Oops, Nearly Missed It!
- Virtual Traveller 86
- May 1, 2020
- 2 min read
Day Two: Country No. 8
NEPAL Arrival Time: 4:16pm
I was so excited about my impending African safari that I almost missed Mount Everest. I know, I know, how can anyone miss the highest mountain in the world!
My flight from Paro to Kathmandu took roughly an hour. According to the Welcome Nepal website, “for those with limited time on their hands, taking a mountain flight from Kathmandu is by far the easiest and quickest way to see Everest. It's as simple as arriving in Kathmandu on day one and booking a flight for the next morning.“ (https://www.welcomenepal.com/plan-your-trip/see-everest.html).
I chose instead to take a flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. Having survived the scary take-off from Paro I was now about to encounter a landing at Lukla airport. Lukla airport is said to be one of the scariest in the world. The runway is just 1,729 feet long. “Runways at many of the world’s international airports are more than 10,000 feet long. So short is Lukla’s runway that it slopes uphill with a gradient of almost 12% to assist planes in slowing down in time.” (“Lukla: The World‘s Most Dangerous Airport,” by David Nikel, 20th July 2019. Forbes).
From Lukla I was choosing to trek to Everest Base Camp via visits to Namache; Khumjung (12,434 feet); and Gorak Shep (16,942 feet). I would be trekking into Base Camp via the Khumbu Glacier. My local guide wasn’t very chatty but certainly knew his way around the mountain paths. I had great fun exploring the villages and finally making it up to Everest Base Camp (takes about 12-16 days in total). I was also very reassured to see a hospital in one of the villages!
Of course in reality I was only exploring the Himalayas by virtual means. The majestic views of the Himalayan peaks - not only of Everest - were breathtaking. How much more it must be to gaze upon them in person. When I see mountains I can’t help but think of the sheer majesty and awesomeness of the Creator God who spoke this world into being. We live in an awesome, AWESOME world! As I ‘walked’ the paths and took in the spectacular views I found myself moved to tears. What a privilege it is to be able to see so much of our world without even having to get out of my armchair!
Re: picture below. The chap in the top left was my local guide. He couldn’t decide whether to keep his coat on or not and was forever shrugging it off his shoulders. Take his guided tour and you’ll see what I mean!
Interesting Note: It has been reported that people “in the northern Indian state of Punjab are reacting with awe at the sight of the Himalayan mountain range, which is now visible from more than 100 miles away due to the reduction in air pollution caused by the country’s coronavirus lockdown.“ Those “in the city of Jalandhar and the surrounding area have posted photos online of the views from their homes, with some saying they haven't seen the peaks of the Himalayas for decades.“ (https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/himalayas-visible-lockdown-india-scli-intl/index.html)
Wow!
Departing Nepal: 6:58pm
Raising money for the UK Scoliosis Association and for the NHS Charities: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/virtualtraveller
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