Nepal (1981) Part 9

Rising moon alongside Ama Dablam

21 February 1981
Delhi Airport
International Transit Lounge

We are on our way home!

Unfortunately, the trip involves an 11-hour (minimum) wait in the Delhi airport for our connection.  We began this wait about 2 h ago and I expect to use a good portion of this time catching up on and finishing these notes.

We left Lukla as scheduled.  The flight was very exciting due to (1) the length (short) and roughness of the runway; (2) the small size of the aircraft (twin otter 19 seater), and (3) the excellent views.

A plane arrives to carry us from Lukla to Kathmandu.

We sat at the end of the runway as the plane arrived.  We could hear it on its approach and others were saying they saw the plane well before we did; then, suddenly, it was poised over the runway on the approach.  The frame grew larger and larger, wings tipping from side to side; the wheels touched down and it shook from the ruts in the airstrip as it decelerated.

The takeoff was quite rapid.  The pilot revved up the engines and then -- voom -- we were rolling down the runway.  Within perhaps 10 seconds, we were airborne on our 35-minute flight.  There were only a few rough moments, and these were more hair raising than nauseating.

Kathmandu was more jarring than I expected.  Horns, crowds, haze, street bustle.  We were in a daze for several hours.

We were picked up at the airport by Himalayan Journeys representatives.  Before they arrived -- in fact, just after we deplaned -- we saw a group of tourists (Germans?), elderly and spic-n-span clean, staring at us curiously.  They even took some pictures of these strange, filthy, burnt beasts.

We were taken to the Yellow Pagoda, where the first order of business was SHOWERS!  A funny thing, though, about being dirty.  I minded my hair most of all.  I think I had gone a full two weeks without properly washing, although I had gotten to the most important parts a few times during the interval.  I was reluctant to wash thoroughly during the past few days when, if I had really wanted to, I could have.  The reluctance results from a combination of relishing the dirt and, I think, more importantly not wanting to reach a point where I could get dirty again.

Anyway, it was nice to bathe again.  My legs were protected from burning by all the accumulated dirt, which washed off in rivers of mud.  My hair took three washes to feel decent again.

We tried to find KCs for lunch, but failed.  By the time we stopped at Om Restaurant, I was startlingly ravenous.  I wolfed down a plate of fried rice, three spring rolls, a half plate of wontons and 3/4 box of chocolate creams before being satisfied.

We set off shopping after lunch, buying five embroidered silk purses and 13 coin purses for Rs. 300, a few T-shirts for Rs. 80 and a moonstone/sapphire ring for Rs. 200.

By dinner, we had more or less recovered from our dazed state.  We ate with the rest of our trekking group at the Sun Kosi on Durbar Marg.  It is a fairly fancy place with good Tibetan/Nepali food.  I ate fried momos and chicken shishkebabs.  Hugh picked up the bill over protests from Tom and Glenn.  I felt it rude to add my protestations.

Yesterday, we packed all our trekking clothes into the green duffel -- never to be seen again until customs.  Those clothes are so filthy.  It is hard to believe we were wearing them 24 hours earlier.

Everest on the left and Ama Dablam on the right from Tengboche.