Paiya proved to be the end of the quiet trek, as there was a group of climbers camping there, and on the seventh day from Paiya to Phakding trekkers that had flown into Lukla joined the path to the Sagarmatha (Everest) park at Chheplung.
Paiya to Phakding Himalayas Photos
The first two photos are from Chheplung. Didn’t see any red pandas I’m afraid. The fourth is from Phakding.
After mostly cloud and rain for a week, the sky was mostly clear on the eighth morning: the morning of arrival in the Sagarmatha park, and views of the really high peaks.
The monsoon had passed, and it would be mostly clear skies for the rest of the trek, providing perfect conditions for viewing the Everest park and taking photos.
Marc Latham’s central site is the Greenygrey (http://www.greenygrey.co.uk), and he has books available on Smashwords and Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/author/marclatham).