The final day of trekking is upon us and what is waiting for us is 16 miles of ups and downs all the way to Lukla !! We were excited but also nervous about the trek ahead!! I was prepared mentally for this final push! I wore two pairs of socks to protect my feet from the rocky terrain ahead and wanted to make sure I get to Lukla with no blisters or any thing like that ... I jumped in the lead group from the get go this morning and I never looked back! We had a compact lead group of 4 people including the assistant guide and at times it thinned to just two people! We had to cross 6 suspended bridges including the Tensing-Hillary bridge! We stopped in Phakding for lunch around 12:00 and then pushed on to Lukla where we arrived around 2:30 pm or so! Once in Lukla we headed to the Buda Lounge at the airport where we were staying! It was a nice place, with hot showers inside the rooms for a change but one needs to shower when the sun is out as the water was heated by solar power so I jumped right in when I got in the room around 3:30 pm or so... the water was not hot but ok! After the shower I sent town to the lounge where some of my group mates gathered for a well-earned celebration! We were high-fiving and laughing of joy for the accomplishment! We were also collecting money for the tips for our porters and guides that we invited for dinner that night! We have already decided to purchase 5 envelops, one for each person to be tipped, and put money in each envelop with no set amount for anyone! We wanted each of us to tip according to hers/his budget and who they feel deserves more tipping! When everyone put money in the envelops, I waited for the right opportunity to hand them to each one of them after dinner! It was a great celebration and everyone had a blast at dinner time !!! We also shared the cost of the dinner for our porters and guides! After this celebration, we headed to sleep as we all had early flights out of Lukla!
Celebration in Lukla's Budha lounge
A peaceful village in a distance
A Buddhist monastery
Breathtaking valley between Lukla and Namche
Every inch is cultivated in these valleys
Just loved these little gardens along the way to Lukla
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