October 2 - “Lost Horizon”

We left the Yak and Yeti Hotel for the domestic airport this morning quite early. I had been a bit concerned as Wongchu told me that a couple of days ago there were 30 flights to Lukla. I thought that we might have had some problems with waiting with the crowds but it turned out the weather has been good for a few days and we didn’t have much of a wait at all. Steve had asked me before we began this flight what the in-flight movie was; my quick reply was “Lost Horizon” referring to James Hilton’s novel “Lost Horizon” about going to Shangri-la, that some of you may know.

I think that Steve and the others knew exactly what I meant within a few moments after we took off. It was partly cloudy and we flew through a mist above the steep green hills of the Kathmandu Valley. A bit later the brilliantly bright white summits of the Himalayas came into view and the mysterious aura of the whole thing remained with the clouds as we flew on the 35 minute flight into Lukla.

We pulled up on that famous runway, and stepped out in the clear mountain air in the Khumbu, finally. We were met by Mang Badour, by Mimga, who had been with us just a couple of days before when we went to the school visit. He came out earlier to help us get ready, and a lot of staff who had been waiting for us sometime to get under way. We quickly had a little breakfast and started down the trail for Phakding and had a great night sleeping with the roar of the Dudh Kosi River behind - really a restful place to sleep. Tomorrow we are off to Namche Bazaar and I will give you a call when we get there, to let you know how that trip went.