Today looks to be a long one, so up early for breakfast and hoofing it by about 7.30. Breakfast was a little slow, and then the attractive aroma of someone’s scent (read BO!!) had us rushing outside, screaming for mercy. Oh, the humanity!!

Finally, de-scented, we headed off for lunch at Tengboche, which houses the most famous Monastery in the region.

The walk was mainly uneventful, rolling hills with a few ups and downs, including a solid climb to the monastery which sits proud on the mountain ridge.

The monastery was quite beautiful, which Liz would attest to if only she hadn’t been wearing shorts!

Read the fine print, Liz!!
A nice lunch with spectacular views back to Everest, then the long descent to the valley floor.

We spent over an hour going down, while hundred of miserable suckers (umm, I mean, trekkers) slogged their way up, up, up!
One nasty hill climb to Tengboche Monastery.

Actually, murder on the feet going down, not that we would have got much/any sympathy from the climbers.

We then spent about 3 hours going up, then down. Up, then down…
Where the bloody hell is Namche?

We sight a Stupa, which is always a good sign a town is just around the corner…around the corner we sight another Stupa in the distance…pass it, no village!!!

Yet another Stupa…WTF, where is NAMCHE???
FINALLY, at about 5.30…Namche, Thank God!

Told it was about 7, ended up being 9 hours walking, including 1000 metres of descent.
Thanks for nothing, Dawa!

We had been talking for days about having our first beer for over 2 weeks when we got to namche, but now we are here, too tired to bother.
The beer better be cold tomorrow at Phakding!