A Room with a View

Well, the alpine start occurred as advertised.  After a fitful 4 hours of sleep, I got up at 12:15am just before the alarm and gathered my things for our departure.  It’s Tuesday the 15^th and I haven’t had a good night of sleep since last Thursday.  Our possessions were to be sorted into four bags; base camp duffel, trekking duffel, trekking backpack and things that stay in Kathmandu until we return for the trip home.  Thankfully I got organized yesterday because between the jet lag and lack of sleep, my brain is working at about 30% capacity.  The team hauls everything down to the hotel lobby and it looks like a gear explosion until we get sorted out and duffel bags are loaded onto the bus.

Somehow, I anticipated a bus ride where we could sleep in relative comfort and rest up a bit before the flight to Lukla and trek to Phakding.  The reality was quite a bit different since we were basically driving on one-lane roads in a large bus through remote villages in mountainous terrain.  It was really more like a 4-hour roller coaster ride where the track was bumpy and the horn and brakes competed for equal time.  During the last hour, when the dawn started to break, it became more apparent why the bus was rocking and rolling all night.  Then a little concern took over when we could actually see the winding, limited visibility roads adjacent to steep drop-offs combined with the speed at which we were traveling.  At least it wasn’t a boring ride.

Finally, at the airport in Manthali, it was obvious that the flight changes from Kathmandu have overwhelmed this small facility.  Apparently, construction at the Kathmandu airport has taken longer than anticipated to complete so many domestic flights have been diverted to other airports including this one.  As always in developing nations, you have to take everything in stride and somehow in the end it all works out.  We got our bags sorted, weighed and checked in then were ushered into an outdoor “gate” prior to getting onto the twin turboprop.

The flight was a short half-hour or so and then we landed at the infamous Lukla airport. Short and steep, this beauty adds the spirit of adventure to any visit here.  Gathering up again, we headed to the Paradise Lodge for some breakfast and much needed coffee.  When our host asked whether we wanted a latte or cappuccino, I knew that all would be right with the world.

Fueled and caffeinated, we enjoyed the leisurely half-day trek to Phakding.  The Sunrise Lodge sits in an idyllic setting at a bend in the river.  We’re now in the Khumbu region where nature overpowers the hand of man and the views get better and better. 

We enjoy a beer on the patio and some good conversation with the team.  It’s a good group of people and the stories flow naturally around the table.  After an early dinner it’s time to settle into our rooms and finally get a good rest.  I drift off with the sound of the river in one ear and snoring from the adjacent room in the other.  My neighbor Dan has beaten me to sleep but I’ll be joining in the snore fest soon enough.