October 10, Phortse Gaon, 3810 m

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October 10, Portse Gaon, 3810 m

We left at 8 with clear skies. The trek today is 6 to 7 hours, over 9 km, gaining 400 m.
Again the clouds came in over the morning, with mountain views being obscured by lunch. Still no sight of Everest.
Much of the walk was on the shoulder of a valley, with huge drop offs immediately beside the path, it often reminds me of the trail to the north rim of the Grand Canyon. We can see Tengboche and its monastery across the valley, which we will visit on our way down.
We arrived at Portse around 4. This is a small village with every path bordered by stone fences. The fences are just stones without mortar so the yaks could easily break through but they don't.
Sebastian and I went for a walk, first to the top of the town and then to the bottom. People were working in the fields until the very last light. There was such a powerful sense of peace and quiet here that this village was one of the highlights of my trip.
We made it back just before total darkness. Supper at 6:30 and then a quiet evening. Most of the menus are quite similar and the cost of a meal typically ranges from 300 to 600 NPR, about 3 to 6 USD.

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