Nepal Day 04 - Phakding to Namche Bazaar

7.5 miles, 3964’ climbing

After a cozy night, we woke early, well ahead of our alarms. Before light we heard some distant bells, perhaps from the monastery. Birds were singing as it became light and we packed up, putting our duffel bags outside before heading in to breakfast (toast, scrambled eggs, coffee, and potatoes with onions). The food has been  good so far.

For a few hours we hiked uphill along the river. The trails were more crowded today with all the trekkers headed to Namche Bazaar. The trails were also steep and dusty with lots of passing mules and dzopkyas. We passed in and out of villages filled with lodges, restaurants and small stores — we even saw Red Bull for sale amongst sundries! There were a few more blooming rhododendron and magnolia trees along with blossoming peach and apple trees. The trail and buildings were adjacent to huge boulders painted and engraved with Tibetan script.

We stopped for lunch in a small, busy restaurant. After lunch, there were no more houses or lodges until we reached Namche Bazaar a few hours later. A lot of the trail was made of steep stone staircases. We crossed a few suspension bridges, including an exciting one where we jogged across the last third because a string of mules had started across towards us, not waiting for us to make it across. Most were unpacked, so we were less likely to get slammed by a sack of rice or gas canister, but we had to wave and push a few away on the narrow bridge before we were across.

As we reached Namche, our guide, Bire, held back so we could round the corner and see the full village by ourselves. Namche Bazaar is large and beautiful with a deep valley at the low end and a bowl opposite. Lodges and houses and stores and restaurants line the roads up the sides of the bowl, painted colorfully. As we entered town through a gate, there was a plaza with a stupa on one side with the characteristic eyes painted near the top. On the other side was a stream-fed fountain. Where the stream came down, a series of large, water driven prayer wheels were spinning.

We are staying at the large and charming Bodhi lodge. We had some lemon tea and relaxed before walking around some of the lower streets in town. There are some very nice outdoor stores here, nicer than in Tucson. Definitely you could outfit yourself for an expedition here. There are smaller shops and stalls as well. We will be here for two nights to acclimate before trekking higher. Our current elevation is 11,197’.