Blogs from Lukla, Nepal, Asia - page 5

So here i am back in Kathmandu after 15 days of hiking, trekking, and experiencing the Himalayans, and i am at a complete loss for words.... it must be that i am still lacking oxygen after spending nearly a week between 4800 and 5600m , or it might just be that i am not articulate enough to express or describe the beauty of these mountains , the compassion and kindness of its simple people , the emotions felt when hiking trough fresh snow at 6 am where my footprints are the first ones of the morning , while the first sunrays illuminate the peaks around me. The freezing cold on the top of Kala Pattar (-20 C) or the amazing 360 view from Gokyo Ri at first light with Mt Everest dominating the scenery in all ... read more

I suppose twas ever thus and I shouldn't really be surprised, or should you about the following events. You'll get a pretty good picture if I tell you that this morning on the way to catch the plane, Sange our guide uttered these words. 'My friends and me agree that you are very good dancer'. At these ominous words, gentle reader, your heart may sink. Mine certainly did. Basically we got to Lukla, huge rejoicing and found a really nice lodge. Ten dollars for a room with a double bed and ensuite shower. Couldn't believe our luck. After lunch Si and I and Phil decided to go to the pub for a beer. We found the most amazing pub. Itr looked EXACTLY like a pub inside. Pool table, small dance floor, proper bar etc. It ... read more

Well I'm on the road again and fighting fit, I walked today. Kento (my horse) stayed at the lodge just in case he was needed again. But today I felt good enough to make the 4 hour walk to Lukla. Yesterday I even made it out into Namche Market for a little shopping. It was a bit disturbing to see I humn cranium for sale though. I dread to think what the story behind tat was. The lowlands here are beautiful, and dare I say it actually much pretty than the land above the tree line. After three glasses of red wine and a chicken sizzer I feel almost alive again. We've reached our last waypoint in the mountains and tomorrow I fly back to Kathmandu. I've just come back from watching a Martial Arts display ... read more

Everest Base Camp Trek After coming back from the tedious Around Annapurna trek, we had serious doubts whether another long trek as the Everest Base Camp would fit in. It took us some time to decide, back in Kathmandu, time we spent eating like hogs, filling our empty stomachs. Lily, having read many crazy books about mountain climbers and their fatalities on the Everest, was keen to go, but we both wondered wouldn't it be better to just relax on a sunny beach instead. Goa and Andaman Islands both sounded like tempting options... Eventually, we decided not to give up to ourselves and took a plane to Lukla, the starting point for the trek. Nepal has some of the world's greatest mountain views to which you cannot stay indifferent. The country also offers great facilities for ... read more

We finally walked into Lukla in the late afternoon, exhausted and needing showers. It was foggy and the town was quiet. We found a guesthouse and decided to treat ourselves by getting rooms with an attached bathroom. Wow! A sink, shower, tiles AND a non-squat toilet that flushed! No going outside for bathing or using the toilet! What luxury! Sita Air was closed, so we asked the hotel staff to call the airline for us. That was when we found out from the hotel staff and other guests that there had been no flights from Lukla to Kathmandu for the past 5 days. The mist was too thick for incoming planes to land safely. Several planes had taken off from Kathmandu, only to turn back because the weather conditions were too poor by the time they ... read more