Day 4 - Namche Bazar

The trek started last Friday morning with the flight to Lukla, a tiny landing strip perched on the edge of a cliffside that serves as the main entry point to this region. The flight was part electrifying part terrifying. The twin otter plane seemed so insubstantial compared to the almighty Himalayas towering above the clouds. The skill of the pilot was incredible to navigate the plane to the landing strip, we seemed to fly so low over hilltops you could lower a ladder to them, then seemed to head straight for the hillside before a sharp turn took us round the valley.

The first three days of the trek followed the Dud Kohsi (Milky River) a busy route full of yaks, donkeys, Sherpas laiden with 90kg loads, a multitude of trekkers of every nationality. I'm almost 90% sure I passed Billy Bob Thornton on the first day so I need to check some celeb magazines on the way back to see if he was indeed in the vicinity.

Yesterday we arrive in Namche Bazar, the Sherpa capital and historically the central trading post for the region. Our current elevation is 3,500m and so far no serious altitude problems - minor headache yesterday and some very strange dreams but that's it so far. It was a hard climb up but half way up we were rewarded with the first view of Everest. I almost got run down by a yak and had to hold onto a tree and swing myself out over the cliff edge to avoid being impaled by its horns.

Today was a rest day so I took myself off for some 'non group' time alone. Wandering around the hills above Namche I felt overwhelmed by the privilege of being here. It's difficult to describe, especially in the 10 minutes alloted time on the internet and so far, I don't think my photos will do it justice but I'll try.

Tomorrow we continue on....