Kathmandu to Lukla, Nepal
Day 3: Tuesday 3rd January 2006
Flight to Lukla
Our early morning call was at 4:30am. We showered and dressed and went downstairs for breakfast at 5am. It was hard to eat adequately knowing the excitement building up within oneself. The anticipation of the flight into Lukla was also playing a little on my mind. I am also not used to eating at such an early hour. I had managed to get about five hours sleep but Rose said my snoring had kept her awake.
At 5:50am we were all ready to leave for the airport. The roads were much quieter but the drivers were just as crazy. The passage through the Domestic Airport was very smooth but we were all frisked three times. It is good that the local authorities are so thorough about security. We also had our bags searched.
Delay at Kathmandu Airport
We had about an hour’s wait for the airport at Lukla to clear of mist. The plane was small with 17 passengers and three crew members. The take off was smooth and the view from the window was spectacular all the way. It was a 40 minute flight to Lukla and I thought that it was quite reasonable except near the end when I was pleased that I had not eaten more than a light breakfast of fruit. On the other hand all of the other trekkers thought that the flight was very rough and were not looking forward to the return flight at the end of the trek.
Yeti Airlines
Yes – you read correctly. We flew Yeti Airlines to Lukla. The planes they use here in Nepal are small STOL (Short Take Off and Landing – for more information click here). Other planes cannot land on some of the air strips in Nepal as they need longer runways. They are cramped, noisy and not recommended for those with claustrophobic tendencies! The aisle is narrow, the seats seem only just big enough for the very thinnest of people and if you are tall, like James from our trekking group – be sure to get an aisle seat to stretch out your legs. Otherwise your knees end up around your ears.
The WOW Factor
As I stepped out of the plane at Lukla my immediate response was “WOW!” The sight of the towering mountains on every side is almost overwhelming. Tears to the eyes stuff. Dreams come true! I’m here in the heart of the Himalayas.
Preparing for Trekking
Day 2: Monday January 2nd 2006
Birding in Kathmandu
We returned to the Shangri La Hotel for lunch. The three of us, including Kath, the trekker from Melbourne, had lunch in the beautiful hotel garden. During the lunch we enjoyed the sunshine while we waited and while we ate. It was about 18 degrees C and very pleasant. I was delighted to observe several Rose Ringed Parakeets flying overhead. I have also seen House Crows and Common Ravens around the streets of Kathmandu. I haven’t seen many birds on this trip so far. I hope this is about to change.
Dodgy power supplies
After lunch I went to the hotel Business Centre to send several emails home. The power went off briefly for a few seconds while I was there but I didn’t lose any of my email message. I guess the power here can be a little dodgy at times. Meanwhile Rose went to the street nearby to do some shopping.
Trekking group meeting
At 3pm we had a meeting with our guide Ananta and all of the other trekkers. The other six trekkers had recently arrived from Pokhara. They had all been on a six day trek of the Annapurna region near Pokhara. Only one other trekker is about my age; all the others are in their twenties or early thirties. My immediate impression is that they are all very pleasant.
Preparing for trekking
We received our duffle bags, a very warm parka and a sleeping bag, all on loan from Peregrine Travel, our travel agent. I realised immediately that I would have to trim down what I took on the trek to the barest minimum. I will have to balance this with making sure I have enough warm clothing with me. Before writing this I did a pre-trek pack and it is not as bad as I thought at first. I will be able to fit in everything I need without leaving behind any essentials. Being able to do some washing along the way will be handy. What we didn’t need for the trek we were able to leave locked away in our suitcases in a secure area in the hotel. I also left some items like cash, traveller’s cheques and passport in the hotel safe.
Some doubts
At the meeting I did have a few moments of “what am I about to do?†Will I cope with the walking, the climbing and the altitude? It is reassuring to have Rose here with me. It is also very good to have the entire organisation done for us, things like transport, fees, accommodation and food. Still, it will be a huge physical and mental challenge. It will be a genuine test of all that I have and all that I am. The dream of visiting this area, a dream of more than 25 years, is about to become reality.
Kathmandu, Nepal
Sunday 1st January 2006.
I am finally in Kathmandu.
I can hardly believe it.
Leaving Bangkok
This morning I had an early breakfast just after 6 o’clock. By seven I was packed and ready to leave Bangkok.I went down to check out and settle my account. I had to pay for the meals that I had booked up during my stay. My driver was waiting for me just as I finished the paperwork. There were no other passengers in the car with me. It being a holiday in Thailand there was very little traffic on the freeway to the airport, and so we made very good time. Check-in took only a few minutes and so did immigration. As a consequence I had two hours to fill in before my plane was due to leave.
Off to Kathmandu
I found a very cheap internet café and spent about 45 minutes writing emails home and also replying to emails sent to me. It was good to hear what was happening at home. I boarded the plane at just before 10:30am and only a few minutes later we were in flight. The three hour flight went well – except for the poor stewardess who tipped over a drinks trolley in the aisle. Drinks, glasses, bottles and ice went everywhere. She was so embarrassed. Apart from that the flight was very smooth, even over the ranges near Kathmandu.
Mt. Everest
I was very excited watching the Himalaya ranges getting closer and closer as we approached Kathmandu. I could clearly see the snow-capped mountains for about 45 minutes. The view from my seat was really fantastic with great views of Mt. Everest. The view disappeared as we landed. The pollution in the Kathmandu Valley is usually quite bad and there was no view of the surrounding hills, let alone the mountains further off.
Kathmandu Airport
Kathmandu airport is very third world. It is certainly not in the same league as Melbourne or Bangkok. As the plane taxis one is aware of the wrecks of planes and helicopters scattered along the perimeter. Then there was a five minute walk to the terminal. Customs and immigration was very quick taking only a few minutes. The big hold-up came when I went to collect my suitcase. This took nearly forty minutes to appear. Most other people had a similar wait. I also had no trouble seeing the driver who came to collect me. In fact, he saw me before I saw him.
Driving in Kathmandu
The drive to the Shangri La Hotel was very interesting. The mini-van was about 20 years old and had seen much better days. The roads we took would give goat tracks a bad name! And then there was the traffic – there seem to be no rules. Well, perhaps one rule: he who barges the most aggressively gets right of way. Dodge ‘em cars are positively sedate in comparison. And the chief driving aid used is the horn. I heard more toots in the first minute here than I did in the four days in Bangkok. The drivers here have to be very skilful, dodging cars, trucks, buses, tuk-tuks, bicycles, motor bikes, pedestrians, dogs, cows, ducks, more dogs and maybe even the occasional monkey. Despite the chaos we arrived safely. The only other passenger was Kath from Melbourne. She is also going on the trek.
I was quite surprised to see monkeys in the streets. I hadn’t anticipated seeing monkeys here. There were also large numbers of dogs wandering around everywhere, quite oblivious to the traffic all around. I saw a small flock of 8 – 10 ducks just standing in the middle of the road with the traffic veering all around them! The section of the city we drove through was very run down and slum like, nothing like life here in Australia.
Meeting Rose
It was great to see our daughter Rose at the hotel. It had been just over a year since we said farewell to her on Boxing Day 2004. She has been on a teaching exchange in the UK. We spent a few minutes filling in various forms for the hotel and Peregrine Travel, our trekking company. We also met Ananta, our guide for the trek. After that we went up to the room we were sharing. We spent the afternoon catching up. I did most of the talking. I had so much to share regarding my experiences in Thailand.