In the morning, I looked out the window with a "wow!" and couldn’t believe my good fortune to have seen these stunning views outside my window. After breakfast, I went with a group of hikers to acclimatize by climbing to the top of the hills nearby, and at the highest point, we reached 4,000m/13,100ft. It is said that climbing high in the day and sleeping low at night is the best way to acclimatize.

Today was the first time Mount Everest was visible to the naked eye, and its magic power touched everybody; the excitement of seeing it lasted a large part of our day. We stayed out until mid-afternoon to enjoy the magnificent mountain vistas that could not be had in the Namche valley.

My partner had a tough day yesterday and decided to stay in. He and I toured the town when I returned. Namche is built on steep hills and is commercially prosperous albeit small. There are several nice coffee shops, bakeries, and plenty of stores selling hiking clothing and gear, with huge selections, although mostly used.

Some experts suggest that hikers refrain from taking fancy gear for the trip, especially new items you pay big bucks for but would use again. Whatever is missing can be found here. Yes, you would buy second-hand stuff, but they are clean and in good condition. After the trip, you can donate them to the local shops, which is not only eco-friendly but also helps the local economy; not to mention the benefit of saving storage space at home. The logic is pretty sound to me.