EBC Part 3, Nunthala-Surke.

Wednesday 1st May 2013.

A fairly sleepless night. Nunthala was the first busy guesthouse, one that we had to share with others. Wooden floors that squeak, doors that crash and walls so thin that you can hear next doors occupants breathing! Right from the off we are behind the mules following them down very steep and muddy paths. There were sections where the path was wide enough to squeeze through....but always on the safe banked side!

Below we are taking five, having just allowed a long train of mules across the bridge towards us.

This village was almost tropical in it's feel and it was the only place I saw a banana tree. It was also the point I got my 'legs', they were getting used to what I was making them do everyday. My lungs had other ideas and wanted to kill me, but nothing was going to get better for them over the next two weeks.

Any step is good for a rest.

Different seeds drying on sheets of tarpaulin.

After a final hard hour of ascent we are met by this young man and our lodge at Bupsa for the evening.

A warm shower in the little wooden shed on the right and some washing on the line before the rain comes.

This man selected a piece of firewood and with his khukuri skillfully whittled someone a new kitchen implement in the time it took to drink a tea! 

The boy took me up to his local temple.....

Thursday 2nd May 2013.

Today started with a slow ascent for a few hours.....

...which then levelled out nicely as we rounded river crossings.

A lunch of  Dal bhat.....

We stopped in Surke for the night just before the tiny airport town of Lukla. The valley walls were really steep here and we started getting glimpses of the big boys!