Bob's Blog

Namche Bazaar

Not much to report, that a thousand tourists wouldn't also. So busy you get stuck in traffic jams. Just like you see them waiting to summit the peak, it's back to back quite often on the trail.

I have been keeping my spirits up by avoiding the tourist restaurants and going to the Sherpa teahouses. Where I'm usually unexpected and today was even given a free cup of tea. They seem to appreciate that I've come from Jiri, doing in on my own, have a bamboo stick and have weird shoes.

One teahouse owner told me how rare it was for a tourist to come into his teahouse, despite streams of tourists walking past the whole day. There is definitely a division and I'm glad to break it down somewhat.

With all the people around, it brings out the competitive/show-offness. I can easily power up and down and have been but my knee is still holding me back from going full power, which is a shame. Still think I'm almost twice as fast as most of the rest. Hoping a day off will fix the knee, it's not too bad but an extended downhill could be an issue.

Will sort something better in Namche for the cold and it's freezing now at 3500m. In India it gets too cold around now, to keep hiking, but that's because you have to camp. Here the teahouses keep you warmer. Think I'll perhaps rent a down jacket and leave my other stuff in the hotel, and pick it up on the way back.

Namche is very expensive, as expected. Can get everything you want though, unlike earlier in the trial. The hotels demand you have dinner and breakfast with them (expensive), which is kinda annoying, though I think my one said dinner alone is good. Staying in some hotel on the grounds of a cultural museum, away from the noise of the town.