We woke up early today, because we had early flights out but flights from Lukla are unpredictable so one needs to be patient as the planes can get delayed due to weather! Our guides and porters helped with the bags and checked our big bags in, but our day backpacks remained with us the whole time! The airport is very chaotic but functional none the less! We were given boarding passes with hardly any useful information except for the airline name! There was only four parking spots for small planes and one boarding room for all!!!! Lukla airport is known to be one of the most dangerous airports in the world with a very short runway, 450 m, with an uphill slope when landing to help slow the planes and the reverse at take-offs! Fatal accidents have happened at this airport and hence the bad reputation! For us it was all added excitement to our adventure! We were split into two groups, 3 and 3, we boarded successive planes of the same airline one hour apart! The flight was smooth and as usual I took lots of pictures from the plane! Once landed in Kathmandu, we were met by Himalayan Wonders employees who took us to the Pilgrim Hotel! All in all, we were in good hands everywhere and we had no worries all the time! Once at Pilgrim hotel, we got our rooms and I took a short nap! When I woke up in the afternoon, I went for a walk that ended up taking a lot of time because I could not find my way back... I kept asking people until finally I was able to find my hotel! Himalayan Wonders part owner took us out for dinner to a nice restaurant called black olive and we had a great Nepalese dinner! While at the dinner table, the company founder with whom I communicated via email from the states, called his partner who was with us! Since I was sitting next to him, he told me it was David the owner calling so I asked him to say hello and also thank him. But David asked that he speak directly to me and so I did... he asked me how everything went and I told him it was great and just as advertised on the company's website so no complaint... I thank him and promised to use the company again elsewhere, like Kilimanjaro!!! After dinner we headed back to the hotel and each went her/his way! I went to my room and started working on this blog -:)
View from the small propeller plane between Lukla and Kathmandu
View of the hills, as the locals call them, from the plane
A valley view from the plane
Fairwel dinner celebration in Kathmandu
