Arrival

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It's been a few years since I was last here, but I arrive in Kathmandu off a flight from Bangkok. I've come to Nepal to trek to Gokyo Lakes and Everest Base Camp.

I haven't had to arrange the trek as I contacted my friend Khim in Pokhara who has his own trekking company, and he has arranged just about everything for me. The trek is planned to take 17 days and will take me from a start at Lukla to Namche, up the valley to Gokyo, across a high pass to the Khumbu valley, onto Everest Base Camp and then back down the main valley following the main Everest trail back to Tengboche, Namche and Lukla.

Khim meets me at the airport, and he has booked a good boutique hotel in Thamel for me. We have a few things to finalise before the flight to the Everest region which is booked for early tomorrow. Khim has arranged for one of his guides to come with me and for a porter who will meet us at Lukla. On my previous treks I have carried my own bag but I'm getting old so am happy to have someone to carry my stuff. I hire a sleeping bag, buy a water bottle and crampons (I'll need them for the pass between Gokyo and EBC) and withdraw some Nepalise cash as I'll need some to buy water etc, but the guest houses and food has all been pre-arranged by Khim.

The bad news is my flight to Lukla isn't from Kathmandu but leaves from Ramechhap which is 3-4 hours by taxi from here, so that I will need to leave the hotel at 2am, so it's an early night for me.

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