We went up to the Sherpa Culture Museum at the top of the town (another few hundred feet of height gain). The museum was interesting enough, but the views from outside the building were what we will remember.

Dawa and I were sitting on the grass outside. There was a lot of cloud around. It cleared to show us a terrific view of two 6000+ metres peaks, Thamserku - very imposing - and Kantega (the horse-saddle mountain).

Dawa then said that you could see Mt Everest from here if the weather cleared. He pointed out where it would be.

"Behind those clouds"

Sherpa Dawa and me and our first view of Mt Everest (between us)

I sat there cross-legged like a supplicant monk outside a monastery.

Gradually, more and more bits of the vista cleared. I recognised the distinctive shape of Ama Dablam.

And then there was - surely that had to be the Lhotse/Nuptse ‘wall’ behind which Everest would be hidden. But the clouds in the Everest area were more persistent.

And then the seventh of the seven veils dropped away. Surely that little triangular peak behind Lhotse/Nuptse was - it had to be … It WAS Everest.

The weather gauges, with Everest behind

Yet it wasn’t quite as perfect a pyramid as I had expected.

As more of the mist cleared, I saw that we were seeing most of the (top of) the south-west face, but that we could also see a bit of the eastern or Kangshung face.

This made it appear flatter.

We took a great many pictures.

We went up on the ridge above Namche, where Colin saw some tahrs (elegant creatures similar to mountain goats). He stalked them silently and approached ever closer to get the perfect photograph.

As he was taking aim, a stone thrown from above spoiled his shot. The stone-thrower had to run for his life as an angry Colin chased him up the slope.

On our way back down we passed a gompa with 35 prayer-wheels.

Prayer wheels at Namche