EBC Day 12 + 13, Back in Lukla

10/20/2012 + 10/21/2012

There are only two planes flying instead of the regular four, and for a while the weather shuts down the flights altogether. Eventually they resume but with every minute gone by, our chances of leaving Lukla get slimmer until them diminish completely.

We spend the afternoon shopping, sipping cofee, and trying to connect to internet. Our plan, if we make it out of Lukla in next couple of days, is to visit Chitwan National Park but the biggest Hindu festival of the year is happening right now, and that means that half of the country is on vacation and travelling. Getting to Chitwan might not be easy under the circumstances. We hope to find bus information online, possibly even an agency that could arrange the stay and transportation for us. The wi-fi in Lukla is free, and you get exactly what you pay for. We’re not smarter when we finally give up, just angrier.

Not much is happening in our tea house tonight so we venture to town. A local group plays live at one of the bars. The music is good, but the wiring can’t handle the instruments well, and every time the guitarist gets little more excited, the lights in the whole building flicker.

When the morning comes, the scene is not unlike the one we witnessed yesterday. People line in front of the tea houses, waiting for a phone call that their flight is ready. Even those with tickets for that particular day cannot be sure they will fly out. The weather can shut the operation down on a very short notice.

We’re not in a hurry, any seats we might get would be leftovers after today’s passengers are taken care of, so we slowly eat our breakfast, soaking up the morning atmosphere, wishing good luck to those who should be flying in next couple of hours. The sooner they are gone, the better chances we have to get on.

We hardly have time to swallow the last pieces of our meal when Dorji storms in. “Come, come. We have to go.”
We follow him to the airport where he pushes us through security and next thing we know we are loaded into an airplane, ahead of most of the people we talked to earlier. The whole time Dorji doesn’t say much, leaving us curious about the story behind his content smile. It’s not until the place is airborne that he admits a group of four was a bit late for their departure… and well he was in the right place in the right time.

Farewell Himalayas. We came with dreams and hopes, we came to challenge ourselves in a way we’ve never done before. And you didn’t fail to deliver. We are leaving richer by an amazing experience… yet many desires remain. You will see us soon again.