November 12 Kathmandu
We have
had great
weather, clear weather, almost all the trip.
Other than the day of snow
and the day of fog following it, the
sky has
been clear.
This includes yesterday,
where we observed airplane and helicopter traffic at the airport
adjacent to
our lodge.
Well,
today it is
cloudy -- no flights until the weather clears.
I know Lukla is famous for
this, but I thought that was because
of the
monsoon that started shortly after the spring climbing season. The
fall and winter is supposed to be
clear.
Not today. The
forecast is for more of the same weather
for another few days.
I am not
too worried
because we have a couple extra days in Kathmandu before we have to
leave.
I just want to get back so
that I
can take a
shower and change to clean clothes (no point in one without the other). But
what do I know?
While
I am out making another email trip to
Starbucks, Tendy is on the phone checking the weather forecast, plane
schedules, etc.
By the time I come back,
I find out they have chartered three helicopters to get us all out
pronto.
Some of the party is
wavering,
hoping that
they can get out without having to pay extra, but I am all for it. I
want out, and when else am I going to get
to fly on a helicopter?
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As we
are waiting
for the helicopters to arrive, the sky clears briefly and several
planes roar
in, as though they had been waiting just over the ridge for a break in the
clouds.
Each one disgorges
passengers,
loads up, and is off in five minutes. Four or five planes comes and goes, then the airport
shuts
down
again.
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Our Helicopter
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| A little
while later
our helicopters arrive, we pile in, and off we go.
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Squeezing In
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It
was a really fun ride to Kathmandu, a
memorable experience.
The helicopters
were the last thing out of the airport that day, for several days in
fact.
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One
Of Our Other Helicopters
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Later, back home, there
were news reports
of
thousands of people stranded in Lukla for a week or more.
Executives
were paying a small fortune to get
airlifted out so they could get back to work.
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Terraced Fields
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We were fortunate that
our staff was quick-thinking enough to
get us out
when they did.
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Approaching Kathmandu
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Back in
Kathmandu,
we all go on a trip to the rug factory run by Tshering, whose family
runs the
Hotel Tibet.
It is in the Tibetan
section of town, near the Boudanath Temple.
We spend some time looking at
rugs, then head over to the temple. I
spent most of time buying a gong, so I
don't get to see the temple for very long.
But I do get the gong.
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