1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #382 - Helicopter ride/rescue to Kathmandu, Day11 & 12

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #382

- Helicopter ride/rescue to Kathmandu, Day11 & 12

 

(Our prayers for clear skies at the Tengboche Monastery were answered - the helicopter to bring us to Lukla flew in, against the magnificent backdrop of Mt Everest. This wasn't how we had planned our last 2 days here to be, but we were totally relieved. We were asked again to trek to Lukla from Tengboche before the chopper was despatched, but we knew our bodies would not make it even to Namche, let alone Lukla. The changeover to another chopper at Lukla was smooth, and 45 minutes later, we landed safely at Kathmandu before we were brought to the local hospital in an ambulance. We were happy to help ferry the father of the lodge owner at Tengboche to seek treatment at Kathmandu at the same time, in our flight back. Our first good meal at the Grand Kathmandu Hotel was so satisfying we fell asleep almost immediately after. Our early return to Changi brought a close to our Everest adventure that surpassed all our expectations, and then some. We met our twin objectives of reaching both the highest base camp in the world, and seeing in person the highest mountain in the world!)

 

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #381 - Mt Everest : Holy Mountain Chomolungma, Day11

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #381

- Mt Everest : Holy Mountain Chomolungma, Day11

 

(Mt Everest, the sacred mountain of Chomolungma to the Sherpas, came into full daylight view on our very last day on the EBC trek. After our prayers at the Tengboche Monastery, the clouds opened up this highest mountain in the world to us, at 8848m high. We stood in awe, just admiring how mighty this view was. Mt Everest also showed us its unique side when it glowed in the middle of the night before, at 9pm - presumably from the moonlight being reflected off its white snowy sides. It was almost like a Xmas tree at night. This "greatest natural wonder of the world", according to David Attenborough, took our breath way on both occasions! This really was the icing on our Everest-trek cake)

 

 

 

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #380 - Tengboche Monastery, Day11

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #380

- Tengboche Monastery, Day11

 

(This Tengboche Monastery or Dawa Choling Gompa to the Sherpas here is a gem, standing amidst tall mountains, including the huge Thamserku and Ama Dablam, both nearly 7000m high. It was built in 1916, thus it is 100 years old this year. We didn't get to go inside the first time we reached Tengboche on Day4 because we were  simply too tired after the day's gruelling trek from Namche, but this time on Day11, we decided to visit its interior and say our prayers. It's a beautiful temple inside, richly captured in the movie, 'Everest'. We walked in with news that our helicopter rescue could not proceed due to bad weather in Lukla, but 30minutes after our prayers, we were told that the chopper was on the way - divine intervention, indeed!)

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #379 - Pheriche @4280m to Tengboche @3870m, Day10

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #379

- Pheriche @4280m to Tengboche @3870m, Day10

 

(Midway during our descent on Day10, it became clear that we were not going to make it to Namche Bazaar - hubby continued with his vomiting every hour or so. After a 6hr trek, we decided to cut this day short by stopping at Tengboche, and called for a helicopter rescue. Severe fatigue had set in for him, and I was also struggling with each step, whenever we had to climb upwards. Our call for an air-lift was registered but a proposed 4pm timing evacuation was delayed due to bad weather. It became a full-on cancellation for the day, awaiting for better weather the next day. Hubby was totally spent, with occasional shivering)

 

 

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #378 - Gorak Shep @5160m to Pheriche @4280m, Day9

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #378

- Gorak Shep @5160m to Pheriche @4280m, Day9

 

(So this is what it feels like and looks like the morning after EBC - a layer of snow at -5C! At 3am, we took our first steps to Kala Pather, with the promise of grand views of Mt Everest. But with our bodies still in recovery - and hubby showing signs of AMS - we decided to turn back and head to bed instead. Our guide was pessimistic about any grand Mt Everest views too, given the heavy clouds and snow. We moved out from this last year-round settlement Gorak Shep at 8am, happy to feel some strength in us. The surrounding mountains lit up for a few seconds, giving us glimpses of the infamous Khumbu Icefall. It was a sight to behold, with the mountains and clouds enveloping our tiny bodies, still so high up in the sky. Our trek to Pheriche took 9hrs, but felt like forever - with several vomits by hubby littering the trek, it was a hard slog indeed)