Day 2: Kathmandu & Mt Everest flight

In the group we have:

We have a minibus to take us to the airport and at this hour there are no problems. We are flying Yeti Air (love this) and it seems to be a well-oiled machine with ‘Mountain’ flights departing very regularly. It is a small plane and we all get window seats – left hand side gets the view outbound and right hand side gets it inbound. It was overcast on the ground and we took off into cloud but then we broke through to the most amazing spectacular view of the Himalayas sparkling in the early morning sunshine. I was on the left and could follow them along (snapping photos furiously as well). We were able to take it in turns to go up to the cockpit and when it was my turn I was absolutely gobsmacked to see Mt Everest right in front of me. Then once I got back to my seat it was just starting to come into view alongside – AMAZING! WOW!! Yes ‘shouty capitals’ – it was absolutely the most spectacular thing I have ever seen – ever! It really was just the most awe-inspiring moment of my life.

As the flight headed back, we were surprised with a glass of bubbles and it really felt like a celebration for us all. How on earth will Kishor be able to keep us surprised after that experience?

We return to the hotel for breakfast and to look at our photos!!

We have to head out on our afternoon sightseeing excursion earlier than expected because the roads are going to be closed again when the Chinese president is on the move again. First we visit the Bodhnath Stupa, one of the biggest Buddhist shrines in the world. We walk around the stupa in the customary clockwise manner, learning the mantra “Ohm Mani Padme Hum” and the importance of saying that as many times in your lifetime as you can. The prayer wheels multiply the number by thousands or millions of times depending on the size. We see Buddhist monks and visit one of the monasteries.

Kishor has booked a rooftop restaurant (Nani’s Kitchen) for us to enjoy lunch overlooking the stupa and with beautiful views to the mountains behind. It has a very nice range of western and local dishes. We learn that it is Andrew’s 70th birthday today and they have made a cake for him (along with singing happy birthday).

Then we visit Pashupatinath, the most famous Hindu temple in the country, located on the banks of the holy Bagmati River. The colourful temple is to the God Shiva and there is a huge statue of a bull (Shiva’s vehicle) inside (although we can only view from outside). We watch people performing various rituals including walking around blessing fires as families. A colourfully dressed man asks Jenny to be in a photo with him. There are lots of monkeys as well including some very tiny babies who are drinking from water troughs (and a little one falls in).

We see Hindu holy men (sadhus) who are happy for us to take their photos providing we pay them and as this is their only income we are happy to oblige. I am made to sit between two of them and given a tika blessing. There are pilgrims bathing in the river but it seems strange as they are immediately below the funeral pyres burning on the ghats. We see an ambulance delivering a shrouded body which is carried down to the ghats – there are others already laid out there on bamboo stretchers. Mourners are gathered all around and we see the elaborate preparations for the funeral pyres. It is strange to be sightseeing at a funeral.

We have a free evening and most are opting for an early night. I am going with Jenny and Dennis to have dinner back at the Garden of Dreams and they want to visit a money changer that has better rates than at the hotel.

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For this and other similar tours see:

Explore Asia with Intrepid Travel (a range of different travel styles – see my post on travel styles)

Peregrine Adventures (Comfort tours)

Geckos Adventures (for 18 to 30s)

Note: After people telling me they had booked an Intrepid Tour on my recommendation, I now have affiliate links with the Intrepid Travel group of companies and may receive a commission if you book a tour online within a couple of months after clicking through to these sites.  So if you are enjoying my tips and stories and finding them useful in choosing your own travel, please click on these links and help me to bring you more .

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