17 Apr 2014 – Lukla to Kathmandu

Had a very good night’s sleep in Lukla, though was thoroughly stinky for the flight. This marked the second time I had planned to take a shower and it didn’t come to fruition. In Lukla, we actually had en suite facilities, which we hadn't had all trip. (I pointed out that having a pee bottle in your tent could be thought of as en suite. That concept was roundly rejected.) Unfortunately, however, there was no hot water. Hot water was contingent on solar power, and the sun had not shone on Lukla during the day we hiked there. Thus, there was no hot water available that evening. I hadn’t been able to shower at EBC as I had planned, either. Feel free to do the math, if it interests you…

At any rate, we got up, had our stinky selves some breakfast, and then began waiting for the helicopter that would take us to Kathmandu. ‘Hurry up and wait’ is the predominant mode. You have to be ready for when the thing you want is ready. In the meantime, you wait.

In a bid to make the helicopter come, I went across the road and got a mocha from the Hard Rock Lukla Café. It was a very good mocha. Twenty minutes later, our helicopter came. Call it a win.

I knew we were in good hands when I saw the pilot’s call sign.

Vishnu is my copilot

As the helicopter took off, I was pretty excited. It was a little bittersweet. I kept looking at the mountains, wanting to sear them into my memory, wanting to hold on for as long as possible. But at the same time, I was full on yearning for a cushy hotel room and a shower with hot water that never ended.

We flew on, and the high Himalaya receded into the distance, until finally I could glimpse only one snowy peak.

Last look

When we touched down in Kathmandu, we clambered into a truck and were driven toward the terminal. I was overjoyed when the truck drove through an access-way in the terminal building – we would not have to get out of the truck or enter the terminal or go through any kind of customs, etc. We were deposited in the parking lot where we collected our bags. Our group was loaded into two vans which drove us directly to the Hyatt.

There was more ‘hurry up and wait’ at the Hyatt; we had arrived sometime between 10 and 11AM, and there were not yet rooms ready for us. Most of us were chill about that…

Got into my room. Got naked. Showered for a really really really long time.

Yeah, I’m gonna be wanting another of those

It was glorious.