29 MARCH, 2013 - KATHMANDU

Finally Kathmandu!!

Our second attempt at leaving Lukla.  Now the reality of this issue begins to set  in.  Having had confirmed tickets for flights yesterday, we have nothing/ are nothing as of today.  Priority is strictly given to those with today’s dated tickets. Nothing more. Nothing left!   Should there be a residual seat it is anyone’s guess as to how it is piecemealed out.  So we wait at the airport.  We see a number of flights arrive in the morning and are quickly refilled  for the return trip back to Kat.  At 10:30am all flights yet again terminate. The wind has picked up and wind socks are full and at the point of shear stress and tear.  It is not until 1:30pm that another flight arrives. This is obviously fully booked and  a group of Asian trekkers are nervously boarding but thrilled to be leaving Lukla.

Again Tendi starts with his 3 cell phones on the go but on this occasion it has been confirmed that we will be on the final helicopter departing Lukla.  At 2:30pm we evacuate Lukla!  The aerial view is stunning and the helicopter departure seems almost fitting for this incredible trip.   One can see the terraced landscape, the switchback roads and the vividly vibrant blossoms fom above.  Passing over Jiri, the effort to slog through the jungle on the purist, 7 day trek to Lukla is appreciable.  Touching down in Katmandu only  45 minutes later the change of scenery, the change of locale and the change of our fate is so immense.    An unbelievable huge thank you to Tendi for his hundreds of calls over the past two days.  We know that we have left many travellers behind in Lukla who have no immediate chance of getting out anytime soon.   It is another massive advantage to have had Mega Adventures and Ang Tendi Sherpa with us.

We check back into the Royal Penguin Hotel where we first stayed on our arrival into Kathmandu.  We have a mere few hours to prepare for the next adventure of white water rafting.