Phakding to Namche
From Phakding it is a daylong slog uphill to the amazing unofficial Sherpa capital of Namche Bazar. But we were slowed as half of our group developed GI illness. We stopped for lunch at Monjo. “Slow food” was the norm on the trek but this lunch was extraordinarily slow since a large group had entered the restaurant before us. While several of us waited for the food, Chhongba found places for three of our group to lie down for a while. The while turned into an unplanned overnight in Monjo, so I had some extra time to explore the village, its school, and an old Buddhist monastery with Chhongba.
The panorama below was shot with a wide angle lens of moving people while I waited “patiently” for lunch. Consequently it has a lot of flaws but the flaws help illustrate the chaos of the place. It quieted down when the large group left.
By morning all had recovered and we entered Sagarmatha National Park just on the outskirts of Monjo. Sagarmatha is the Sherpa name for Mt. Everest, although everyone seems to call it Everest. Looking back up the trail just after entering this huge area that would be our home for almost two weeks we marveled at an immense granite bluff.
We walked along the river crossing several times and passing some beautiful waterfalls. The third suspension bridge we reached was high above the Dudh Kosi near its confluence with the Bhote Kosi coming from the direction of Namche and Thamo.
After crossing this bridge festooned with prayer flags and katas, we stood near the edge of a cliff looking down at the confluence and, in the distance, the trail we had taken along the river a short while ago.
