This morning we awoke early due to a chorus of barking dogs, and set off soon after breakfast. The walk was mostly uphill as we travelled up into the mountains behind Namche Bazar. After walking for a while through the dust we came across a small ‘airstrip’ above Namche, which was basically a glorified straight dirt road on a slight slope. Of course, a game of hacky sac was soon established on the rare flat ground. Soon after, we began a descent into the small village of Khumjung (3880m), with some spectacular views of the nearby mountains along the way, including Everest and Ama Dablam. After a few hours of trekking we arrived at the eco lodge in this village, where we were all delighted to find beds in the building in place of the usual tents. After (as per usual) a delicious lunch, we relaxed for a short time, reading, writing or playing more sac, before commencing a short walk to the nearby twin village of Khunde. On arrival the group visited the Khunde hospital, supported by the Edmund Hillary Trust, which is currently run by the Nepalese and has been in operation 52 years. Here, smaller operations are performed, and a few of us made donations to support the cause. After exploring the site, we visited the Khumjung Gompa (monastery), which was constructed by Nepalese locals. Some of us witnessed prayers and viewed a rare yeti scalp to support the legendary mountain-yak-eating creature. We then descended back to the eco lodge for washy washy, afternoon tea and another delicious meal.
By Deri
