We have 4 nights in Kathmandu, which means 3 days to chill out and take in the city atmosphere, but our first morning will be a chill that runs down your spine when you see Everest up close. It's another pre-dawn raid, and we gather bleary eyed. As we travel the short distance to the airport, I can't remember if I recharged my camera battery and emptied the memory card. The international terminal looks smart and impressive as we drive past. Unfortunately the domestic airport has not been upgraded to the same standard, or any standard, come to that.
Fortunately we don't have to wait long before our flight is called. It's a larger plane than I expected but everyone has a window seat. As we take off, we can just make out the mountains but they are firmly enclosed in clouds. Seems like Barry was right. We'll be lucky to see anything, let alone Everest. But as the sun climbs higher in the sky and we approach the mountain range, we can see some peaks poking through. The stewardess, goes to each person pointing out the names of the major peaks and, as we approach Everest, we are invited into the cockpit for a better view. Frankie and I are right at the back of plane which means we are invited at the point we are the closest to Everest before we turn around to head back. We can see the summit but there is a ring of cloud below. Just as we turn around, the clouds part and we get a perfect view of the mountain. The cameras have not stopped snapping from the moment we set off but there is an increased flurry until the clouds float back and seal the base of the mountain from view. There is something about snow capped mountains that touches the heart. I have always felt that way every time I took my connecting flight over the Dolomites from Frankfurt or Munich to Venice. It was part of the magical attraction of Venice. But seeing Everest close up takes it to another level. I may not have climbed it (yet!) but Everest has touched my heart. All too soon, we are back on the ground and heading home for breakfast.
Then, we have to sort out our transit visas for the onward trip south to Kolkatta (that's Calcutta to most of us). Everyone needs one, even those with multi-entry visas. Off we traipse to the Indian Embassy. This is an open air Embassy, but luckily the temperature is pleasantly warm and it's not raining. Naturally, there's another form to fill in. Then we have to queue for a waiting ticket, then we have to wait to be called. And there's a lot of waiting... Barry finds an abandoned ticket with an earlier number... and there's still a lot of waiting..And then we have to fill in more information... And then there's more waiting. It's excruciatingly slow but eventually, we are told we can go and the passports can be collected later in the day. So, what exactly have we been waiting for? We'll never know.
Fortunately we don't have to wait long before our flight is called. It's a larger plane than I expected but everyone has a window seat. As we take off, we can just make out the mountains but they are firmly enclosed in clouds. Seems like Barry was right. We'll be lucky to see anything, let alone Everest. But as the sun climbs higher in the sky and we approach the mountain range, we can see some peaks poking through. The stewardess, goes to each person pointing out the names of the major peaks and, as we approach Everest, we are invited into the cockpit for a better view. Frankie and I are right at the back of plane which means we are invited at the point we are the closest to Everest before we turn around to head back. We can see the summit but there is a ring of cloud below. Just as we turn around, the clouds part and we get a perfect view of the mountain. The cameras have not stopped snapping from the moment we set off but there is an increased flurry until the clouds float back and seal the base of the mountain from view. There is something about snow capped mountains that touches the heart. I have always felt that way every time I took my connecting flight over the Dolomites from Frankfurt or Munich to Venice. It was part of the magical attraction of Venice. But seeing Everest close up takes it to another level. I may not have climbed it (yet!) but Everest has touched my heart. All too soon, we are back on the ground and heading home for breakfast.
Then, we have to sort out our transit visas for the onward trip south to Kolkatta (that's Calcutta to most of us). Everyone needs one, even those with multi-entry visas. Off we traipse to the Indian Embassy. This is an open air Embassy, but luckily the temperature is pleasantly warm and it's not raining. Naturally, there's another form to fill in. Then we have to queue for a waiting ticket, then we have to wait to be called. And there's a lot of waiting... Barry finds an abandoned ticket with an earlier number... and there's still a lot of waiting..And then we have to fill in more information... And then there's more waiting. It's excruciatingly slow but eventually, we are told we can go and the passports can be collected later in the day. So, what exactly have we been waiting for? We'll never know.