Amazing views from room as we awake for our last day of trekking.
Just because we were at a lower level didn’t mean we didn’t continue to have breathtaking views!
Wood smoke filled the air as we went through the villages.
We passed many children greeting us as they played.
The strength and stamina of the guys carrying goods along the trail was incredible. Many carried huge bundles of shop goods whilst others were bringing up building goods such as this chap with more ply wood than I could lift let alone carry along the trail. We saw others carrying huge gas cylinders and one with a large generator strapped to his back! Thankfully, by comparison our porters had a light load – but still did an amazing job bringing our belongings for us!
We re-crossed several suspension bridges as we look out for orchids – finally see one in full bloom!
Morning tea was back at Phakding – where we spent our first night. The marigolds were in full bloom all around the terrace as we soaked up the sun.
The group spread out more in the afternoon – taking in final views before climbing back into Lukla, which now felt like a huge market town with its shops and bars all buzzing in the middle of the day rather than the quieter slumbering streets we had passed through early in our first day. Despite the bustle, the random dogs still lay sleeping unperturbed in the middle of the street having found sun warmed stone to lie on.
So the walk ended where it had begun in a lodge within 20m of the airport. Whilst this may sound less than pleasant, the views and ability to watch the planes were great! The thrill of seeing the planes start their steep descent of the runway taking up its full length to get them airborne; or, seemingly plucking the runway out of the thin air as they came up the valley, made this a great spot with everyone standing up to watch each time they heard a plane as if seeking reassurance that this was not rightly called one of the most dangerous airports in the world.
We were put in the new block in the lodge which unfortunately had no hot water so our longed for showers would have to wait until the following day – assuming the weather was good enough as both rain and snow had been forecasted for the night!