20th January 2009

The airport and its surroundings didn’t seem to have changed very much over the years. My last visit was in 2003. It was still the brick walled building, the bronze decor, nothing obviously added or subtracted. Even though it was midday when I arrived, it was not particularly warm. This was winter after all.

Once I collected my checked in luggage and cleared customs, the familiar crowd greeted. I saw a tall, young but bearded Nepalese man holding out an A4 sized paper with my name written on it. I smiled to him and walked towards him. He introduced himself as Sumek and he was my climbing guide.

A white minibus was waiting. It was from the Holy Himalaya Hotel. Sumek informed me that the hotel (formerly known as Dynasty) now belonged to Jyoti. He placed a garland around my neck and welcomed me to Nepal - again. Sumek was a man of few words, an unusual characteristic for a guide. Only 27 years of age, he was tall for a Nepalese and his charming facial features would certainly qualify him for a role in Bollywood. Like many people his age, Sumek couldn’t leave his mobile phone in his pocket for more than a few minutes. But out on the streets, the modern buildings were still dull and uninspiring. Piles of rubbish were everywhere. There weren’t many beggars and cows, but the stench was there at every street corner.

The Holy Himalaya was really a beautiful hotel. It’s amazing how well Jyoti had done in recent years. I felt happy for him. Jyoti gave me a suite on the top floor. There was no fantastic view from the balcony, but the room itself (actually 2 rooms in one).

The bathroom is in this main room. There’s another room connected to the main bedroom. There’s a single bed here.

Connected to the single-bedded room, is a pantry with cooking facilities and a refrigerator. There’s also wifi available. If I had brough my laptop, I could have worked online in the comfort and privacy of my room without needing to go to a cybercafe.

I figured that this suite would be quite worthwhile for a family or a group staying in Kathmandu for a couple of months.

I went on the usual walking tour in the city and returned to the hotel in the early evening. Jyoti was in the meeting room. He was still the same calm, disciplined but cheerful guy. He was surprised that I had decided to take up this challenge, but he was supportive of the project. We had dinner together and I sent out the following despatch from the computer in the meeting room.

Below (in green) is the “raw news” sent out from my friend’s computer at the Holy Himalaya.

Namaste! I arrived at about noon today. The skies are so clear that
you can even see the Langtang peaks from the airport. I’ve met up with
my guide Sumek and we discussed the best and safest approach to Island
Peak this winter. We may climb even faster than originally planned,
skipping high camp and withdrawing further after the climb.

If all goes well, I may summit on the first or second day of Chinese
New Year. Or make it Tibetan New Year in these parts. My 3G mobile
works well here. In the mountains, I may be able to call from above
5000m. Wait for my next update.

Check out pics at Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/knapsack/sets/72157613218596727/