Everest marathon 14th November

An early start this morning with breakfast at 7am and off by 7.45. I woke early anyway and went out for a very cold shave and hair wash outside. Menai had a bad night and woke with a headache but took a Fast Melt and it went away,followed by a good breakfast of porridge, eggs, toast and coffee.  The morning was nice taking us along the river Dhud Khosi through small villages.  There was a bit of evidence of earthquake damage on the way but not too much. We met quite a few Trekkers coming toward us and one set of runners. We had a couple of nice tea stops and some nice conversations with others in the group on the way. A nice sociable way of travelling really. At about 12 we got to the crossing of the Dhud Khosi on a high suspension bridge before a sharp 400m climb to Namche Bazaar. En route I managed to get a first glimpse of Everest though the clouds. We got to Namche at about 2pm to be directed to our rooms in the Sherpaland lodge with en suite shower and toilet.  As our kit bags had not arrived we decided to have a quick wash and get some lunch in the Everest Bakery and what a nice lunch it was. Apple pie, coffee and soup complete with Internet.  After a break in the bakery we went shopping for hats to keep us warm as Namche was very cold too and then back to the lodge to wash, do some laundry and change. We went down to the lodge restaurant for food and a really good talk about Mountain Sickness from one of the group doctors, Eamon. Eamon had worked for two years in  the Khumbu working in a high altitude clinic. It was really interesting. We then joined the others for a quiz that by some miracle, we won.