Date: Friday 8th April, 2011
Where to today: Kuala Lumpur --> Bangkok
Where are we sleeping: Bangkok
How do we get there: Plane
Well what can I say?
Ben and I arrived in KL yesterday afternoon. After a quick snack with Uncle Jim, we went to his beautiful mansion to unpack and rest for a short while. We all then headed out (Uncle Jim's family, plus Ben's cousins Caitlynn and Carolynn) for a beautiful dinner which included duck, fish and a delicious tofu and mushroom hotpot. We then headed home to sleep.
Now this is where the drama begins. Our flight from KL was supposed to depart at 8:05am and arrive in Bangkok at 9:35am. HOWEVER, Ben accidentally read the arrival time of 9:35am as the departure time, and we subsequently missed our flight! I had tears in my eyes, but did my best to hold it together. It felt like a dream, or should I say nightmare? It is so uncharacteristic of Ben to make such a crucial mistake.
After standing outside the departure gate and realising our error, we quickly raced back out of immigration to collect our baggage and try to rebook our tickets for another flight. The lady at the airline office searched flights for us whilst we anxiously sat opposite her, and while I shot death looks at Ben! The next economy flight from KL --> Bangkok --> Kathmandu, was on the 13th of April...5 days away! Ben didn't care how much it would cost us to get to Kathmandu asap and quickly asked whether they had any seats for any earlier flights in First Class or Business Class. We were prepared to pay anything! Luckily we were able to book an Economy flight from KL to Bangkok for later that day. We then had no other option but to book a Business Class flight from Bangkok to Kathmandu the following day. We had to fork out an extra $2000AUD, but at least our nerves were settled. I was still extremely upset, as it now meant we were 1 day behind the boys (Josh, Bobby and Matt). For some mysterious reason, Ben found the situation funny and could not contain his laughter. Shortly after however the gravity of the situation set in for him and was also upset, and apologised to me.
So tonight, Ben and I will stay overnight in Bangkok... I've always wanted to go to Thailand.
20110510
20110509
High rollers
Date: Saturday 9th April, 2011
Where to today: Bangkok --> Kathmandu
Where are we sleeping: Kathmandu
How do we get there: Plane
Today we were high rollers and flew business class from Bangkok to Kathmandu =)
I've flown business class before, but only on domestic flights, not international. We took full advantage of all the privileges that come with business class and visited the Thai Silk Lounge for our complimentary 30 minute massage. I began to think that missing our flight wasn't so bad after all! We then headed to another section of the lounge to relax in the leather chairs and feast on delicious food and snacks. Ben and I began to think it was a bad idea flying business class though, as we now felt that we can never go back to flying economy! The massages, food, and free magazines were all too satisfying.
Ben enjoying Business Class
We arrived at Kathmandu International Airport in the afternoon. I was so surprised to see the poor condition and security of the airport. It was no bigger than Balina airport and an AFL game would have more security and staff than that place. Whilst lining up for our visas and immigration to be approved we met a New Zealand man, Jim, who was planning a 2 month trip to summit Everest. He looked to be around 65 years old. Ben and I were so impressed!
Outside the airport, we were picked up by Dhruba (tour group owner and manager) and his driver, and were taken through the narrow, crowded and very dirty streets (in a car smaller than my previous Daihatsu Charade) to our hotel. It was amazing (and sad) to see the living conditions of this city. Compared to Nepal, places like Thailand and Malaysia are so very clean! So many dogs with matted fur and rashes roaming the streets. So many unfinished or crumbling buildings. No traffic lights, or lines on the road. Random cows (or deers?) walking the streets. Monkeys crowding together on the road and jumping from roof top to roof top. In addition, frequently during the day the electricity cuts off suddenly and everything switches off (probably why they don't bother with traffic lights). Luckily our hotel (and most larger buildings) have generators that kick in after about 20 seconds.
A cow walking the city streets
Monkeys crowding on the roadside
Tomorrow we are heading to Lukla, the starting point of our trek. Our flight is at 7:30am. We will have to tag along with another group before we meet up with the boys in Namche on Monday (2 days away). I really miss Josh. Wish we could experience this together.
Where to today: Bangkok --> Kathmandu
Where are we sleeping: Kathmandu
How do we get there: Plane
Today we were high rollers and flew business class from Bangkok to Kathmandu =)
I've flown business class before, but only on domestic flights, not international. We took full advantage of all the privileges that come with business class and visited the Thai Silk Lounge for our complimentary 30 minute massage. I began to think that missing our flight wasn't so bad after all! We then headed to another section of the lounge to relax in the leather chairs and feast on delicious food and snacks. Ben and I began to think it was a bad idea flying business class though, as we now felt that we can never go back to flying economy! The massages, food, and free magazines were all too satisfying.
Ben enjoying Business Class
We arrived at Kathmandu International Airport in the afternoon. I was so surprised to see the poor condition and security of the airport. It was no bigger than Balina airport and an AFL game would have more security and staff than that place. Whilst lining up for our visas and immigration to be approved we met a New Zealand man, Jim, who was planning a 2 month trip to summit Everest. He looked to be around 65 years old. Ben and I were so impressed!
Outside the airport, we were picked up by Dhruba (tour group owner and manager) and his driver, and were taken through the narrow, crowded and very dirty streets (in a car smaller than my previous Daihatsu Charade) to our hotel. It was amazing (and sad) to see the living conditions of this city. Compared to Nepal, places like Thailand and Malaysia are so very clean! So many dogs with matted fur and rashes roaming the streets. So many unfinished or crumbling buildings. No traffic lights, or lines on the road. Random cows (or deers?) walking the streets. Monkeys crowding together on the road and jumping from roof top to roof top. In addition, frequently during the day the electricity cuts off suddenly and everything switches off (probably why they don't bother with traffic lights). Luckily our hotel (and most larger buildings) have generators that kick in after about 20 seconds.
A cow walking the city streets
Monkeys crowding on the roadside
Tomorrow we are heading to Lukla, the starting point of our trek. Our flight is at 7:30am. We will have to tag along with another group before we meet up with the boys in Namche on Monday (2 days away). I really miss Josh. Wish we could experience this together.
20110508
The road to NOWHERE!
Date: Sunday 10th April, 2011
Where to today: Nowhere!
Where are we sleeping: Kathmandu!
How do we get there: NA
God, are you trying to tell or teach us something? Why do things seems to not be happening for us? First the van to the airport this morning had trouble starting; then being stopped over by the police on the way, and our driver not having a valid license... and most importantly and drastically, our flight being delayed for 8 hours, and eventually being CANCELLED!
Our flight was scheduled for 8:30am. For some reason our flight kept on getting pushed back whilst so many other flights from other airlines were going through to Lukla.
A chaotic check-in counter at Lukla Domestic Airport
So now we are 2 DAYS behind the boys. What have Ben and I done wrong? I don't know if Ben and I will ever find out or if there is even a valid reason. I'm pretty upset about all this. I was looking forward to seeing Joshie Poo. I miss him.
As a consolation at least Ben and I get to stay in a posh hotel tonight. This hotel is probably 4 stars in Australia, but feels like 5 stars here in Nepal!
Still pretty annoyed though, but nothing we can do.
Please help everything run smoothly tomorrow God!
Where to today: Nowhere!
Where are we sleeping: Kathmandu!
How do we get there: NA
God, are you trying to tell or teach us something? Why do things seems to not be happening for us? First the van to the airport this morning had trouble starting; then being stopped over by the police on the way, and our driver not having a valid license... and most importantly and drastically, our flight being delayed for 8 hours, and eventually being CANCELLED!
Our flight was scheduled for 8:30am. For some reason our flight kept on getting pushed back whilst so many other flights from other airlines were going through to Lukla.
A chaotic check-in counter at Lukla Domestic Airport
So now we are 2 DAYS behind the boys. What have Ben and I done wrong? I don't know if Ben and I will ever find out or if there is even a valid reason. I'm pretty upset about all this. I was looking forward to seeing Joshie Poo. I miss him.
As a consolation at least Ben and I get to stay in a posh hotel tonight. This hotel is probably 4 stars in Australia, but feels like 5 stars here in Nepal!
Still pretty annoyed though, but nothing we can do.
Please help everything run smoothly tomorrow God!
20110507
DAY 1- The journey begins!
Date: Monday 11th April, 2011
Where to today: Kathmandu --> Lukla (2,820m) --> Phakding (2,610m)
Where are we sleeping: Phakding (2,610m)
How do we get there: Small plane and foot
So we arrived at the airport again at 7:45am. I was hoping and praying every 10-20 minutes that we would get a flight to Lukla. Finally after waiting 3 hours we caught our flight to Lukla! I was so excited. Our trip was finally becoming a reality.
The plane trip and landing was not as scary as I thought. One of the managers at BT, Paul Hannell, was right when he said the landing is over quicker than you realise you're actually landing! I'm now scared about the departure back to Kathmandu. The airport strip is on a 30 to 40 degree angle, and very very short.
Lukla Airport landing strip
So we walked from the airport in Lukla to Phakding, which took around 4 hours walk. The whole way there were porters carrying bags, food, planks of wood, tables, cooking gear..the list goes on. It is truly another world up here. We saw 3-4 porters carrying 6 planks of wood. Damaru (our guide) said that each plank weighs at least 20kgs each. Do the math! 6 x 20kgs= 120kgs!
Porter carrying 120kgs
There was some beautiful scenery along the way. Absolutely breath taking. God is truly an amazing and talented author of creation.
After arriving at Phakding, and before dinner, Ben and I went to explore a bit. We came across a bridge over a beautiful river and took several photos.
Photo from the bridge
In Phakding
We also stopped to take a few photos with some local children. One of the boys was so cute, and cheekily asked Ben, "50 rupees??!!". Unfortunately we had no money on us.
Local Phakding children
Tomorrow we are off to Namche, which is approximately a 6 hour hike. We will see the boys tomorrow! FINALLY! Can't wait!
Where to today: Kathmandu --> Lukla (2,820m) --> Phakding (2,610m)
Where are we sleeping: Phakding (2,610m)
How do we get there: Small plane and foot
So we arrived at the airport again at 7:45am. I was hoping and praying every 10-20 minutes that we would get a flight to Lukla. Finally after waiting 3 hours we caught our flight to Lukla! I was so excited. Our trip was finally becoming a reality.
The plane trip and landing was not as scary as I thought. One of the managers at BT, Paul Hannell, was right when he said the landing is over quicker than you realise you're actually landing! I'm now scared about the departure back to Kathmandu. The airport strip is on a 30 to 40 degree angle, and very very short.
Lukla Airport landing strip
So we walked from the airport in Lukla to Phakding, which took around 4 hours walk. The whole way there were porters carrying bags, food, planks of wood, tables, cooking gear..the list goes on. It is truly another world up here. We saw 3-4 porters carrying 6 planks of wood. Damaru (our guide) said that each plank weighs at least 20kgs each. Do the math! 6 x 20kgs= 120kgs!
Porter carrying 120kgs
There was some beautiful scenery along the way. Absolutely breath taking. God is truly an amazing and talented author of creation.
After arriving at Phakding, and before dinner, Ben and I went to explore a bit. We came across a bridge over a beautiful river and took several photos.
Photo from the bridge
In Phakding
We also stopped to take a few photos with some local children. One of the boys was so cute, and cheekily asked Ben, "50 rupees??!!". Unfortunately we had no money on us.
Local Phakding children
Tomorrow we are off to Namche, which is approximately a 6 hour hike. We will see the boys tomorrow! FINALLY! Can't wait!
20110506
DAY 2- Meeting the boys
Date: Tuesday 12th April, 2011
Where to today: Phakding (2,610m) --> Namche Bazaar (3,440m)
Where are we sleeping: Namche Bazaar (3,440m)
How do we get there: By foot
Right now I'm sitting in 'Moonlight lodge', on top of Namche Bazaar. The walk today was meant to be 6 hours, but because of the group of 4 Malaysians we were with, the hike took 7.5 hours. Every time we stopped we had to wait at least 10 minutes each time for the Malaysians to catch up. The hike was long, but fun and interesting. Again, the scenery was amazing.
View along the way
We also had to stop at several check points along with way. There were Nepalese men in uniform armed with machine guns. Was quite intimidating.
Posing outside one of the checkpoints
We finally got to see the boys at around 4:15pm. It was so strange to see their faces in a foreign country. I gave Joshie a nice big bear hug. Was so good to finally see him and meet up with the other boys.
As I'm writing this journal, Bobby just announced he needs to do a massive number two. Funny thing about this trip, everybody shares their most personal thoughts.
Today was the last day we spent with Damaru who had been the guide for Ben, myself and the Malaysians for the past 3 days. He is such a soft, gentle guy. He has the funniest laugh, the whitest teeth, and the smallest body. He would be about the size of Nona, just a little bit taller.
Ben towering over Damaru
The guide for the boys these past few days has been a Nepalese man, Dorchi. Don't know much about him yet, but the boys already seem to love him.
Tomorrow we are off to a place called Phunga Thanga. We will trek up to a height of 4,000m and then come back down to Phunga Tunga which is roughly the same height as Namche Bazaar.
It's 8:30pm now, and I'm starting to yawn. And no, it's not just me. Everybody is tired and starting to yawn. I'll head off to bed soon, as tomorrow we start hiking at 7:30am.
By the way God, it's so amazing to see your creation. It's hard to believe such beauty exists. Majestic waterfalls stretching 200-300m; beautiful, deep valleys; and mountains so high they kiss the clouds and sky. You are amazing, and so is your creation!
Where to today: Phakding (2,610m) --> Namche Bazaar (3,440m)
Where are we sleeping: Namche Bazaar (3,440m)
How do we get there: By foot
Right now I'm sitting in 'Moonlight lodge', on top of Namche Bazaar. The walk today was meant to be 6 hours, but because of the group of 4 Malaysians we were with, the hike took 7.5 hours. Every time we stopped we had to wait at least 10 minutes each time for the Malaysians to catch up. The hike was long, but fun and interesting. Again, the scenery was amazing.
View along the way
We also had to stop at several check points along with way. There were Nepalese men in uniform armed with machine guns. Was quite intimidating.
Posing outside one of the checkpoints
We finally got to see the boys at around 4:15pm. It was so strange to see their faces in a foreign country. I gave Joshie a nice big bear hug. Was so good to finally see him and meet up with the other boys.
As I'm writing this journal, Bobby just announced he needs to do a massive number two. Funny thing about this trip, everybody shares their most personal thoughts.
Today was the last day we spent with Damaru who had been the guide for Ben, myself and the Malaysians for the past 3 days. He is such a soft, gentle guy. He has the funniest laugh, the whitest teeth, and the smallest body. He would be about the size of Nona, just a little bit taller.
Ben towering over Damaru
The guide for the boys these past few days has been a Nepalese man, Dorchi. Don't know much about him yet, but the boys already seem to love him.
Tomorrow we are off to a place called Phunga Thanga. We will trek up to a height of 4,000m and then come back down to Phunga Tunga which is roughly the same height as Namche Bazaar.
It's 8:30pm now, and I'm starting to yawn. And no, it's not just me. Everybody is tired and starting to yawn. I'll head off to bed soon, as tomorrow we start hiking at 7:30am.
By the way God, it's so amazing to see your creation. It's hard to believe such beauty exists. Majestic waterfalls stretching 200-300m; beautiful, deep valleys; and mountains so high they kiss the clouds and sky. You are amazing, and so is your creation!
20110505
DAY 3- Everest in sight!
Date: Wednesday 13th April, 2011
Where to today: Namche Bazaar (3,440m) --> Phunga Thanga (3,230m)
Where are we sleeping: Phunga Thanga (3,230m)
How do we get there: By foot
Leaving Namche in the morning
Today we trekked for around 4-5 hours. The climbs were steep, but not too bad. No where as near difficult as our Blue Mountains, Blue Gum Forest and Acacia Flats hike. Now I'm so thankful that we actually went through that ordeal! Was good conditioning, both mentally and physically for this Everest journey.
Today we saw our first glimpse of Everest, after climbing to the top of Namche and just a tad further. From far away it does not look that high and impressive but I'm sure that once we inch our way closer day by day, that that will change.
The tip of Everest visible behind another mountain
Today we climbed to a height of 4000m. We all felt pretty good and weren't affected by the altitude at all. Although I did hear from Bobby that he had altitude sickness as soon as he arrived in Lukla at a height of only 2,820m. Haha oh dear, Bobby!
It was also the first day that Ben and I climbed with the boys. Was much more exciting, fun and fast paced than climbing with the Malaysians the past 2 days. Ben kept on reminding me though that it was probably a blessing in disguise that we were "stuck" with the slow Malaysians. There is one thing you don't want to do at this altitude, and that is race up the mountain. I've been told that's a guaranteed way to get altitude sickness.
Tomorrow we are off to Pangboche, which is a height of 3,900m. According to Damaru our previous guide, this is one of the toughest climbs.
As I said yesterday, our new guide's name is Dorchi (but the boys like to call him Gucci for some reason). He's about 45 years old, a bit chubby/solid, and has a cheeky smile. He's a true Sherpa (born on the mountains). He's very experienced and has summitted Mount Everest!
Dorchi aka "Gucci"
Where to today: Namche Bazaar (3,440m) --> Phunga Thanga (3,230m)
Where are we sleeping: Phunga Thanga (3,230m)
How do we get there: By foot
Leaving Namche in the morning
Today we trekked for around 4-5 hours. The climbs were steep, but not too bad. No where as near difficult as our Blue Mountains, Blue Gum Forest and Acacia Flats hike. Now I'm so thankful that we actually went through that ordeal! Was good conditioning, both mentally and physically for this Everest journey.
Today we saw our first glimpse of Everest, after climbing to the top of Namche and just a tad further. From far away it does not look that high and impressive but I'm sure that once we inch our way closer day by day, that that will change.
The tip of Everest visible behind another mountain
Today we climbed to a height of 4000m. We all felt pretty good and weren't affected by the altitude at all. Although I did hear from Bobby that he had altitude sickness as soon as he arrived in Lukla at a height of only 2,820m. Haha oh dear, Bobby!
It was also the first day that Ben and I climbed with the boys. Was much more exciting, fun and fast paced than climbing with the Malaysians the past 2 days. Ben kept on reminding me though that it was probably a blessing in disguise that we were "stuck" with the slow Malaysians. There is one thing you don't want to do at this altitude, and that is race up the mountain. I've been told that's a guaranteed way to get altitude sickness.
Tomorrow we are off to Pangboche, which is a height of 3,900m. According to Damaru our previous guide, this is one of the toughest climbs.
As I said yesterday, our new guide's name is Dorchi (but the boys like to call him Gucci for some reason). He's about 45 years old, a bit chubby/solid, and has a cheeky smile. He's a true Sherpa (born on the mountains). He's very experienced and has summitted Mount Everest!
Dorchi aka "Gucci"
20110503
DAY 4- Fellowship of the Ring
Date: Thursday 14th April, 2011
Where to today: Phunga Thanga (3,230m) --> Pangboche (3,900m)
Where are we sleeping: Pangboche (3,900m)
How do we get there: By foot
Today went really well. Although the first 2 hours of the trek was extremely steep and rocky, I found myself quickly setting into a steady rhythm. I've also found that occupying my mind with other thoughts whilst hiking actually makes it easier. I think about other things (such as what I will eat when I get back to Sydney) and my mind and body don't find the steep climbs so hard.
Everybody else found today very manageable as well. We were all making jokes and laughing. Josh started mentioning the movie, Lord of the Rings, and we all discussed and argued who would be which character. Josh claimed he was 'Aragon'. We all agreed that Dorchi our guide was "Samwise'. Matt claimed the character 'Legolas' (Orlando Bloom), and I nominated Bobby as 'Gollum'. He wasn't too pleased and kept on denying it LOL. The boys then announced that I was 'Frodo'.
Matt also showed us his break dancing skills along the way whilst yelling out his trademark "Yalalalalalala". Was the funniest thing I've seen today, maybe even the past week. He promised to do it again tonight so that we can video tape it. He also told a pretty lame joke today.
Matt: "Why was the sand wet?"
Kara: "Dunno, why?"
Matt: "Because the sea-weed. Get it? Ahahahahah".
Ben also made us laugh pretty hard today. We were sitting down for lunch in a tea house, and he pointed to a tin of Pringle look-alike chips and asked "I wonder how much is that Jackass?". We all burst out laughing and wondered what the heck he was talking about. He thought the chip brand was "Jackass", because the tin was partially hidden, covering some of the letters on the end. The brand name was actually "Jackers".
I had olive pizza for lunch which was surprisingly good. We are all quite surprised about the quality of the food on the mountains. Some of the food is even better, or comparable to the food back home in Oz. At the place where we ate lunch, the owners had the cutest toddler. Her name was Serene. She was always smiling and loved to be picked up and cuddled. Her dad also said that she loved eating Pringles. She was truly one of the cutest, if not the cutest little girl I have ever seen. Rosy red cheeks and a cute laugh too.
So today is day 4 for Ben and I, and day 6 for the boys. I thought that by today some of us may have started to experience altitude sickness or at least sickness from the food or water. So far Bobby has been the only one to experience some altitude sickness upon arriving at Lukla. I keep on praying to God that we'll all make it up to Base Camp/Kala Patthar. I've heard many stories about only 1 or 2 people in trekking groups making the distance.
Whilst walking behind Ben today, I noticed his bum bum has gotten smaller. Looks like he is losing weight. I can also feel that I've lost a bit of weight too. Mainly on my arms and legs.
Also, I've forgotten to mention that all of us have been taking half a tablet of Diamox (medicine to help combat altitude sickness) at night and in the morning.
Yaks
Mucking around near the river at Phunga Thanga before dinner time
Kara: Ben you look good in that beanie
Ben: But I'm sweating!
Kara: It's okay, leave it on. You look good!
Where to today: Phunga Thanga (3,230m) --> Pangboche (3,900m)
Where are we sleeping: Pangboche (3,900m)
How do we get there: By foot
Today went really well. Although the first 2 hours of the trek was extremely steep and rocky, I found myself quickly setting into a steady rhythm. I've also found that occupying my mind with other thoughts whilst hiking actually makes it easier. I think about other things (such as what I will eat when I get back to Sydney) and my mind and body don't find the steep climbs so hard.
Everybody else found today very manageable as well. We were all making jokes and laughing. Josh started mentioning the movie, Lord of the Rings, and we all discussed and argued who would be which character. Josh claimed he was 'Aragon'. We all agreed that Dorchi our guide was "Samwise'. Matt claimed the character 'Legolas' (Orlando Bloom), and I nominated Bobby as 'Gollum'. He wasn't too pleased and kept on denying it LOL. The boys then announced that I was 'Frodo'.
Matt also showed us his break dancing skills along the way whilst yelling out his trademark "Yalalalalalala". Was the funniest thing I've seen today, maybe even the past week. He promised to do it again tonight so that we can video tape it. He also told a pretty lame joke today.
Matt: "Why was the sand wet?"
Kara: "Dunno, why?"
Matt: "Because the sea-weed. Get it? Ahahahahah".
Ben also made us laugh pretty hard today. We were sitting down for lunch in a tea house, and he pointed to a tin of Pringle look-alike chips and asked "I wonder how much is that Jackass?". We all burst out laughing and wondered what the heck he was talking about. He thought the chip brand was "Jackass", because the tin was partially hidden, covering some of the letters on the end. The brand name was actually "Jackers".
I had olive pizza for lunch which was surprisingly good. We are all quite surprised about the quality of the food on the mountains. Some of the food is even better, or comparable to the food back home in Oz. At the place where we ate lunch, the owners had the cutest toddler. Her name was Serene. She was always smiling and loved to be picked up and cuddled. Her dad also said that she loved eating Pringles. She was truly one of the cutest, if not the cutest little girl I have ever seen. Rosy red cheeks and a cute laugh too.
So today is day 4 for Ben and I, and day 6 for the boys. I thought that by today some of us may have started to experience altitude sickness or at least sickness from the food or water. So far Bobby has been the only one to experience some altitude sickness upon arriving at Lukla. I keep on praying to God that we'll all make it up to Base Camp/Kala Patthar. I've heard many stories about only 1 or 2 people in trekking groups making the distance.
Whilst walking behind Ben today, I noticed his bum bum has gotten smaller. Looks like he is losing weight. I can also feel that I've lost a bit of weight too. Mainly on my arms and legs.
Also, I've forgotten to mention that all of us have been taking half a tablet of Diamox (medicine to help combat altitude sickness) at night and in the morning.
Yaks
Mucking around near the river at Phunga Thanga before dinner time
Kara: Ben you look good in that beanie
Ben: But I'm sweating!
Kara: It's okay, leave it on. You look good!
20110502
DAY 6- Help me God!
Date: Saturday 16th April, 2011
Where to today: Dingboche (4,410m)
Where are we sleeping: Dingboche (4,410m)
How do we get there: By foot
So, I didn't complete a diary entry yesterday. I was physically and emotionally drained. I had been vomiting and had to go to the toilet a lot, which really drained the life from me. I'm not sure if it was food poisoning or altitude sickness. The symptoms are so similar.
Tonight is our second night in Dingboche. We spend 2 nights here for the purpose of acclimatisation. Today was supposed to be our "rest day", but it was definitely not the right set of words to describe today. At 8am we left our lodge and made our way to Mount Nagazumi.
On the way up, we all took a short rest on a boulder. Upon hearing from Dorchi that we weren't even half way there, I kicked the ground and let out an angry sigh. Bobby then said "It's okay Kara, you can do it". His kind and encouraging words really hit me, and I had tears in my eyes. I had sunnies on though, so luckily no one was able to see my water filled eyes.
After a strenuous and emotionally draining walk that took 3 hours on a 45 degree angle incline, we finally reached the summit of 5000m. I was really proud of myself for having reached the top. I was weak and so dehydrated from vomiting the day before, and not eating lunch or dinner the day before and only having a tiny breakfast. I didn't think I could make it to the top of Nagazumi. Whenever I looked up to the mountain, the peak looked so far away. But if I didn't complete today's climb, it meant that I wouldn't be able to go tomorrow or any further on this trip. It would be dangerous as my body would most certainly suffer from altitude sickness.
Also, on the way up to Mount Nagazumi I was seriously battling demons in my head. I kept on having arguments in my mind. "Could I make the rest of the trip? No I couldn't, I don't want to go on. Wait, yes I can- I've come all this way- why should I give up now? Because I'm so tired, sick and haven't eaten anything! No, it's okay Kara be strong! You can do it." After descending Nagazumi and arriving back at the lodge my spirits were lifted and right now I'm feeling much better. I think I will be okay.
Me and Josh resting on the way up to Mt Nagazumi. I'm not a happy camper.
The magnificient view from Mt Nagazumi (5000m)
The group on top of Mt Nagazumi
Something I wanted to write in yesterday's entry (which didn't happen) was going outside our lodge at Pangboche in the morning and brushing my teeth with Ben. We did so amongst the magnificent views of the Himalayas. Was a majestic 360 degree view of God's creation. Snow capped mountains; the sharp, cold air; deep valleys that seem to extend on forever. Truly breath taking. Something I will never forget.
Tomorrow we are off to Lobuche, a height of 4,900m. Should be easy for us to manage, given that we climbed to 5000m and back down today.
Where to today: Dingboche (4,410m)
Where are we sleeping: Dingboche (4,410m)
How do we get there: By foot
So, I didn't complete a diary entry yesterday. I was physically and emotionally drained. I had been vomiting and had to go to the toilet a lot, which really drained the life from me. I'm not sure if it was food poisoning or altitude sickness. The symptoms are so similar.
Tonight is our second night in Dingboche. We spend 2 nights here for the purpose of acclimatisation. Today was supposed to be our "rest day", but it was definitely not the right set of words to describe today. At 8am we left our lodge and made our way to Mount Nagazumi.
On the way up, we all took a short rest on a boulder. Upon hearing from Dorchi that we weren't even half way there, I kicked the ground and let out an angry sigh. Bobby then said "It's okay Kara, you can do it". His kind and encouraging words really hit me, and I had tears in my eyes. I had sunnies on though, so luckily no one was able to see my water filled eyes.
After a strenuous and emotionally draining walk that took 3 hours on a 45 degree angle incline, we finally reached the summit of 5000m. I was really proud of myself for having reached the top. I was weak and so dehydrated from vomiting the day before, and not eating lunch or dinner the day before and only having a tiny breakfast. I didn't think I could make it to the top of Nagazumi. Whenever I looked up to the mountain, the peak looked so far away. But if I didn't complete today's climb, it meant that I wouldn't be able to go tomorrow or any further on this trip. It would be dangerous as my body would most certainly suffer from altitude sickness.
Also, on the way up to Mount Nagazumi I was seriously battling demons in my head. I kept on having arguments in my mind. "Could I make the rest of the trip? No I couldn't, I don't want to go on. Wait, yes I can- I've come all this way- why should I give up now? Because I'm so tired, sick and haven't eaten anything! No, it's okay Kara be strong! You can do it." After descending Nagazumi and arriving back at the lodge my spirits were lifted and right now I'm feeling much better. I think I will be okay.
Me and Josh resting on the way up to Mt Nagazumi. I'm not a happy camper.
The magnificient view from Mt Nagazumi (5000m)
The group on top of Mt Nagazumi
Something I wanted to write in yesterday's entry (which didn't happen) was going outside our lodge at Pangboche in the morning and brushing my teeth with Ben. We did so amongst the magnificent views of the Himalayas. Was a majestic 360 degree view of God's creation. Snow capped mountains; the sharp, cold air; deep valleys that seem to extend on forever. Truly breath taking. Something I will never forget.
Tomorrow we are off to Lobuche, a height of 4,900m. Should be easy for us to manage, given that we climbed to 5000m and back down today.
20110501
DAY 7- What a day!
Date: Sunday 17th April, 2011
Where to today: Dingboche (4,410m) --> Lobuche (4,900m)
Where are we sleeping: Lobuche (4,900m)
How do we get there: By foot
Today was an extremely eventful day, and not particularly good day. Although I now feel 100% better, Bobby was extremely sick and had been up all night vomiting and going to the toilet. He said that he hadn't been able to sleep at all. In addition as we were standing outside our lodge this morning video taping the scenery and each other, Bobby came out and started to vomit. An insensitive Ben got it all on video! Despite these symptoms Bobby decided he wanted to press on and make the journey to Lobuche. About 1 hour into the trek however we had to stop for Bobby to rest. At this point Dorchi pulled Ben aside to have a chat and asked whether our travel insurance policy covered helicopter rescue...
You would not believe what just happened. It's late afternoon, and I was writing this journal in the room I share with Ben, I heard loud banging, people running and ladies screaming. I looked out the window and thought that either a landslide was happening or the building was collapsing. Either thought was extremely feasible given that you can commonly see large cuts in the mountains from landslides, and given that all lodges here are made from plywood that creaks whenever you make the slightest move. You can honestly hear people coughing and even farting in neighbouring rooms.
I quickly ran to the boys' room opposite mine and asked what was going on! They quickly informed me that a fire in the kitchen in the building next to us had broken out. I looked out their window and could see smoke pouring from the kitchen. I quickly ran back into my room and woke up Ben who was taking a granny nap and told him to get up and run! I told him to take our essentials (passport, money and our shoes) and quickly get outside.
When we reached outside we heard and saw two women wailing and thrashing their arms about. At first I thought they had gotten burned from the fire and were in pain. But upon closer observation I realised that they were the owners, who were sadly watching their beloved kitchen and livelihood go up in flames (I later learned these two women were 2 out of the 5 wives the owner had!). Dozens of Nepalese men and a few foreigners were racing from down the hill up to the kitchen carrying large plastic tubs of water to douse out the flames. All the while the two women were still wailing and screaming, whilst being comforted by two foreign women. After about 20 minutes the smoke and flames subsided and we all slowly and cautiously made our way back into our rooms.
Because of the fire that broke out, the people that were originally going to sleep in the dining area next to the kitchen had to be shoved into any spare beds in our lodge's rooms. It now means that Josh, Matt, Ben and myself are all now sharing a 3 bedder lodge. Ben and I will awkwardly be sharing a single bed. I doubt I will get much sleep tonight.
Going back to my story of Bobby...after a lengthy discussion, he then made the hard decision to not continue the trek, but start heading down. He would be going back down to Pangboche with one of our porters, Punari. We said our farewells and watched Bobby walk off into the distance. It was quite a disheartening sight.
Bobby fading into the distance
About 30 minutes after we said goodbye to Bobby, Ben suddenly had to stop, and had to vomit. It was a sad realisation that altitude sickness had also gotten to Ben. From that point on Ben really struggled up the mountain. We took regular breaks and drink stops. I was very proud of him though, as he made it all the way to Lobuche. Once we went reached Lobuche, Ben went straight to bed and didn't eat lunch, and only had a few spoonfuls of rice and spam for dinner. He was also vomiting again in the room. Luckily a plastic bag was handy.
Right now I am sitting on the bed and Ben is lying down. He looks absolutely exhausted. I feel sad because I wanted to experience this journey to Kala Pathar/Everest Base Camp as a couple. If Ben doesn't feel better in the morning, Matt, Josh and I will need to take the trip to Kala Pathar in 1 day. From here, it is normally a 2 day trip. We will have to skip going to Everest Base Camp. Dorchi says the view at Kala Pathar is more spectacular anyway, because you can actually see Mt Everest. Dorchi has made this change in plan because Ben cannot climb any further and Dorchi does not want to leave Ben alone here in Lobuche for 1 night without supervision.
The hike to Kala Pathar takes 8 hours return and we leave at 5:30am. Help us Lord!
Ben and I walking to Lobuche
Where to today: Dingboche (4,410m) --> Lobuche (4,900m)
Where are we sleeping: Lobuche (4,900m)
How do we get there: By foot
Today was an extremely eventful day, and not particularly good day. Although I now feel 100% better, Bobby was extremely sick and had been up all night vomiting and going to the toilet. He said that he hadn't been able to sleep at all. In addition as we were standing outside our lodge this morning video taping the scenery and each other, Bobby came out and started to vomit. An insensitive Ben got it all on video! Despite these symptoms Bobby decided he wanted to press on and make the journey to Lobuche. About 1 hour into the trek however we had to stop for Bobby to rest. At this point Dorchi pulled Ben aside to have a chat and asked whether our travel insurance policy covered helicopter rescue...
You would not believe what just happened. It's late afternoon, and I was writing this journal in the room I share with Ben, I heard loud banging, people running and ladies screaming. I looked out the window and thought that either a landslide was happening or the building was collapsing. Either thought was extremely feasible given that you can commonly see large cuts in the mountains from landslides, and given that all lodges here are made from plywood that creaks whenever you make the slightest move. You can honestly hear people coughing and even farting in neighbouring rooms.
I quickly ran to the boys' room opposite mine and asked what was going on! They quickly informed me that a fire in the kitchen in the building next to us had broken out. I looked out their window and could see smoke pouring from the kitchen. I quickly ran back into my room and woke up Ben who was taking a granny nap and told him to get up and run! I told him to take our essentials (passport, money and our shoes) and quickly get outside.
When we reached outside we heard and saw two women wailing and thrashing their arms about. At first I thought they had gotten burned from the fire and were in pain. But upon closer observation I realised that they were the owners, who were sadly watching their beloved kitchen and livelihood go up in flames (I later learned these two women were 2 out of the 5 wives the owner had!). Dozens of Nepalese men and a few foreigners were racing from down the hill up to the kitchen carrying large plastic tubs of water to douse out the flames. All the while the two women were still wailing and screaming, whilst being comforted by two foreign women. After about 20 minutes the smoke and flames subsided and we all slowly and cautiously made our way back into our rooms.
Because of the fire that broke out, the people that were originally going to sleep in the dining area next to the kitchen had to be shoved into any spare beds in our lodge's rooms. It now means that Josh, Matt, Ben and myself are all now sharing a 3 bedder lodge. Ben and I will awkwardly be sharing a single bed. I doubt I will get much sleep tonight.
Going back to my story of Bobby...after a lengthy discussion, he then made the hard decision to not continue the trek, but start heading down. He would be going back down to Pangboche with one of our porters, Punari. We said our farewells and watched Bobby walk off into the distance. It was quite a disheartening sight.
Bobby fading into the distance
About 30 minutes after we said goodbye to Bobby, Ben suddenly had to stop, and had to vomit. It was a sad realisation that altitude sickness had also gotten to Ben. From that point on Ben really struggled up the mountain. We took regular breaks and drink stops. I was very proud of him though, as he made it all the way to Lobuche. Once we went reached Lobuche, Ben went straight to bed and didn't eat lunch, and only had a few spoonfuls of rice and spam for dinner. He was also vomiting again in the room. Luckily a plastic bag was handy.
Right now I am sitting on the bed and Ben is lying down. He looks absolutely exhausted. I feel sad because I wanted to experience this journey to Kala Pathar/Everest Base Camp as a couple. If Ben doesn't feel better in the morning, Matt, Josh and I will need to take the trip to Kala Pathar in 1 day. From here, it is normally a 2 day trip. We will have to skip going to Everest Base Camp. Dorchi says the view at Kala Pathar is more spectacular anyway, because you can actually see Mt Everest. Dorchi has made this change in plan because Ben cannot climb any further and Dorchi does not want to leave Ben alone here in Lobuche for 1 night without supervision.
The hike to Kala Pathar takes 8 hours return and we leave at 5:30am. Help us Lord!
Ben and I walking to Lobuche
20110430
DAY 8- The Big Day- Party of two
Date: Monday 18th April, 2011
Where to today: Lobuche (4,900m) --> Kala Pathar (5,550m)
Where are we sleeping: Lobuche (4,900m)
How do we get there: By foot
Interesting things happened overnight.
To begin with I wasn't able to sleep properly, which was a combination of having to share a single bed with Ben; Josh's restlessness; and the side of effect of taking diamox (difficulty sleeping). After lightly sleeping for maybe around 2-3 hours, I was suddenly woken up by Josh who asked me to come and lie next to him as he was freezing. At first I thought he was just being wimpy, but when I moved beds next to him, he was physically shuddering. I did my best to warm him up by rubbing his body through his sleeping bag and hugging him. His body still shivered relentlessly and I was scared he would go into hypothermia. After about 45 minutes, Josh mentioned that he needed to vomit. I grabbed a plastic bag as a standby and continued trying to keep him warm. After 10 minutes or so, he then needed to use the bag...
It was at that point it hit me that he too was suffering from altitude sickness. My heart sank as I knew it meant he would not be able to come to Kala Pathar with us tomorrow. I know this is something that would crush him. From the beginning I always that Josh would definitely be one of the few that would make it in our group. Just comes to show that altitude sickness really does not care about how fit you are. It can impact the most athletic and healthy people. Even Bear Grylls suffered severe altitude sickness whilst summitting Mt Everest.
About 20 minutes later, Josh said he needed to vomit again. At the exact same time, Ben woke up and advised he needed to urgently vomit. I quickly gave the 'vomit bag' to Ben and rushed around in the dark trying to find another bag for Josh. At this point Matt woke up and asked what was happening. He was shocked to see Josh sick, given that he was perfectly fine 4 hours ago.
After a short discussion in the dark (we did have headlamps however), we all tried to go back to sleep. I still wasn't able to sleep though as I had to continue nursing Josh. Sleep seemed like a luxury for me at that point. I wondered if I would be able to make the trek up to Kala Pathar tomorrow on no sleep.
I finally managed to get some proper sleep when Josh crazily moved his sleeping bag and mattress into the outside hallway. Although it was absolutely freezing in the hallway, Josh said that he needed the fresh air, and that it made him feel better. I reluctantly agreed to let him sleep there after finding 2 thick fleece blankets in a closet room. After what seemed like about 30 minutes however he came back into our room, and I wasnt able to sleep again.
At 5am sharp, Dorchi knocked on our door. He sat down and we told him the sad news that Josh had been vomiting during the night. Ben amazingly had woken up and informed us that he felt better. "Guess what guys, you're never going to believe this but I feel 100%". He said he was now able to continue on and make the journey to Kala Pathar. After a short discussion Josh also decided that he wanted to make the 8 hour return journey too.
So we skipped breakfast and departed the lodge at 6am sharp.
It had snowed that night so we were making our way through ice and snow. Ben was beginning to look weak again and I had my doubts whether he would make it. After stopping for Ben to take a toilet break behind a boulder, Josh and Ben had a short discussion and agreed that they could only make it to Gorak Shep, which was the town just before Kala Pathar and Everest Base Camp. Gorak Shep was about 2 hours away from where we were and was a height of 5,180m.
After walking for another 30 minutes, Ben had to stop to take another rest. As he sat there for a short while, he then made the hard decision that he should turn back to Lobuche. By this time Josh was also exhausted, mainly due to no sleep from the night before, and also reluctantly agreed to join Ben on the path back to Lobuche. It was sad to see my two family members go. But I knew the decision they had made was the right one. I did not want to see either of them getting rescued from the mountain in a helicopter. That would cost over $10,000 AUD. We weren't even sure if our insurance policy covered helicopter rescues.
So it was now only Matt and myself (plus our sherpa, Dorchi and porter, Junis) that would be making the journey to Kala Pathar. After hiking for another 1.5 hours through some steep and rocky terrain, we finally arrived at Gorak Shep. I was so relieved as I knew that it meant from that point on, I only had another 2-3 hours to go to reach Kala Pathar. We stopped for a quick breakfast in "Buddha Lodge and Restaurant', visited the putrid toilet, and then took one deep breath before stepping outside to head to Kala Pathar.
Matt and me on the way to Kala Pathar!
We first walked across a large flat bed of dirt and sand. I later learned that this was the place where a British cricket team played an officiated match. Why would you bother!!!!??? There is little to describe about the climb up to Kala Pathar, expect that it was steep, exhausting, never-ending and TORTURE. One step, breathe in, one step breathe out, a repetitious cycle. It seemed as though everyone was passing us on the way up. Luckily I had two hiking poles with me (as Ben had passed his onto me), which greatly helped. I got myself into a steady rhythm and tried not to look up as much as possible. The peak of Kala Pathar always seemed so far away. Our porter, Junis, carried my day pack up the mountain and then also carried Matt's pack from about 3/4 of the way up Kala Pathar. Junis was a gift from God! If I had to carry my own day pack, I'm not so sure I would have made it. I had such a low level of energy from lack of sleep. Although it probably only weighed about 3-4kgs, it makes such a difference when you don't have to carry anything.
Resting on a "flat" section of Kala Pathar
After about 2 hours we finally reached the peak. We were exhausted but so happy and relieved. Matt and I high fived each other, hugged, and then I had a small cry. I didn't tell Matt I was crying (and luckily I had sunnies on so he couldn't see), because he said earlier that if I cried, he would cry too! We took numerous photos of this momentous occasion and Matt and I could not stop smiling. I also took my video camera to film the amazing views of the surrounding mountains, Everest Base Camp, and most importantly, Everest herself.
Matt and I ontop of Kala Pathar
I made it!
Everest Base Camp circled in red
Mount Everest circled in red
Matt, me, Dorchi, Junis
I then turned on my iPhone and tried to make a phone call to my Dad. But that was wishful thinking as unfortunately and not surprisingly there was no reception. I didn't even have reception in Kathmandu, so I'm not sure why I thought I would have reception in the Himalayas!
We then started our descent back to Gorak Shep. We made the journey down in a very fast 45 minutes. On the way up it took 2 hours! After a quick tea break at the same lodge we made our way back to Lobuche.
On the journey back it began to snow heavily...a blizzard was starting. Dorchi was leading us and set a very very fast pace. At some points I was actually running to keep up with him. Junis the porter actually decided to run back to Lobuche because it was snowing that heavily. However the snow eventually ceased and we caught up with him as he waited for us on boulder on the side of the path.
On the way back to Lobuche
Once we reached Lobuche we met up with Josh and Ben in our room. Matt and I walked into the room with serious, sad faces and advised that unfortunately we hadn't made it. Matt was screaming out "Whhhhyyyy, whyyyyy God do you hate me?!" Matt and I were giggling like little school girls and eventually told them we were joking and that we had successfully reached the top!
We then all ate dinner together and then I slept like a baby.
Where to today: Lobuche (4,900m) --> Kala Pathar (5,550m)
Where are we sleeping: Lobuche (4,900m)
How do we get there: By foot
Interesting things happened overnight.
To begin with I wasn't able to sleep properly, which was a combination of having to share a single bed with Ben; Josh's restlessness; and the side of effect of taking diamox (difficulty sleeping). After lightly sleeping for maybe around 2-3 hours, I was suddenly woken up by Josh who asked me to come and lie next to him as he was freezing. At first I thought he was just being wimpy, but when I moved beds next to him, he was physically shuddering. I did my best to warm him up by rubbing his body through his sleeping bag and hugging him. His body still shivered relentlessly and I was scared he would go into hypothermia. After about 45 minutes, Josh mentioned that he needed to vomit. I grabbed a plastic bag as a standby and continued trying to keep him warm. After 10 minutes or so, he then needed to use the bag...
It was at that point it hit me that he too was suffering from altitude sickness. My heart sank as I knew it meant he would not be able to come to Kala Pathar with us tomorrow. I know this is something that would crush him. From the beginning I always that Josh would definitely be one of the few that would make it in our group. Just comes to show that altitude sickness really does not care about how fit you are. It can impact the most athletic and healthy people. Even Bear Grylls suffered severe altitude sickness whilst summitting Mt Everest.
About 20 minutes later, Josh said he needed to vomit again. At the exact same time, Ben woke up and advised he needed to urgently vomit. I quickly gave the 'vomit bag' to Ben and rushed around in the dark trying to find another bag for Josh. At this point Matt woke up and asked what was happening. He was shocked to see Josh sick, given that he was perfectly fine 4 hours ago.
After a short discussion in the dark (we did have headlamps however), we all tried to go back to sleep. I still wasn't able to sleep though as I had to continue nursing Josh. Sleep seemed like a luxury for me at that point. I wondered if I would be able to make the trek up to Kala Pathar tomorrow on no sleep.
I finally managed to get some proper sleep when Josh crazily moved his sleeping bag and mattress into the outside hallway. Although it was absolutely freezing in the hallway, Josh said that he needed the fresh air, and that it made him feel better. I reluctantly agreed to let him sleep there after finding 2 thick fleece blankets in a closet room. After what seemed like about 30 minutes however he came back into our room, and I wasnt able to sleep again.
At 5am sharp, Dorchi knocked on our door. He sat down and we told him the sad news that Josh had been vomiting during the night. Ben amazingly had woken up and informed us that he felt better. "Guess what guys, you're never going to believe this but I feel 100%". He said he was now able to continue on and make the journey to Kala Pathar. After a short discussion Josh also decided that he wanted to make the 8 hour return journey too.
So we skipped breakfast and departed the lodge at 6am sharp.
It had snowed that night so we were making our way through ice and snow. Ben was beginning to look weak again and I had my doubts whether he would make it. After stopping for Ben to take a toilet break behind a boulder, Josh and Ben had a short discussion and agreed that they could only make it to Gorak Shep, which was the town just before Kala Pathar and Everest Base Camp. Gorak Shep was about 2 hours away from where we were and was a height of 5,180m.
After walking for another 30 minutes, Ben had to stop to take another rest. As he sat there for a short while, he then made the hard decision that he should turn back to Lobuche. By this time Josh was also exhausted, mainly due to no sleep from the night before, and also reluctantly agreed to join Ben on the path back to Lobuche. It was sad to see my two family members go. But I knew the decision they had made was the right one. I did not want to see either of them getting rescued from the mountain in a helicopter. That would cost over $10,000 AUD. We weren't even sure if our insurance policy covered helicopter rescues.
So it was now only Matt and myself (plus our sherpa, Dorchi and porter, Junis) that would be making the journey to Kala Pathar. After hiking for another 1.5 hours through some steep and rocky terrain, we finally arrived at Gorak Shep. I was so relieved as I knew that it meant from that point on, I only had another 2-3 hours to go to reach Kala Pathar. We stopped for a quick breakfast in "Buddha Lodge and Restaurant', visited the putrid toilet, and then took one deep breath before stepping outside to head to Kala Pathar.
Matt and me on the way to Kala Pathar!
We first walked across a large flat bed of dirt and sand. I later learned that this was the place where a British cricket team played an officiated match. Why would you bother!!!!??? There is little to describe about the climb up to Kala Pathar, expect that it was steep, exhausting, never-ending and TORTURE. One step, breathe in, one step breathe out, a repetitious cycle. It seemed as though everyone was passing us on the way up. Luckily I had two hiking poles with me (as Ben had passed his onto me), which greatly helped. I got myself into a steady rhythm and tried not to look up as much as possible. The peak of Kala Pathar always seemed so far away. Our porter, Junis, carried my day pack up the mountain and then also carried Matt's pack from about 3/4 of the way up Kala Pathar. Junis was a gift from God! If I had to carry my own day pack, I'm not so sure I would have made it. I had such a low level of energy from lack of sleep. Although it probably only weighed about 3-4kgs, it makes such a difference when you don't have to carry anything.
Resting on a "flat" section of Kala Pathar
After about 2 hours we finally reached the peak. We were exhausted but so happy and relieved. Matt and I high fived each other, hugged, and then I had a small cry. I didn't tell Matt I was crying (and luckily I had sunnies on so he couldn't see), because he said earlier that if I cried, he would cry too! We took numerous photos of this momentous occasion and Matt and I could not stop smiling. I also took my video camera to film the amazing views of the surrounding mountains, Everest Base Camp, and most importantly, Everest herself.
Matt and I ontop of Kala Pathar
I made it!
Everest Base Camp circled in red
Mount Everest circled in red
Matt, me, Dorchi, Junis
I then turned on my iPhone and tried to make a phone call to my Dad. But that was wishful thinking as unfortunately and not surprisingly there was no reception. I didn't even have reception in Kathmandu, so I'm not sure why I thought I would have reception in the Himalayas!
We then started our descent back to Gorak Shep. We made the journey down in a very fast 45 minutes. On the way up it took 2 hours! After a quick tea break at the same lodge we made our way back to Lobuche.
On the journey back it began to snow heavily...a blizzard was starting. Dorchi was leading us and set a very very fast pace. At some points I was actually running to keep up with him. Junis the porter actually decided to run back to Lobuche because it was snowing that heavily. However the snow eventually ceased and we caught up with him as he waited for us on boulder on the side of the path.
On the way back to Lobuche
Once we reached Lobuche we met up with Josh and Ben in our room. Matt and I walked into the room with serious, sad faces and advised that unfortunately we hadn't made it. Matt was screaming out "Whhhhyyyy, whyyyyy God do you hate me?!" Matt and I were giggling like little school girls and eventually told them we were joking and that we had successfully reached the top!
We then all ate dinner together and then I slept like a baby.
20110429
DAY 9- The beginning of the end
Date: Tuesday 19th April, 2011
Where to today: Lobuche (4,900m) --> Pangboche (3,900m)
Where are we sleeping: Pangboche (3,900m)
How do we get there: By foot
So today we began our first day of descent back to civilisation.
Matt and I were so happy to finally start heading down. Josh however felt 100% better and really felt he could have made it to Kala Pathar this morning. I don't doubt he could have.
Ben still did not feel 100% and struggled with the steep descent. He took small, slow steps and found it difficult to breathe. However he finally made it down a very steep and rocky stretch of a hillside and we all arrived at Thukla Tea House. Here I saw a light brown dog that looked sad and hungry. I gave him a portion of Matt's nut bar and he hungrily ate it. He then continued to sit at our feet staring at us with his large brown, sad and hungry eyes.
We then moved on and began to make our way to Periche (4,300m) for lunch. The light brown dog began to follow us. At first we thought it was pure coincidence that he had decided to get up and leave at the same time. However after 5, 10, 15 minutes of stalking us, it was evident that he had taken a liking to us (or our food) and was determined to follow us. I decided to give this poor hungry dog a name. Since the only member missing from our group was Bobby Yang, I decided to name him "BOBBY".
Bobby the Dog, Dorchi's new BFF
Bobby the Dog leading the way
Bobby the Dog continued to accompany us for 1.5 hours down to Periche. He had lifted everyone's spirits and we were thoroughly enjoying his company. We then stopped for lunch at a restaurant to re-energise. After going to the toilet and eating food, Ben felt and looked a lot better. As we ate our food, it started to snow outside. Bobby the Dog was also inside the restaurant (the restaurant owners did not care at all), lying at Dorchi's feet.
I ate spaghetti with tomato sauce, which was surprisingly quite nice. I then fed Bobby a portion of a chocolate space bar which again he hungrily ate.
We then headed outside to make our way to Pangboce, a 2-3 hours walk still. Bobby the Dog also followed us, despite the heavy snow outside. He was really the highlight of our day, especially for Matt and I who both love dogs. Bobby the Dog was constantly searching for food on the ground the whole journey. He then stopped and pounced on a 'delicious' piece of food which was actually POO! I gagged as I saw him eat the poo hungrily! Bobby the Dog wasn't so cute anymore... After feasting on his delicious snack, Bobby the Dog caught up to us and continued to tag along. Sadly though about 1 hour later, he disappeared behind a large boulder, perhaps to find shelter from the snow, or perhaps to eat more poo, and we did not see him again. Poor Bobby the Dog... I hope he survives.
We finally arrived at Pangboce and Ben was ecstatic. He made a face first snow angel on the ground. He was exhausted, but he had finally made it! Well done hubby.
Ben celebrating his arrival at Pangboche
Tomorrow we are heading down to Namche!
Where to today: Lobuche (4,900m) --> Pangboche (3,900m)
Where are we sleeping: Pangboche (3,900m)
How do we get there: By foot
So today we began our first day of descent back to civilisation.
Matt and I were so happy to finally start heading down. Josh however felt 100% better and really felt he could have made it to Kala Pathar this morning. I don't doubt he could have.
Ben still did not feel 100% and struggled with the steep descent. He took small, slow steps and found it difficult to breathe. However he finally made it down a very steep and rocky stretch of a hillside and we all arrived at Thukla Tea House. Here I saw a light brown dog that looked sad and hungry. I gave him a portion of Matt's nut bar and he hungrily ate it. He then continued to sit at our feet staring at us with his large brown, sad and hungry eyes.
We then moved on and began to make our way to Periche (4,300m) for lunch. The light brown dog began to follow us. At first we thought it was pure coincidence that he had decided to get up and leave at the same time. However after 5, 10, 15 minutes of stalking us, it was evident that he had taken a liking to us (or our food) and was determined to follow us. I decided to give this poor hungry dog a name. Since the only member missing from our group was Bobby Yang, I decided to name him "BOBBY".
Bobby the Dog, Dorchi's new BFF
Bobby the Dog leading the way
Bobby the Dog continued to accompany us for 1.5 hours down to Periche. He had lifted everyone's spirits and we were thoroughly enjoying his company. We then stopped for lunch at a restaurant to re-energise. After going to the toilet and eating food, Ben felt and looked a lot better. As we ate our food, it started to snow outside. Bobby the Dog was also inside the restaurant (the restaurant owners did not care at all), lying at Dorchi's feet.
I ate spaghetti with tomato sauce, which was surprisingly quite nice. I then fed Bobby a portion of a chocolate space bar which again he hungrily ate.
We then headed outside to make our way to Pangboce, a 2-3 hours walk still. Bobby the Dog also followed us, despite the heavy snow outside. He was really the highlight of our day, especially for Matt and I who both love dogs. Bobby the Dog was constantly searching for food on the ground the whole journey. He then stopped and pounced on a 'delicious' piece of food which was actually POO! I gagged as I saw him eat the poo hungrily! Bobby the Dog wasn't so cute anymore... After feasting on his delicious snack, Bobby the Dog caught up to us and continued to tag along. Sadly though about 1 hour later, he disappeared behind a large boulder, perhaps to find shelter from the snow, or perhaps to eat more poo, and we did not see him again. Poor Bobby the Dog... I hope he survives.
We finally arrived at Pangboce and Ben was ecstatic. He made a face first snow angel on the ground. He was exhausted, but he had finally made it! Well done hubby.
Ben celebrating his arrival at Pangboche
Tomorrow we are heading down to Namche!
20110428
DAY 10- Reuniting of the Fellowship of the Ring
Date: Wednesday 20th April, 2011
Where to today: Pangboche (3,900m) --> Namche (3,440m)
Where are we sleeping: Namche (3,440m)
How do we get there: By foot
So we began our day with boiled eggs and apple pancakes. The boiled eggs were a sweet reminder of home for some reason; however the apple pancakes weren't cooked for long enough and were slightly gooey in the middle. They were a reminder of the poor food quality up here on the mountain. To be honest though, some places had really good food, others, you just knew the food would not taste good just from the first glance.
We then began our second day of descent towards Namche. The walk would take between 5-6 hours. About 100 metres after we left our lodge, we saw Bobby the Dog lying down on a door step! He looked up and as soon as he saw us he jumped up and followed us. We were so happy to see him. We wondered if he knew we would be walking along that path, or whether it was simply coincidence. I like to think that it was because Bobby the Dog was extremely smart. We quickly got out a snack and fed him as a reward for his loyalty and companionship. Bobby the Dog was truly the highlight of our mountain descent. He continued to follow us down the mountain, and I continued to feed him snacks.
Bobby the Dog re-joining us
We eventually arrived at Phunga Thanga after 3 hours. This was the place where we had slept on day 4. We had a nice lunch (I had spaghetti with tomato and garlic), whilst Bobby the Dog slept and sun baked at our feet.
Matt and Bobby the Dog
We tried not to eat too much as we knew there was a very steep climb right ahead. We were not looking forward to this climb, because previously on our way down these steep hills, we saw a group of Indians who were sweating, puffy eyed and red faced. They were shouting out to each other "Anything is possible! It can be done, it can be done!" (Complete with an Indian accent). This made us think the climb was difficult and torturous. Upon beginning and then completing the climb, we realised that this group of Indians were just simply unfit.
Bobby the Dog followed us the whole way up the mountain. He was so fit! We joked that he was fitter than the real Bobby.
Bobby the Dog and us
A mere 2 hours before we reached Namche however, Bobby the Dog stopped at an outdoor seating area where people were gathered, eating their lunch. He was lured by the smell of their food, and unfortunately he decided to stay with them. Sadly, we didn't get to see Bobby the Dog again... I was sad, as I had wanted him to meet the real Bobby in Namche. A mere 2 hours away.
We then made a brief stop at Sanasa (3,500m) where I bought a pretty beaded necklace from a sherpa lady. I paid 300 rupees which is equivalent to around $4 AUD. Dorchi and Ben thought this was expensive and advised me to wait and buy a similar item in Kathmandu. But I wanted a souvenir from the mountains, not Kathmandu. Matt also bought a necklace (which he turned into a silly little bracelet lol) and two beanies for his niece and nephew.
Ben relaxing in the sun at Sanasa
We then walked another 1.5 hours and finally reached Namche! Before checking into our lodge however, we decided to make a stop at the Hillary Museum. We watched a (pretty lousy) 10 minute presentation which contained pictures and writing to describe the pictures. We then made our way into the 'Everest Documentation Room'. The room contained many pictures of sherpas that had climbed Mt Everest. It also contained a picture of the first Australian woman to conquer Everest in 1994 (if my memory serves me correctly). It was very sad to see photos and descriptions of many sherpas who had been killed by avalanches on Everest. Dying by avalanches was by far the most common way these sherpas had died. We then made a short visit to another room which contained photos of traditional sherpa costumes, customs and housing.
We left the museum and headed towards Moonlight Lodge where we stayed on day 2. It was a short 10 minute walk before we saw Bobby (the real Bobby) standing outside our lodge. Upon closer inspection he looked so gaunt, but re-energised, showered and shaved. He was so happy to see us.
Ben and I are sleeping in the lodge owner's bedroom tonight. The lodge was full and no other rooms were available. It has a plasma TV, double bed, cordless phone, power points, nice blankets and a mirror! When I first walked in, I looked in the mirror and was shocked to see how much weight I had lost. I used to weigh 55kgs, but I think I now probably weigh 51 or 52kg. Josh also came into the room and took his shirt off. He was absolutely ripped! We laughed our heads off. Bobby then entered the room and did the same. We all gasped as we saw his body. He was all skin and bones. No pecs, no shoulders muscles, no biceps... nothing. Matt didn't want to take his shirt off. I think he was afraid he'd be skin and bones too. Ben took his shirt off and it was noticeable that he'd also lost a lot of weight.
Looking a bit gaunt
Tomorrow we make the long journey down to Lukla. Dorchi says it will take 8 hours (including lunch break), and we leave at 6:30am. I hope and pray Ben can make it. He's already in bed, exhausted and feeling de-hydrated. God please look after him again- he's been through so much on this trip. Give him energy and strength to make the last leg of our Everest journey. Amen.
Where to today: Pangboche (3,900m) --> Namche (3,440m)
Where are we sleeping: Namche (3,440m)
How do we get there: By foot
So we began our day with boiled eggs and apple pancakes. The boiled eggs were a sweet reminder of home for some reason; however the apple pancakes weren't cooked for long enough and were slightly gooey in the middle. They were a reminder of the poor food quality up here on the mountain. To be honest though, some places had really good food, others, you just knew the food would not taste good just from the first glance.
We then began our second day of descent towards Namche. The walk would take between 5-6 hours. About 100 metres after we left our lodge, we saw Bobby the Dog lying down on a door step! He looked up and as soon as he saw us he jumped up and followed us. We were so happy to see him. We wondered if he knew we would be walking along that path, or whether it was simply coincidence. I like to think that it was because Bobby the Dog was extremely smart. We quickly got out a snack and fed him as a reward for his loyalty and companionship. Bobby the Dog was truly the highlight of our mountain descent. He continued to follow us down the mountain, and I continued to feed him snacks.
Bobby the Dog re-joining us
We eventually arrived at Phunga Thanga after 3 hours. This was the place where we had slept on day 4. We had a nice lunch (I had spaghetti with tomato and garlic), whilst Bobby the Dog slept and sun baked at our feet.
Matt and Bobby the Dog
We tried not to eat too much as we knew there was a very steep climb right ahead. We were not looking forward to this climb, because previously on our way down these steep hills, we saw a group of Indians who were sweating, puffy eyed and red faced. They were shouting out to each other "Anything is possible! It can be done, it can be done!" (Complete with an Indian accent). This made us think the climb was difficult and torturous. Upon beginning and then completing the climb, we realised that this group of Indians were just simply unfit.
Bobby the Dog followed us the whole way up the mountain. He was so fit! We joked that he was fitter than the real Bobby.
Bobby the Dog and us
A mere 2 hours before we reached Namche however, Bobby the Dog stopped at an outdoor seating area where people were gathered, eating their lunch. He was lured by the smell of their food, and unfortunately he decided to stay with them. Sadly, we didn't get to see Bobby the Dog again... I was sad, as I had wanted him to meet the real Bobby in Namche. A mere 2 hours away.
We then made a brief stop at Sanasa (3,500m) where I bought a pretty beaded necklace from a sherpa lady. I paid 300 rupees which is equivalent to around $4 AUD. Dorchi and Ben thought this was expensive and advised me to wait and buy a similar item in Kathmandu. But I wanted a souvenir from the mountains, not Kathmandu. Matt also bought a necklace (which he turned into a silly little bracelet lol) and two beanies for his niece and nephew.
Ben relaxing in the sun at Sanasa
We then walked another 1.5 hours and finally reached Namche! Before checking into our lodge however, we decided to make a stop at the Hillary Museum. We watched a (pretty lousy) 10 minute presentation which contained pictures and writing to describe the pictures. We then made our way into the 'Everest Documentation Room'. The room contained many pictures of sherpas that had climbed Mt Everest. It also contained a picture of the first Australian woman to conquer Everest in 1994 (if my memory serves me correctly). It was very sad to see photos and descriptions of many sherpas who had been killed by avalanches on Everest. Dying by avalanches was by far the most common way these sherpas had died. We then made a short visit to another room which contained photos of traditional sherpa costumes, customs and housing.
We left the museum and headed towards Moonlight Lodge where we stayed on day 2. It was a short 10 minute walk before we saw Bobby (the real Bobby) standing outside our lodge. Upon closer inspection he looked so gaunt, but re-energised, showered and shaved. He was so happy to see us.
Ben and I are sleeping in the lodge owner's bedroom tonight. The lodge was full and no other rooms were available. It has a plasma TV, double bed, cordless phone, power points, nice blankets and a mirror! When I first walked in, I looked in the mirror and was shocked to see how much weight I had lost. I used to weigh 55kgs, but I think I now probably weigh 51 or 52kg. Josh also came into the room and took his shirt off. He was absolutely ripped! We laughed our heads off. Bobby then entered the room and did the same. We all gasped as we saw his body. He was all skin and bones. No pecs, no shoulders muscles, no biceps... nothing. Matt didn't want to take his shirt off. I think he was afraid he'd be skin and bones too. Ben took his shirt off and it was noticeable that he'd also lost a lot of weight.
Looking a bit gaunt
Tomorrow we make the long journey down to Lukla. Dorchi says it will take 8 hours (including lunch break), and we leave at 6:30am. I hope and pray Ben can make it. He's already in bed, exhausted and feeling de-hydrated. God please look after him again- he's been through so much on this trip. Give him energy and strength to make the last leg of our Everest journey. Amen.
20110427
DAY 11- All good things must come to an end
Date: Thursday 21st April, 2011
Where to today: Namche (3,440m) --> Lukla (2,820m)
Where are we sleeping: Lukla (2,820m)
How do we get there: By foot
Today was officially our last day of trekking.
It was a tiring day, walking for 7-8 hours. The paths were rocky, steep and dusty (as per usual), and I rolled my right ankle several times. I don't think my ankle is every going to heal properly now. It's been nearly 3 months since I first sprained it during netball and I haven't given it the proper time to rest.
We started off the day walking down the steep path out of Namche. We were all in good spirits and were singing songs such as 'Waltzing Matilda', and 'I still call Australia home'. We were all so relieved that we were finally heading "home". To be completely honest however I was still quite worried about our plane flight out of Lukla, to Kathmandu. I've heard many horror stories of travellers having to wait more than 1 week for a flight, due to bad weather. Please God- let there be no more issues and delays with our trip. I'm tired of Nepal and the way it "operates".
After hiking for about 3-4 hours we stopped at Phakding for lunch. This was where Ben and I spent our first night in the mountains. It was a good feeling knowing that we were now so close to Lukla. We all had chicken curry rice for lunch (my awesome choice), which was one of the best meals I think I've had on the mountain. Not only did it look good, it also tasted good.
Chicken curry rice
The boys (minus Ben) then played cards for a while before we all headed off again, for a 3-4 walk to Lukla, our finishing point.
Also- I forgot to mention that the whole way down from Namche, Bobby was river dancing down the steps. We all couldn't stop laughing... I asked why Bobby was riverdancing (lifting his knees abnormally high, whilst maintaining a rigid, straight back), and he replied "Man I feel like I can run down the mountain!" As he continued to riverdance down the mountain, I made up a tune to accompany his dance moves. We had many laughs for many hours...
Apart from the walk up to Mt Nagazumi (where I was tired and dehydrated from altitude sickness), today was the first day I actually felt tired while walking. I think my body knew that it was the last day of walking and decided to take an early mark.
We finally arrived at the steps leading up to the "city gates" of Lukla. At this point Josh made his move to the front of the group where I was, and I knew that a race was on. I knew I wouldn't win anyway, but thought it would be fun to end the trip with a dash to the finish line. About 15 metres before we reached the gates, I made a sprint and Josh quickly followed. Of course he beat me to the gates but I didn't care. I was just overjoyed and relieved to have finished "the race" or should I say journey.
We took several snap shots of us in front of the gates, and surprisingly in some of the photos it felt as though I was the only one smiling and happy! I thought everyone would have been ecstatic. Maybe they were just all tired too. In one of the photos Ben and Josh picked up Dorchi and put him on their shoulders. Ouch!
Celebrating our arrival at Lukla
Everyone (minus Matt) impersonating Matt's trademark resting pose
Celebrating with Dorchi
After dumping our day packs in our hotel rooms, we made our way to Starbucks. We couldn't believe there was a Starbucks on the mountain. Ben and I had hot chocolate, which was absolutely amazingly good. Very surprised!
Starbucks hot chocolateAt 6pm we then had dinner. It was a very interesting meal. Fried chicken on a hot plate, with chips, gravy, vegetables and white noodles underneath. We then each gave our 3 porters some of our clothing, food and drink bottles that we no longer needed. We also tipped them 2000 rupees (approx $25 AUD) each as a small token of our appreciation and respect. Although 2000 rupees was not much to us, Dorchi advised us that it would be considered a generous amount to give. I'm so thankful for our porters. They never complain or ask for anything and are so humble. We all admire them so much. Apparently the porters roughly earn around 1000 rupees per day. They seemed so appreciative of our tips. Punari especially- it looked as though he was about to cry- even though he was the toughest of all the porters.
The boys, as well as Punari then played cards and drank rum before heading to bed.
The porters (Punari, Junis, Guna) and Dorchi
Where to today: Namche (3,440m) --> Lukla (2,820m)
Where are we sleeping: Lukla (2,820m)
How do we get there: By foot
Today was officially our last day of trekking.
It was a tiring day, walking for 7-8 hours. The paths were rocky, steep and dusty (as per usual), and I rolled my right ankle several times. I don't think my ankle is every going to heal properly now. It's been nearly 3 months since I first sprained it during netball and I haven't given it the proper time to rest.
We started off the day walking down the steep path out of Namche. We were all in good spirits and were singing songs such as 'Waltzing Matilda', and 'I still call Australia home'. We were all so relieved that we were finally heading "home". To be completely honest however I was still quite worried about our plane flight out of Lukla, to Kathmandu. I've heard many horror stories of travellers having to wait more than 1 week for a flight, due to bad weather. Please God- let there be no more issues and delays with our trip. I'm tired of Nepal and the way it "operates".
After hiking for about 3-4 hours we stopped at Phakding for lunch. This was where Ben and I spent our first night in the mountains. It was a good feeling knowing that we were now so close to Lukla. We all had chicken curry rice for lunch (my awesome choice), which was one of the best meals I think I've had on the mountain. Not only did it look good, it also tasted good.
Chicken curry rice
The boys (minus Ben) then played cards for a while before we all headed off again, for a 3-4 walk to Lukla, our finishing point.
Also- I forgot to mention that the whole way down from Namche, Bobby was river dancing down the steps. We all couldn't stop laughing... I asked why Bobby was riverdancing (lifting his knees abnormally high, whilst maintaining a rigid, straight back), and he replied "Man I feel like I can run down the mountain!" As he continued to riverdance down the mountain, I made up a tune to accompany his dance moves. We had many laughs for many hours...
Apart from the walk up to Mt Nagazumi (where I was tired and dehydrated from altitude sickness), today was the first day I actually felt tired while walking. I think my body knew that it was the last day of walking and decided to take an early mark.
We finally arrived at the steps leading up to the "city gates" of Lukla. At this point Josh made his move to the front of the group where I was, and I knew that a race was on. I knew I wouldn't win anyway, but thought it would be fun to end the trip with a dash to the finish line. About 15 metres before we reached the gates, I made a sprint and Josh quickly followed. Of course he beat me to the gates but I didn't care. I was just overjoyed and relieved to have finished "the race" or should I say journey.
We took several snap shots of us in front of the gates, and surprisingly in some of the photos it felt as though I was the only one smiling and happy! I thought everyone would have been ecstatic. Maybe they were just all tired too. In one of the photos Ben and Josh picked up Dorchi and put him on their shoulders. Ouch!
Celebrating our arrival at Lukla
Everyone (minus Matt) impersonating Matt's trademark resting pose
Celebrating with Dorchi
After dumping our day packs in our hotel rooms, we made our way to Starbucks. We couldn't believe there was a Starbucks on the mountain. Ben and I had hot chocolate, which was absolutely amazingly good. Very surprised!
Starbucks hot chocolateAt 6pm we then had dinner. It was a very interesting meal. Fried chicken on a hot plate, with chips, gravy, vegetables and white noodles underneath. We then each gave our 3 porters some of our clothing, food and drink bottles that we no longer needed. We also tipped them 2000 rupees (approx $25 AUD) each as a small token of our appreciation and respect. Although 2000 rupees was not much to us, Dorchi advised us that it would be considered a generous amount to give. I'm so thankful for our porters. They never complain or ask for anything and are so humble. We all admire them so much. Apparently the porters roughly earn around 1000 rupees per day. They seemed so appreciative of our tips. Punari especially- it looked as though he was about to cry- even though he was the toughest of all the porters.
The boys, as well as Punari then played cards and drank rum before heading to bed.
The porters (Punari, Junis, Guna) and Dorchi
20110426
DAY 12- Goodbye Everest!
Date: Friday 22nd April, 2011
Where to today: Lukla (2,820m) --> Kathmandu
Where are we sleeping: Kathmandu
How do we get there: Small plane
Our flight from Lukla to Kathmandu was originally scheduled for 10:30am. However somehow our flight was changed to an earlier time of 8:30am. We only learned later on that this earlier flight was a result of Dorchi's handy work. He was drinking whisky with the airline office managers till the early hours of the morning, and sweet talking them to put us on an earlier flight, and kick off the other original passengers. I'm so glad we have Dorchi on our side, but at the same time I feel sorry for the other passengers who may have in fact not been able to fly out of Lukla today.
Whilst waiting outside the airport for our flight to arrive there were hundreds of Nepali people gathered around the arrivals section. Today is the beginning of the Tourism Festival. So every tourist that arrived at Lukla Airport and stepped off a plane was being warmly welcomed, and a golden coloured scarf placed around their neck. International guests were also arriving for the festival. I was glad to be flying out of Lukla as things were beginning to get too noisy and crowded.
Tourists being welcomed at Lukla Airport
Taking some photos whilst waiting for our plane to arrive
Shortly before 8:30am we headed through into the departures lounge. The "lounge" was basically a room, smaller than a school classroom, with a few chairs. I would not like to be stuck in that room for more than an hour! Luckily we only had to wait for about 30 minutes before our plane arrived, and we quickly boarded. It was the quickest boarding and departure I've ever experienced! It took less than 10 minutes from the time we walked out onto the runway to our plane, till the plane's tyres left the runway. The take off down the sloped runway was quite a scary experience. My heart was beating so fast as it felt like we were on a roller coaster ride. I was happy though! We were finally leaving the mountains!
We arrived in Kathmandu after 45 minutes, and I was even more relieved. We had officially returned to "civilisation". Driving in the van out of the airport towards our hotel, I could instantly see and feel the difference in the air quality. At that point I actually started to miss the mountains, and the clean, pure air. Kathmandu feels so dirty and polluted. I would not be able to live here for more than 1 week.
After dropping our luggage at our hotel, Sacred Inn, we made a quick stop at Marvel office, where were were presented with lovely certificates from Dorchi. I will definitely be framing this certificate when I get home! We then headed out for lunch at a Japanese restaurant. The food was absolutely delicious- the best meal we had eaten in 2 weeks!
After lunch all of us including Dorchi headed out for a spot of shopping. I wanted to buy a dress but couldn't find one that I liked. I bought a beautiful wooden jewellery box for Mum though for 900 rupees. It's carved from walnut wood. Josh and Matt bought hacky sacks for 25 rupees (less than $0.40AUD), and Bobby bought 3 cashmere and pashmina scarves.
After a short afternoon nap we all headed out (me, Ben, Josh, Matt, Bobby and Dorchi), for dinner at the 'Bamboo Club'. It was a nice rooftop bar/restaurant in the middle of the city. I had mutton curry rice, Ben had steak, Bobby and Dorchi had Nepali food, and Matt and Josh ate Mexican food. The boys also started having whisky rounds before we headed out to hit it off at a Nepali dance club.
Dinner at the Bambu Club, Kathmandu
At the dance club, the boys (minus Ben), continued to drink whisky shots and were starting to giggle like little school girls. Dorchi then dragged us all up on the dance floor and we found it so hilarious to copy the Nepalese dancers' moves and also make up our own moves. I have no doubt that people were watching us making a fool of ourselves, and were shaking their heads. We didn't care though- we were having too much fun.
Seeing Dorchi and his dance moves was a sight that made me laugh. He didn't have a care in the world as he shook his hips, waved his arms in the air- all the while having a huge grin plastered on this face. Dorchi sure knows how to party.
Dorchi dancing while we all rest
Throughout the night, Dorchi, Matt, Bobby and Josh continued to order and drink whisky. Their dancing got sloppier, their conversations making less sense and becoming louder, and their walks to and from the toilet and dance floor much more wobbly. I was just shaking my head and laughing. The boys obviously wanted to end this Nepal trip with a bang! After about 2-3 hours at the dance club, we decided to make our way home. Unfortunately the consequences of drinking too much whisky caught up with Matt and Bobby and they were sick on the way home! Was a very interesting and dramatic way to end our Everest Journey.
Where to today: Lukla (2,820m) --> Kathmandu
Where are we sleeping: Kathmandu
How do we get there: Small plane
Our flight from Lukla to Kathmandu was originally scheduled for 10:30am. However somehow our flight was changed to an earlier time of 8:30am. We only learned later on that this earlier flight was a result of Dorchi's handy work. He was drinking whisky with the airline office managers till the early hours of the morning, and sweet talking them to put us on an earlier flight, and kick off the other original passengers. I'm so glad we have Dorchi on our side, but at the same time I feel sorry for the other passengers who may have in fact not been able to fly out of Lukla today.
Whilst waiting outside the airport for our flight to arrive there were hundreds of Nepali people gathered around the arrivals section. Today is the beginning of the Tourism Festival. So every tourist that arrived at Lukla Airport and stepped off a plane was being warmly welcomed, and a golden coloured scarf placed around their neck. International guests were also arriving for the festival. I was glad to be flying out of Lukla as things were beginning to get too noisy and crowded.
Tourists being welcomed at Lukla Airport
Taking some photos whilst waiting for our plane to arrive
Shortly before 8:30am we headed through into the departures lounge. The "lounge" was basically a room, smaller than a school classroom, with a few chairs. I would not like to be stuck in that room for more than an hour! Luckily we only had to wait for about 30 minutes before our plane arrived, and we quickly boarded. It was the quickest boarding and departure I've ever experienced! It took less than 10 minutes from the time we walked out onto the runway to our plane, till the plane's tyres left the runway. The take off down the sloped runway was quite a scary experience. My heart was beating so fast as it felt like we were on a roller coaster ride. I was happy though! We were finally leaving the mountains!
We arrived in Kathmandu after 45 minutes, and I was even more relieved. We had officially returned to "civilisation". Driving in the van out of the airport towards our hotel, I could instantly see and feel the difference in the air quality. At that point I actually started to miss the mountains, and the clean, pure air. Kathmandu feels so dirty and polluted. I would not be able to live here for more than 1 week.
After dropping our luggage at our hotel, Sacred Inn, we made a quick stop at Marvel office, where were were presented with lovely certificates from Dorchi. I will definitely be framing this certificate when I get home! We then headed out for lunch at a Japanese restaurant. The food was absolutely delicious- the best meal we had eaten in 2 weeks!
After lunch all of us including Dorchi headed out for a spot of shopping. I wanted to buy a dress but couldn't find one that I liked. I bought a beautiful wooden jewellery box for Mum though for 900 rupees. It's carved from walnut wood. Josh and Matt bought hacky sacks for 25 rupees (less than $0.40AUD), and Bobby bought 3 cashmere and pashmina scarves.
After a short afternoon nap we all headed out (me, Ben, Josh, Matt, Bobby and Dorchi), for dinner at the 'Bamboo Club'. It was a nice rooftop bar/restaurant in the middle of the city. I had mutton curry rice, Ben had steak, Bobby and Dorchi had Nepali food, and Matt and Josh ate Mexican food. The boys also started having whisky rounds before we headed out to hit it off at a Nepali dance club.
Dinner at the Bambu Club, Kathmandu
At the dance club, the boys (minus Ben), continued to drink whisky shots and were starting to giggle like little school girls. Dorchi then dragged us all up on the dance floor and we found it so hilarious to copy the Nepalese dancers' moves and also make up our own moves. I have no doubt that people were watching us making a fool of ourselves, and were shaking their heads. We didn't care though- we were having too much fun.
Seeing Dorchi and his dance moves was a sight that made me laugh. He didn't have a care in the world as he shook his hips, waved his arms in the air- all the while having a huge grin plastered on this face. Dorchi sure knows how to party.
Dorchi dancing while we all rest
Throughout the night, Dorchi, Matt, Bobby and Josh continued to order and drink whisky. Their dancing got sloppier, their conversations making less sense and becoming louder, and their walks to and from the toilet and dance floor much more wobbly. I was just shaking my head and laughing. The boys obviously wanted to end this Nepal trip with a bang! After about 2-3 hours at the dance club, we decided to make our way home. Unfortunately the consequences of drinking too much whisky caught up with Matt and Bobby and they were sick on the way home! Was a very interesting and dramatic way to end our Everest Journey.
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