Besant Nagar to Base Camp

After an early bath (we couldn't get enough of them 😀) and breakfast, we left the Cafe Danphe for Lukla Airport next door. Did some last minute shopping for giveaways and also bought a little yak cheese to take home to make Ema Datshi with.  The flight to KTM was by Summit Air (again a Twin Otter) and it was again delayed by around 2 hours. Security checks at Lukla were all manual, and the cheerful Officer checking our bags took out a few rocks that some of us had collected as keepsakes. Apparently, no rocks are allowed to be taken away from the Everest Region. While waiting for our flight, we hung out of the window of the departure area trying to get a glimpse of the group from Bessie Dreamers (many of whom we knew) who were to land in Lukla that day. Planes came and went; often the same plane and the same pilot; but no signs of our friends from the other group. We were to learn later that evening that their flight out of Kathmandu was cancelled. Added to that, from the next day,

Up bright and early, we set off at around 6 am for the Everest Base Camp. The day was bright and sunny with not a cloud in the sky. Tenzing kept on telling us the need to make good speed as we had to return early to take the helicopters to Lukla. We couldn't have a word with those who had gone to EBC the previous day by pony, as they were sleeping in. Much to our surprise and relief, Rathika was fine in the morning and all raring to get on with it. We progressed through that last distance, awestruck beyond words or even thoughts at the mesmerising beauty all around us, mighty peaks, snow clad, each towering over 7000m-- Pumori, Lingtren, Khumbutse, Nuptse.... the glaciers that we saw on the way....the mini avalanche on the hill opposite the one we were on, reminding us of the risk that we were in as well as to be careful on these slippery slopes...we stopped every so often to take pictures.. admired the robin accentors that were flying around us even at this height, looking for cru