Namche Bazar :)

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I type from a wee room in a wee hotel in the stupendous splendour of Namche Bazar.

We flew in to Lukla yesterday and the flight was fantastic. The landing does indeed make you realise you're awake but then flying straight into a mountain-face really should worry the mind slightly. But I enjoyed it immensely.

Then pause in Lukla for lunch with the most breathtaking views before plodding 3 hours or so through inspiring gorges and valleys to the tiny village of Phakding. Overnight in a pretty smart lodge by the river.

Awake to clear skies and mountain-tops all around (they were hidden in the afternoon cloud the day before). More stunning mountain-tops all around as we trek the six hours up to Namche. Some impressive crossing on swingbridges swung high above the rushing river in the gorge below. And then the slog up to Namche, passing the highest altitude I've ever reached along the way.

Namche is an amazing place. Sitting with cup of tea in the wee "hotel", I looked out the window to see a newly formed waterfall gushing down the side of the impressive mountain across the other side of the valley. Wait a minute - that's snow - a massive avalanche. Quite a welcome.

So, tomorrow we head east and into the everest valleys. Our first high pass is now only three days away. Weather up there is reported to be -12C indoors, so things will be interesting. And I have to stop typing now as my fingers are getting quite cold - it's late afternoon here and the mist has rolled in so it'll be dropping below freezing about now.

It is truly wonderful to be up here - only downside is the amount of trekkers here - we passed hundreds of people on the trail today. And our guides keep telling me it's really quiet...

No ill effects from altitude yet but we continue to go up for the next three days and then bounce around above 4,000m so time will tell.

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