Day 3: Phagding to Namche Bazar

After another 12 hour sleep last night in my wooden wall room I got up for a breakfast of omelette and toast as well as to strong Americanos to get me going for the day. Donja had already warned us today would b tough and he wasn't wrong.

We left phakding around half 8 and started our first full day hiking. It started easy enough. We crossed beautiful rope bridges with clear glancier river water running below us. Singing Taylor swift and she'll be coming round the mountain. Stopped for a coffee break around 11 at a place with the toilet with the best view in the world, snow cover trees, Himalayas and clear streams. 

We then had another few hours up to lunch after entering the saragartha national park. We sadly saw a Nepalese man from the army being carried down on a stretcher. We were told he had 'lung problems from altitude' but the weather was too bad for a helicopter to get to him. He was being carried miles all he way back to lukla, where there is a hospital, to wait for the weather to clear up so he could get down lower. It did make the dangers of altitude sickness a little bit more real and we all decided we would start taking diamox tonight just in case. 

After a carb heavy lunch we set off up hill. And pretty much continues uphill for the next 3 hours. Up and up and up. Despite my marathon training, some of the steps were half my height and I lagged behind a little bit. With the guide encouraging me to stop and catch my breath. I had too say no to my inner Tritton who just wanted to 'win'. I think the new winning is survival and not getting altitude sickness. 

One of the guys in the group kindly lent me his walking poles (sorry mum I couldn't fit yours in my rucksack)! They did help a lot but I was still relieved to see the sign for namche bazaar! 

We hiked 16 kilometers ( over 10 miles) and climbed just over 800 meters. 

We arrived at 'Everest lodge' and settled in for some lemon and ginger tea before a wander round the village finding 'pizza hut' and 'Starbucks' (photos to follow) as well as more book stores selling all the books on Everest and Nepal you could imagine. 

There were also shops with relics from old expeditions such as vintage oxygen cylinders and ropes. There were beautiful Tibetan made rugs and yak wool socks. As well as tees and beanies with 'Everest base camp' written on them.

We headed back for another supper of momos followed by freshly made hot apple pie then settled in for a few rounds of 'snog marry avoid' with various celebrity combos and joking about this American guy named Kirk we met on the plane who we seemed to loose track off today. Hoping he wasn't lost in the fog. 

Total distance today 16km. Total climb 800 m. Current altitude 3440 m.