EBC Day 11, Namche Bazaar to Lukla

10/19/2012

I remember clearly the people we met during our first day of trekking laboring up the last hill before reaching Lukla, and ever since I dread that incline. Perhaps they were rushing up the hill to catch a plane because walking it at a regular pace does not seem bad.

Missing plane in Lukla is not good news. If it happens one can quickly find himself on a several days long waiting list. Coming early is not ideal either.
Dorji puts us in a tea house and immediately starts working on our flight. Our original tickets are booked for five days later, the time we were to use for Island Peak climb. To get them changed is not a matter of a standard procedure, you don’t just walk to the customer service desk and get it taken care of. Like with many other things here in Nepal, your luck depends on who knows who around. We hope Dorji knows the right people.

Today is the last day for the whole group to be together. Our porters are leaving tomorrow to work for another client. They are paid by day and with the season being relatively short they can’t effort to take a day off. Tonight we have a good bye party for them. We are now at the lowest elevation of our trek, we are not climbing anymore, and for the first time in the mountains we order a bottle of bear.

The tea house fills with French musicians. They are singing, playing accordion  and dancing. It’s a merry way to conclude this trek and we enjoy the evening until it’s closing time. Dorji tells us to meet him around ten. Whether we will be able to fly out or not he still doesn’t know.