Helicopter Lifted!

We finally made it back to Kathmandu - on a helicopter! Finally, thank god! The situation in Lukla was rapidly deteriorating: no flights, bad weather every day with constant rain, same food every day, filthy bathrooms, mice, dog fights and all the people there were starting to LOOSE IT! We were very happy to get out when we did.

We did meet some great people from the UK who shared the chopper ride with us. Hopefully we can get reimbursed for the cost of the flight as it was more like an evacuation than a chartered fun ride...

Regardless it was all part of an amazing experience. Check "helicopter ride through the Himalayan mountains" off the bucket list. Minus the 3 days stuck in Lukla I would do it all again.

Stuck in Lukla!

Help I'm being held hostage by mother nature!

Back in Lukla

So we hiked up as close to Everest base camp as we could before weather came in and forced us back down to Lukla. Now we are waiting for a plane. Here are some pictures from our trip. The one with the fog is my current view from the airport.

All Up In Namche Bazar Like What!?

So we hiked up to this place (~ 3,400 meters) and almost got altitude sickness - I personally had a nasty headache and could barely walk a few steps without loosing my breath. However the food and the view are well worth it and after 12 hours of sleep and some lemon and ginger tea and some radish soup I'm ready to tackle Everest... Or at lest the next few feet of or trip.

Daily Life

Here you wash your clothes by hand. You will need a bar of laundry soap and some clean water. At our host house they have a well and a reserve tank. The country rations electricity so without a reserve tank when the power is off there is no water. The power is off several hours every day.

The Nepali tea is delicious. To make it you brew tea with milk, cardamon, sugar and cloves. After only a few days I look forward to this morning ritual.

Tour of Bhaktapur

Today I saw a 134 foot tall statue of Shiva, clay pots being made by hand, 400 year old temples and about 1000 motorcycles.

Bhat Bhateni Hindu Temple

First of many that will be visited on this trip!

Area around Bouddha Stupa

We made it!

Me and my new fam!

16 hours in Doha, Qatar

Three complementary meals, a lounge chair and two cappuccinos later we depart Doha airport.

Qatar Airport

Local time 20:18 or 8:18pm. We are 7 hours ahead of New York. I finally set my watch to the correct date. It has been a day behind since daylight savings in the spring. Daylight savings is stupid. As a matter of fact let's start a campaign to eliminate it. #daylightsavingsisstupid

Travel Hiku

Riding on the bus
Monsoon season in Nepal
I am waterproof

Packing for Nepal

Forethought and preparation is key when traveling to a distant country. Most importantly I have had my vaccinations and my sister (my travel companion who lived in Nepal for a year) will be a good guide.