Kathmandu (1400m) > Phakding (2610m)
OK early start for the day, after a cold shower last night, but it's here... we're about to set off.
We're on a bus
We're in an Airport
We're on bus
We're on a plane
We're off a plane (we didn't go anywhere)
We're on the tarmac
We're on a bus
We're in an Airport
We're on a bus (again)
We're in a helicopter
We're now trekking in the dark with our headtorches on....
Yep, today we were in an 'Old Spice' ad, without the good looking man on a horse, or ,\maybe there was one..... I just didn't see this in the dark.
It's been a big day, our guide Kumar, has een brilliant, neotiating Kathmandu Airport would of been a nighmare without him. All flights we're cancelled from about 10am. Literally whilst we were sitting on the 14 seater. So we'd been given a lolly and cotton wool for our ears, all three of us in prime seats on the left hand side (for views of Everest) but no! the weather changed, and we are off the plane, but NOT before I had a chit chat with the co-captain and suggested we just had a sit-oin until the weather cleared. Didn't work. So we are on the atrmac where the 'very to cool for school' Nepalese Co-Captain tells me he learnt to fly at Moorabbin Aitrport, living in Mordialloc whilst training. Love it. Soooooo back in the airport, we made some new friends. Dutch, Norweigen, Americans and Hawaians. All strandard like us. And then a plan hatched. If we combined our buying power, we could "charter" 1 or two helicopters to get to Lukla........ Hmmmmmmm We'd already met a number of people that were strandard there from the day before........ so we're now in cometetion with them for a flight as well........ ok........ Let's hire Helicopters!!!!!!!! We had the perfect number..... 10 people - 7 Hikers and 3 Guides - PERFECT! A ridiculous amount of $$$$ later - and we all "Got to the Choppper"! Views are outastnding of course, by this stage, and after an hour on a Helicopter we touch down in Lukla. YAY. Late lunch and then Hike. Not before finding our headtorches. Big Day. And 3 hours later and alot of stairs we arrive in Phakding. No hot water, but ensuite bathroom and a western toilet. HAPPY DANCE.
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