousand feet over the raging river below. Load carrying porters, yaks and mules alike had to cross the same path and did so with incredible precision. I personally found it exhilarating and joked that I felt like Indiana Jones from the Temple of Doom movie. Luckily, I didn’t have any angry Indian warlords chasing me with machetes. The bridges were strong, yet each time I crossed, I evaluated my escape route in case the bridge should fail.

The day’s climb to Namche is said to be one of our toughest days. Entering the Namche Bazar made it all worth it. It is a mirage built into the mountains at the base of Everest. The river running down the mountain to the laundry and bathing pits also spins large prayer wheels adorning the long walk up into town. Store fronts, restaurants and bars of all kind line the stone steps climbing further up the mountain, calling out to tourists, as well as trekkers and climbers stocking up on mountaineering supplies. You can find just about anything you want in Namche. It reminded me not of a remote village in the heart of the Himalayas, but rather a ski resort town like what you might see in Tahoe.

Dinner was an authentic Nepalese meal with dal lentil soup, papad, a flash fried lentil wafer, sautéed spinach, curried potato stir fry and rice. Excellent! After dinner, Gary, Kathy and I taught our Sherpas the hokey pokey, because, you know, that’s what it’s all about. The Sherpas then taught us a traditional Sherpa song and dance. I must say they were much better about picking up on our words and dance than we were for theirs.

The next day would be a rest day in Namche, and we were grateful for the opportunity to do some laundry, shower, take advantage of Wifi to check in with loved ones and not be on the move the next morning. We planned an early morning visit to the Namche open air market, followed by breakfast, then an acclimatization hike to Sagarmatha National Park museum and beyond.