Woke up at 5:30am in the morning, feeling great after 10 hours sleep. Ordered Oat Porridge and Masala Tea in the restaurant at the 6th floor of the hotel.
Eagles hovering above the city of Kathmandu early morning, indoor temperature is 21°C, outdoor is about 15°C, you don't need air-con here.
Recommended Nepal Himalaya Travel Agency:
Adventure Mountain Guide
http://www.adventuremountainguide.net
http://www.treknp.com
Adventure Mountain Guide Rabin Gurung
Adventure Mountain Guide Sushil Gurung
Sun rose at 6:18am, tourist in Kathmandu get ready to depart to different places around Nepal to experience a different autumn.
Back to room packing after breakfast, because Babu has arranged that today Sushil will bring me to airport and take 9:30am flight to Lukla. weigh the bags after done packing, big backpack 15.25kg, daypack 8.16kg, and camera bag is 3.18kg, 26.59kn in total, still leave some clothes at the reception, that's a lot!
Sushil came to hotel earlier, hence depart to airport at 7:20am, arrived airport at 7:45am, Sushil rushing to the counter of Agni Air and ask for the flight schedule. It's expected the flight will be delay, and the answer from the staff is 1:30pm afternoon flight, said usually there were 2 flight flying to Lukla, but one is under maintenance today, thus only one flight is flying today.
Lots of people waiting to fly to different part of Nepal at the domestic airport, while waiting, have a chat with Ms. Ke from ChengDu, China, she ask why don't you trek on your own like others? Because agency provide good services, some more it save a lot of time and energy, unless you are like those who spend a month or two to travel around. She has recommend a Pasmina shop called [Xiang Si Niao], found this shop in Thamel after the trek, but has no interest to get a Pasmina in this trip.
Return flights to Lukla for tuorist USD280
Return flight to Lukla for Nepali Rs7870
Rs7870 = RM291.50, tourist price is fucking expensive.
Recommended Nepal Himalaya Travel Agency:
Adventure Mountain Guide
http://www.adventuremountainguide.net
http://www.treknp.com
Adventure Mountain Guide Rabin Gurung
Adventure Mountain Guide Sushil Gurung
Backpack was checked in finally, but still have to wait at Boarding Gate, Sushil bought biscuit and tea to fill the stomach, still have to wait until 3:30pm.... It's been lucky to wait and to fly at the same day, many people experienced to wait for days to fly, even many unable to fly after waiting for few days and eventually have to change their itinerary to trek in others region or others activities.
It's so excited to hear the broadcast saying that Agni flight 305 to Lukla please proceed to Gate 2 at 3:05pm. Rushing to Gate 2 with the ticket, then happy to get on to the mini bus. Tourist from India that flying together unable to cover the excitement on their face, and say to each other "Finally!".
Sushil were 1st get on to the flight, he reserved the seat on the left, because the mountains can be seen from the left after the flight take off.
Ha! Finally get on to the flight that flying to Number 1 Most Extreme and Dangerous Aiport after 7 hours of waiting, can you comprehend the feeling of excitement and worries on the seat? Tenzing-Hillary airport, also known as Lukla Airport being called as the most extreme and dangerous airport, the reason is, it have a only 460 meters runway on a slope, one end with wall of rocks, and the other is a cliff, it takes a level of skill to land and take off from this airport with the unpredictable weather on the mountain.
21-Oct-2012 15:18pm Nepal Time
A friendly "Namaste" greeting from a Stewardess while boarding, then she distribute cotton and candy after the passengers be seated, cotton is use as earplug because the noise from the engine is quite loud while in the cockpit, and the candy can help to balance the air pressure when the flight get higher.
Take more picture before the flight take off, if anything happen....... for memorial.
It is possible to monitor the activities of the pilot from the 1st few rows.
1st we saw the golf field when the flight take off.
Then the scattered residents of Kathmandu with the field.
After a while, the flight is above the cloud, then the Himalayan snow capped mountain can be seen from the windows at the left of the cockpit. This one called Gauri Sankar, 7134m.
About 20 minutes later, the flight came near by to a valley and hovering around, a few sudden dive is scary enough to throw your heart out. Then the flight fly toward the runway on the slope, you can feel the tremor when the wheel touched the runway, the flight doesn't seem to slow down while continue running to the wall, the flight stop after a sudden right turn. Hence, the arrival to the Number One Most Extreme and Dangerous Airport, then the 15 days trekking started immediately.
Face seems pale after the fly
3:53pm, not many people around the airport, no guide or porter waiting here, it's quite late now. The original plan was trek to Phakding, now have to change to the plan to trek to Ghat and spend on night over there.
There is not much tourist wandering around the market area of Lukla, Sushil has forgot to bring his warm hat, so he bought one from the shop.
Before depart to Nepal, already decided to buy a cup of coffee after the trek. Not really a fans of Starbucks, but would love to try this fake Starbucks in Lukla.
The memorial of the 1st Nepali woman that reached Peak XV - Pasang Lhamu Sherpa's archway, Lukla market area end here.
1st suspension bridge of the trek, the broken part of the fence big enough for a man to slip through.
Found the lodge for overnight 5:20pm at Ghat, back to dinning room after cleaning body with wet tissue, it's already dark at 5:50pm. It's lucky managed to found a place for overnight, or else would have to rush and starve in the dark and cold mountain route.
It's a simple room with 2 beds and without power socket. There is no hot shower in the toilet, in fact, shower is not available here.
Thought the lodge serve only one guest tonight, later, a couple took the same flight also check in here. There are doing the Everest Panorama Trek, where they will trek only until Tengboche. But, have not seen them after Ghat.
Ordered Dal Bhat and Banana Tea for dinner tonight, the tea is made of greenness banana, the slice is sun-baked then grind into powder, it just a little taste of banana in the tea. Went to bed after 10pm, indoor temperature is 13°C at night.
Recommended Nepal Himalaya Travel Agency:
Adventure Mountain Guide
http://www.adventuremountainguide.net
http://www.treknp.com
Adventure Mountain Guide Rabin Gurung
Adventure Mountain Guide Sushil Gurung
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