I had the worst nights sleep! I kept waking up with anxiety about money, then weirdly enough at 4am I get a text from my bank saying $200 had been taking out of my account. What the frick frack. I assumed it was from trying to use my card yesterday to pay for mine and MJ's flight to Kathmandu. I texted my mom and she had accidentally paid the phone bill on my credit card. So there was no reason to freak out. But freak out I had done and I couldn't get back to sleep so I got ready for the day and went to the lobby to hang out with the hotel employees.
About a quarter after 5 my group started showing up. 8 of us were taking a flight to see the Himalayas and possibly Mount Everest. It cost $200 and MJ gave me her card so I could pay for it with that (since my card won't work anywhere. I'm going to write her a big fat check when we get back to the sweet land of the free).
We got in the van and didn't get very far before having to turn around because Morgan forgot her passport. Then we were on our way to adventure! By 5:30 we were checking into Yeti Airlines.
We had to do some waiting around. We wouldn't know if the flight was cancelled or not to due clouds until 6 or 6:15, but the flight was good to go. We got on a bus at 6:30 that took us to our plane.
Everyone onboard had a window seat. I sat in the second to last seat in the back.
And then we hit a lot of clouds. It was nearly white out.
But we got above the clouds and into the clear air where we could see a few mountains with their peaks poking through.
Our flight attendant did an excellent job. Whenever we saw a mountain, she would come up to each of us and point it out on our maps to tell us what we were looking at.
Things were happening fast! I didn't manage to get any more mountain pictures because THE mountain was off to our right... Everest.
Unfortunately, I was on the left side of the plane and couldn't get a decent view. My heart was about ready to break and I gave our flight attendant my most pitiful expression. Then she told me it's magically my turn to go to the cockpit (everyone is invited in, one by one).
Directly in front of us, the pilot pointed out, was Everest!
Hallelujah! We made it boys and girls! I couldn't have imagined a better scenario than seeing it from the cockpit.
After we returned to our seats, our lovely flight attendant gave us each a glass of champagne. My group toasted and cheered. This is one of my favorite moments from the whole trip.
We landed around 7:30 and were each given a certificate of our endeavor.
After leaving the airport we went back to the G Adventure office to pay for our flight. MJ's card worked, $200 spent. We returned to the hotel to have breakfast at 9.
It was fruit, an egg, some fried veggies, bread with cheese, and yogurt with fruit. It was a good breakfast. I finished eating and everyone sat around chatting, then I got bored and went back to the room to pack.
MJ came up to tell me everyone was leaving so I went back downstairs to say my goodbyes. I a couple of them got hugs from me. I told everyone I was glad to have met them. I couldn't find Abhi but he found me some 30 minutes later and we hugged it out too.
Sam, MJ, and I got together and packed all of our stuff. Everything fits in our suitcases so good on us.
We left the hotel at 12. Most of our group was going back home but we had another day in Kathmandu. MJ had booked our hotel ages ago with the intention that we would be staying at the same property instead of moving locations. But G Adventures had upgraded our trip and didn't notify us we switched hotels in Kathmandu (which is a good thing we were upgraded. Before the upgrade, we were suppose to be staying in tents one night so praise Vishnu that didn't happen). So G Adventures arranged transportation for us to the next hotel.
The street outside our new hotel was undergoing construction. It's a rocky, muddy mess of a road. We got into our hotel and we were too early for check in so we dropped off our luggage and went exploring. Walking through the streets was interesting. There's no sidewalks and traffic is going this way and that and you're trying not to step into any thick mud and you're sliding all over the place because it's slippery. We stopped by a few restaurants to check out the menus.
We went back to the hotel around 2 and got checked in. It's a modest hotel, similar to most of the ones we were staying at in India. I was super tired from my restless night and early morning so I took a nap.
MJ and Sam left to go exploring more and I slept. They returned around 4 and I got up. Then I decided to sleep more. I woke up again at 6 for dinner.
We went to some restaurant not too far from the hotel. I had a cosmopolitan and a chicken pesto panini (forgot to take pictures!). It was good. We had a lot of food. I only ate half my sandwich. The place didn't take cards so Mary Jo and I made a quick dash to an ATM. We left the restaurant around 8.
Back at the hotel, I tried getting caught up on typing. I showered and went to bed around 10.
My bed was right under the AC and it was freezing! I had to turn it down because my nose was frozen. I fell asleep around 11 or 12 which is very late for me this trip.
Today I got to see Everest in person. That's amazing. I've always wanted to climb Mount Everest (not to the top but at least base camp) and I thought seeing it in person would satisfy that want. It didn't. I still want to set foot on the mountain.
About a quarter after 5 my group started showing up. 8 of us were taking a flight to see the Himalayas and possibly Mount Everest. It cost $200 and MJ gave me her card so I could pay for it with that (since my card won't work anywhere. I'm going to write her a big fat check when we get back to the sweet land of the free).
We got in the van and didn't get very far before having to turn around because Morgan forgot her passport. Then we were on our way to adventure! By 5:30 we were checking into Yeti Airlines.
We had to do some waiting around. We wouldn't know if the flight was cancelled or not to due clouds until 6 or 6:15, but the flight was good to go. We got on a bus at 6:30 that took us to our plane.
Everyone onboard had a window seat. I sat in the second to last seat in the back.
This baby animal is ready to see some mountains
Kathmandu from the skies!
And then we hit a lot of clouds. It was nearly white out.
son of a bitch!
But we got above the clouds and into the clear air where we could see a few mountains with their peaks poking through.
Langtang Lirung (23,734 ft) and Shisha Pangma (26,290 ft)
Our flight attendant did an excellent job. Whenever we saw a mountain, she would come up to each of us and point it out on our maps to tell us what we were looking at.
Things were happening fast! I didn't manage to get any more mountain pictures because THE mountain was off to our right... Everest.
Unfortunately, I was on the left side of the plane and couldn't get a decent view. My heart was about ready to break and I gave our flight attendant my most pitiful expression. Then she told me it's magically my turn to go to the cockpit (everyone is invited in, one by one).
Co pilot Nelson reporting for duty
Directly in front of us, the pilot pointed out, was Everest!
"Because it's there!"
Hallelujah! We made it boys and girls! I couldn't have imagined a better scenario than seeing it from the cockpit.
After we returned to our seats, our lovely flight attendant gave us each a glass of champagne. My group toasted and cheered. This is one of my favorite moments from the whole trip.
A toast
Who gave this baby animal alcohol
We landed around 7:30 and were each given a certificate of our endeavor.
Tada!
After leaving the airport we went back to the G Adventure office to pay for our flight. MJ's card worked, $200 spent. We returned to the hotel to have breakfast at 9.
It was fruit, an egg, some fried veggies, bread with cheese, and yogurt with fruit. It was a good breakfast. I finished eating and everyone sat around chatting, then I got bored and went back to the room to pack.
MJ came up to tell me everyone was leaving so I went back downstairs to say my goodbyes. I a couple of them got hugs from me. I told everyone I was glad to have met them. I couldn't find Abhi but he found me some 30 minutes later and we hugged it out too.
Sam, MJ, and I got together and packed all of our stuff. Everything fits in our suitcases so good on us.
We left the hotel at 12. Most of our group was going back home but we had another day in Kathmandu. MJ had booked our hotel ages ago with the intention that we would be staying at the same property instead of moving locations. But G Adventures had upgraded our trip and didn't notify us we switched hotels in Kathmandu (which is a good thing we were upgraded. Before the upgrade, we were suppose to be staying in tents one night so praise Vishnu that didn't happen). So G Adventures arranged transportation for us to the next hotel.
The street outside our new hotel was undergoing construction. It's a rocky, muddy mess of a road. We got into our hotel and we were too early for check in so we dropped off our luggage and went exploring. Walking through the streets was interesting. There's no sidewalks and traffic is going this way and that and you're trying not to step into any thick mud and you're sliding all over the place because it's slippery. We stopped by a few restaurants to check out the menus.
We went back to the hotel around 2 and got checked in. It's a modest hotel, similar to most of the ones we were staying at in India. I was super tired from my restless night and early morning so I took a nap.
MJ and Sam left to go exploring more and I slept. They returned around 4 and I got up. Then I decided to sleep more. I woke up again at 6 for dinner.
We went to some restaurant not too far from the hotel. I had a cosmopolitan and a chicken pesto panini (forgot to take pictures!). It was good. We had a lot of food. I only ate half my sandwich. The place didn't take cards so Mary Jo and I made a quick dash to an ATM. We left the restaurant around 8.
Back at the hotel, I tried getting caught up on typing. I showered and went to bed around 10.
My bed was right under the AC and it was freezing! I had to turn it down because my nose was frozen. I fell asleep around 11 or 12 which is very late for me this trip.
Today I got to see Everest in person. That's amazing. I've always wanted to climb Mount Everest (not to the top but at least base camp) and I thought seeing it in person would satisfy that want. It didn't. I still want to set foot on the mountain.
No comments:
Post a Comment