Nepal 2019 - Day 22 - Lukla Airport Experience & Back Home

 Lukla to Home

Early morning around 07.00, I checked out of the hotel. Flight was at 09.30 so I had plenty of time for security and other protocols as the airport was just across the street. There was a joke from the previous night that the airport and flights ran on ''Nepali'' time and your tickets weren't a guarantee. We were too drunk to discuss that further.

The Lukla airport was a small landing strip carved into the side of a mountain in the Himalayas. It is considered one of the most dangerous airport as there was literally no room for error during landing and take-offs due to the air pockets created by the surrounding mountains and a runway which leads right off a steep cliff. 

The airport was tiny with a small lobby, check-in area, security check and a ''waiting area'' gate area. It wasn't bigger than your average McDonald's and the runway/taxi area not bigger than a parking lot. The airport was packed well beyond capacity with hundreds of trekkers trying to get a ticket off the mountain on a tiny airplane which seats 10-12 people. Decorum and manners weren't really followed by anyone and the limited staff were clearly overwhelmed. Thankfully, I had a prepaid ticket but still had to figure out ''boarding gates'' for my flight. I found out that the ticket doesn't confirm anything as there are no pre-assigned flights, flight number, status or all other factors one took for granted at airports. As I gradually made my way through security, I found myself in a queue with people getting a ''first come first serve'' preference. It was very frustrating as local guides were ushering in large batches while still purchasing tickets. There was hardly any staff to help and I also found out that the daily flights are limited.

09.30 approached and I was still behind 50-60 people. Eventually, I got hold of an airline staff and asked for my boarding on the next flight. The only information I got was ''We will fly out when they open check-in and when the plane gets here''. That made no sense and any effort made to get some information proved futile. I had to get out of Lukla the same day as I had my flight from Kathmandu the next day. I wandered around the airport for any help I could get. I watched hordes of confused people, some cases were stuck in Lukla for 3-4 days. People were literally throwing their passports at the exhausted and exasperated airport staff trying to get boarded. This experience really made me appreciate modern airports in a way I had never before. One thing I learnt after talking to local guides is to be persistent and just be on top of the airline staff as much as you could. 

After about 5 hours at the airport, by some stroke of luck, I finally managed to get ahead with my confirmed ticket for a flight at 13.00. I had already given up for the day and informed my wife about a major hole about to be burnt into my budget by this delay. The plane arrived just a few metres away and I had to dash towards the plane to get my seat. I got the seat just behind the pilot and it was almost like sitting in the cockpit (there is no division between the passengers and the pilots).

I strapped myself into the seat and braced myself for the death defying take-off as the plane oriented itself down the runway. The pilot braked, looked behind and checked for everyone's safety, gave the thumbs-up and cheekily asked me ''You ready?''. I gave him a thumbs-up too. He asked me If I wanted to start the plane by pressing a couple of buttons. There was no way I was letting go of that opportunity. He showed me the buttons to press on a 3 count and off we went, down an inclined runway descending into a valley. Any mistake and all of us would go crashing down below. The take-off was perfect, however, the turbulence in the next 30 mins was the scariest period of my life. That little aircraft was literally shaking with every gust of wind and clouds it came in touch with. 

I could see the magnificent mountains from the window but was too afraid to enjoy anything. You could also hear some people panicking in the back. After about 30  ins, I was in Kathmandu. I thanked the captain and bid adieu to the mountains. The air was heavy with oxygen and my body rejoiced. I checked into Khangsar again and spent about 3 hours in the shower (probably used all of the hotel's water supply).

Nepal can be hard, chaotic, random and sometimes dangerous too. The mountains are spectacular, people are warm and kind, the wilderness is awesome. It's unpredictability is wat really makes Nepal what it is. It is the ultimate high altitude adventure with the best scenery on earth. The trek was hard and I was proud of the fact that i completed what I had set out to do and coming out of it, almost unscathed. I was definitely coming back.

After I got home, going through my diary and photos to document this blog made me want to return asap with my wife so that we can share what I experienced together. I had already forgotten the cold, the altitude, the pain and exhaustion quite fast. It was quite funny that when you're at home, you really want to get back to the mountains but when you get to the Himalayas, you also want the comfort of home. 

Go figure!!