My Last Daze in Kathmandu

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Hi Guys, what a tale I have to tell. So I'll start at the beginning.

4.30 am on 25/4/2015 got up nice and early to meet with taxi driver at 5am for lift to airport for my scenic flight of Mt Everest, hadn't see Everest yet, every time our trek reached somewhere where we could of viewed it, it was covered in cloud.

Got to the airport at 5.30 am (time which airline says to be there), found out the airport doesn't open until 5.45am so not sure why people are told to get there at 5.30am still it's Nepal and lots of things don't make sense.

Checked in and got my seat then went through to departures. Plane was supposed to fly out at 6.15am but was delayed, apparently the airlines send the first flight up ( I was on the second flight) to check on the weather, if its no good all flights are then cancelled which is what happened. Customers can then either re-schedule for another day or get a refund. I decided to re-schedule for the 30th as I had plenty of time that day, my flight out of Kathmandu was not until 11.30pm.

Found my taxi driver and went back to my hotel and had a bite for breakfast. Decided to go back up to my room to maybe catch up on some sleep.

My room was on the 5th floor (top floor) room 506, faced the street below, Saturday being Nepal's day of rest there was not much street noise in the way of cars and people, the stores were generally closed until later in the day.

Around 12 noon I felt and heard a rumble, for about 1/2 a second I thought it was an earth tremor ( had felt a few in Melbourne over the years so figured that's what it was). Took me about another 1/2 a second to realise this was no tremor. My brain kick into action and said get to the bathroom door frame, I jumped off the bed and began to get thrown around the room like a rag doll, instead of it taking me 4-5 steps it took about 15. Made it to the bathroom door and hung on to that door with all my strength, I don't think I took a breath during the whole time which seemed like forever. I could hear people screaming in the street and in the hotel, I could hear glass shattering and things smashing and the noise was like rumbling thunder only not in the distance but 4 feet above my head. Things were being thrown around my room the TV fell of the bench as did the kettle and the bedside table light, I was terrified and really believed that it was my time. When the quake finally subsided I was shaking so much I had difficulty putting my jeans on ( don't ask why I put my jeans on, no idea, turns out it was a good idea) grabbed my phone which I had charging near the door, had my reading glasses on (had been reading on the bed) and grabbed the room key. Ran down to the 4th floor on jelly legs, unable to speak and shaking uncontrollably. Ran back upstairs to the 5th floor and locked my door (again don't ask me why, I just did).

Managed to get down to the ground floor noticing the cracks in the walls, all the fallen plaster on the floor on the way. Ground floor was a mess, broken glass and rubble everywhere. People in the street holding on to each other in shock, then an aftershock hit, others ran into the street, I'm not sure where the safest place was, if I ran into the street I could have slipped on the broken glass which covered the front of my hotel floor, again I stood in a doorway. When this shock was over I carefully (as careful as my shaking body allowed me) went out into the street.

I still wasn't sure about the safety of the street, they were only about 1 and 1/2 cars wide, the electrical wiring overhead (only about 10ft high) was a worry as too some of the old buildings.

Another aftershock hits, this is when our waitress from the hotel restaurant decided to take us to an open area, it took us about 5 mins to get there, on the way we saw building that had crumbled, power poles leaning at a 45 degree angle and cables low enough to touch. After reaching this open space we then waited. I could see a tree nearby and watch the birds, I knew that every time they took off on mass an aftershock was coming and could prepare myself for it, I think I went into zombie mode for a few hours, I just watched the birds, felt the aftershocks but was at peace because none of the aftershocks were as ferocious as that first earthquake.

Around 6pm we decided to go back to the hotel, perhaps because we had no food or water, maybe we thought it would be safe there or maybe just to go to the toilet, what ever the reason we found Doris another one of our trekking group. Doris will have a very different story to me as she was actually at the MonkeyTemple when the earthquake hit. (If you read this Doris, share your story, might help your healing process).

We all decided to go to our rooms and pack, had a very quick pee then threw everything into my suitcase, I grabbed my backpack, my elephant bag ( this has travelled the world with me, holds my passport and money and other small essentials.) and my duffle bag, then noticed that my phone charger was still plugged into the wall so stuffed that in my elephant bag too. What a godsend that turn out to be. Just as I was about to leave another aftershock, waited for it to finish and ran down those stairs as fast as I could. Now I know this was mean of me but I asked one of the bell boys in reception if he could bring my suitcase down from my room, he asked what room, 506 I replied, 506 he replied, he looked at the other bell boy who looked back at him who said (and I'm only guessing here) she asked you mate. Anyway he took of like a rocket grabbed my suitcase and was down quicker than you could say flash Gordon.

The hotel owner offered us rooms on the 1st floor for the night, we weren't keen on that idea so asked if we could sleep under the tables in the restaurant which he agreed to, he also provided us with some food, rice, dhal and boiled egg. By now others had come back to the hotel and were preparing to stay the night. 2 more aftershocks hit and both times everyone just ran into the street, knowing that we were never going to get much sleep in the hotel we decided to go to another open space. Myself, Doris and Natalie were taken to another open space by one of the bell boys, once settled he left us and said he would be back. After about an hour he returned with 2 foam packing sheets about 6ft square and 3 more campers, Jake, Lauren and Mario. They had just arrived that day just before the quake hit, they had had a meeting with their tour company who was still prepared to take them on their trek.

We had sleeping bags, pillows, something to sleep on so cuddled up for the night, I don't think any of us got much sleep mainly because of the many aftershocks that kept occurring. Jake kept our brains occupied with his riddles. Around 3am Jake, Lauren and Mario decided to go back to the hotel to meet with their guide and discuss their trek. At about 5-5.30am a very big after shock hit, someone with a sense of humour shouted out Good Morning Everyone, got a smile out of me. We decided that we would go back to the hotel, grab our bags and head to the airport.

At first we couldn't get a taxi to take us to the airport, as soon as we offered a large some of money taxis appeared. We met up with another female also looking for a taxi to the airport so decided that 2 would go in one taxi and 2 in another. On arriving at the airport it seemed that the other half of Kathmandu who weren't sleeping in open fields were now at the airport. Miraculously we met up with Jake, Lauren and Mario. We staked our claim on a bit of grass just in case we had to spend another night in the open.

I have to say here that the airport was total chaos, airline offices were unmanned, people with flights that day didn't know what was going on. We had heard that originally the airport was closed however during our sleep out planes were taking off and throughout the morning planes were taking off.

Doris's flight was due to leave at 9pm that day so she just waited. Natalie and I were supposed to fly out on the 30th, we just wanted out asap. Jake and Lauren were the same as us, Mario had contacted his girlfriend and booked another flight out and I think was on the same flight as Doris.

To Malaysia Airlines........ After all the problems that your airline has suffered over the last year one would think that you would go out of your way to gain confidence from your customers. To cancel all flights out or Kathmandu, to not man your offices and to stick a notice on the office door advising us to call a number which nobody could get through to is pretty poor customer service. I for one will never fly Malaysia Airlines again. I hope that anyone reading this takes into account that Malaysia Airlines left its customers stranded. Other airlines were landing and taking off so whatever excuse Malaysia Airlines has it is just that... an excuse.

I'm going to finish this part of my Daze and continue tomorrow. I'm tired but feeling better by telling my story. Next instalment coming tomorrow.

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