Periche to Namche Bazar

Today was the day I made up an extra day - by walking two legs in one day. I left at 7am and began to retrace my steps from the last week. It took me three days to walk the same distance on the ascent.
We dropped 1000m today and the difference in the landscape and temperature was dramatic. The journey started with little plant life, apart from the small clumps of brown grass. You then see small shrubs and a short distance later you enter the treeline. As you reach the trees, the dry air from the past 5 days is replaced with the intense smell of pine. As you descend further, you start to notice the air is now filled with the familiar smell of burning wood, rather than the burning kerosene and yak dung which can be smelt at higher altitudes.
Namche represents the the first glimpse of modern civilization with a Cash Machine, Pharmacist, Outdoor Clothing stores and an increase in the variety of food. However, it is still 1000m higher than the highest ski resort in Europe, and most goods still arrive carried by yaks and humans.