It was the last day of trekking in Everest. I was excited to go back home. And the place, I was hallucinated. The enticing Himalayas, the lonely trails, the scenic ridges, splashing rivers, the twinning Himalayan Thars,… will I ever forget these?
The last breakfast in Namche! I loved the pancakes there. My favorite was the Apple pancake. It’s going to be a long day, I knew it. So, we started right after breakfast. It was a bright morning. I looked back at Namche Bazaar from a water fountain (there’s a water fountain and a few self-driven prayer wheels in Namche).
There were lots of trekkers lining on the trekking trail. We also saw some trekkers who were returning on the back of the donkeys. Maybe they got injured or couldn’t get back walking.
The trail was familiar. Descending the downhill trail from Namche Bazar to the Hilary suspension bridge was the toughest walk. I was holding my trekking poles firmly. Maybe I bought a really good pair of trekking boots. They were easy to wear and walk.
It was pretty early. I thought we won’t see any trekkers or porters reaching Namche so early. But there were some porters and trekkers who were already reaching Namche. Maybe they stayed overnight at Jhorsale yesterday, Gun Das said.
Crossing the Hilary suspension bridge was a big deal to me. Every time I saw any bride, I used to say that if there was an alternative trail, I’d take that even if it’d take me an extra hour of walking. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and started running. I was stupid! As I began running, the bridge started swirling, I was so scared.
I don’t want to cross any suspension bridges. Oh, Lord! Please make them vanish. But maybe it was too early for Lord to wake up, there were many others ahead on the trail.
The trail was dirty. There were lots of bad-smelling dungs scattered here and there. The Jokpeys and Donkeys were making bags of dust. I had to cover both my nose and mouth. On the trail, there were some teahouses. We also saw a woman who was selling Apples and Oranges.
There were lots of Rhododendron trees. At places, we were walking over the scattered Rhododendron petals. It was a bright day. I was applying sunscreen to my face again and again. I had emptied many water bottles as well.
We stopped for lunch at a hotel on the way. The food was so good there. I had ordered an egg fried noodles. After stuffing, we started trekking again. Namche Bazar to Lukla was a long walk. En route, there were lots of mani walls. (huge rocks painted with Buddhist mantras)
There was a huge waterfall, so beautiful. The lofty hills and lush trees were looking amazing. We were walking across the dusty trail alongside Dudh Kosi river. We took a rest at a lodge in Phakding. I bought a caned juice and a bottle of water there.
Phakding to Lukla was a flat and an easy trail. The trail was slightly ascending somewhere. My body was tired from the long walk. Is Lukla close? I was asking Gun Das in every 15 minutes. The sun was travelling too fast. We were walking without stopping.
At a distance, I saw a plane. I knew it was going to land at Lukla airport. Then, I knew where Lukla was. It was still two hills away. I started tapping the trail with my trekking poles while Gun Das followed me with a tired face.
Oh! Finally, after a really tiring day, we reached Lukla. Lukla was a beautiful town. It wasn’t as big as Namche, but there were good hotels, coffee shops, and others there as well. After dinner, I decided to walk around and buy a few things for my friends and families.
There were different shops selling handicrafts and local products. There were several clothes with “Made in Nepal” tags, Buddha eyes, Everest Base Camp prints, and others. I bought a few things and entered a coffee shop. Coffee at Lukla was so good.
With the excitement of returning home tomorrow, I took a sound nap at the hotel room.
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Day 10: Pheriche to Namche Bazaar
