Day 13: heading back to lukla

We awoke this morning for a 5 hour trek back to lukla, with the hope of getting our flight out of the mountains tomorrow. 

The sun was shining as we walked across rope bridges, through the Forrest than lines the river. The path was 'undulating' at best, with more up hill than down hill as we steedily climbed back up to lukla town. 

We stopped after 2 hours for tea at the first tea house we stayed at nearly two weeks ago. There was real coffee which was a dream. 

We then had our last 3 hour trek back. We walked mostly in silence, all quietly reflecting on the previous two weeks; the endless miles we seem to have walked, the cold, the lack of showers, the cold. 

We turned a corner and steadily climbed the last uphill into lukla. It started to snow. The streets were lined with children playing football and bat and ball. Chickens running everywhere, dogs following us along the road. We walked back passed 'starbucks' ( it's not real by the way) lukla burger and Everest coffee shop, arriving as our guest house, the first place we ate when we arrived. 

Exhausted.

We headed back out to Everest coffee shop for lattes and wifi and even a slightly stale chocolate brownie.

Dinner was at 6. We decided to pay for all the Sherpas and guides supper as well. We had our last 'Nepalese veg set' gave out tips on envelopes with cards written on the London postcards I brought with me. Louise did a little speak and we settled in for an Everest beer or two.

Tomorrow we await our fait of whether the weather gods are kind to us and our flight out of lukla runs, letting us back to the land of showers, clean clothes and onward flights home.