I spent two days in Namche, the main town in Khumbu since it is the one place through which all the trails in the region pass. You can get pretty much anything here - and since the weight restrictions on the flight into Lukla are so tight, pretty much everyone does a bit of shopping. It is at 3,400 meters and staying here for one night, and really much better two, is a key element of any trek to allow your body to get used to the altitude before going higher. Interesting story: a French gentleman of 84 made it to Namche but hurt his back on the way, and needed to see a doctor. The doctor duly arrived and yours truly ended up playing interpreter between the two! Fortunately for all concerned, this is one of the days when my crap french “just worked;” my new French friend said my interpretation was “Formidable!”
Here's an image of dawn, taken from my lodgings at the Moonlight Lodge (which is a terrific place to stay):
