Namaste friends! 🙏
Welcome back! I'm grateful for your time and attention to visit my latest weekly blog! I hope the universe's benevolence has filled your past week with joy, happiness and warm weather!
How have you incorporated the valuable advice of Bistārai, Bistārai (slowly, slowly) into your daily routine?
My month in Nepal has been fun, challenging, gratifying and disruptive - all occurring concurrently!
I achieved my two key objectives (and so much more) in my Nepal adventure. I visited the village where my water project donation had been used. I forgot to mention how my ego took a small bruising during the water project visit. I was advised my name would appear on the water tank plaque to acknowledge my contribution. My name was missing from the plaque as I read out the inscription. How petty a personal issue given the good my donation had achieved for the villagers. Excellent reminder that my motivation for providing financial support is for the broader good, not for the recognition. My ego is no amigo!
The concept of a guide and porter accompanying me in my travels was the most disruptive experience while in Nepal. I've appreciated the benefits of the extra time and attention that comes with this level of support. The downside to this support is I feel less equipped to manage my travel in Nepal. I'm unsure if the extra support, which I found invasive at times, has the value in my travel. Another reminder of how much I value my independence!
My entire travel 'routine' was thrown for a loop while in Nepal. I fell behind in my weekly blogs, I felt far less in control of my travel with much more emphasis on embracing my situation. The unexpected blessing I received was going on the trek to Hotel Everest View. I'm confident I would have declined to go if I had prior knowledge of the uphill hiking requirement. The universe afforded me the chance to demonstrate to myself what I am still capable of in spite of a sore hip and an Achilles tendon issue. So much new learning from the last 30 days in Nepal. My mind is a powerful enabler or impediment in the adventure I call life.
I'm grateful I could readily adapt to the different altitudes during my uphill journey to see Mount Everest. I, thankfully, avoided the potential headaches which can accompany being at higher altitudes.
May the universe bring endless blessings and moments of magic 🦄 to you and your loved ones in the week ahead. 🙏
Travel Administration
Your accommodation employees are invaluable resources in your travels. If you take time to explain to the staff what you are trying to accomplish, you'll find they have the ingenuity and information to help you. I've been blessed with hotel staff booking bus tickets, booking taxis, taking me to the bus park/ensuring I get on the right bus, and providing directions to ensure I get safely to my destination. They have also insisted we connect through WhatsApp so they can keep informed about my progress as well as confirm I have arrived safely.
Travel Update
I'm flying to Brisbane on May 3 to visit my friend Simon who is working/living in the Sunshine Coast. I'll also have a chance to explore the coastal region which is new territory for me. Have you ever heard of Kyrgyzstan? It's the country immediately south of Kazakhstan. Jane, the fellow Canadian traveler I met at Hotel Everest View, put this destination on my radar. She's planning to visit starting July 20 so we have a chance to meet a second time later this year.
Travel Maps
I was on the 7 am flight from Kathmandu to Lukla on Sunday morning to start my trek to Hotel Everest View. I met Samir, my guide/porter, at the airport, ate breakfast and set off for my first night at Phakding. We hiked to Namche Bazar on Day 2. We hiked to Hotel Everest View on Day 3. We returned to Phakding on Day 4. We hiked to Lukla on Day 5 for my last night. I returned to Kathmandu on the 7 am flight from Lukla. I was back at the Maya Manor Boutique Hotel for my last three nights in Nepal.
You will need to use your imagination to draw a line between Tribhuvan Domestic Airport and Lukla Airport to simulate the flight. I was unable to figure out how to draw a line on my map.
Nepal: March 8 to April 6, 2026
Lukla
The great trek adventure started with a 4:30 hotel pickup by my newest friend Sunil who was arranging for a taxi and escorting me to the domestic airport. There was some angst if my 7 am flight would depart given the previous day's early morning flight cancellations and the rainy weather. The universe was benevolent with ensuring our flight departed and with introducing a new friend, Alex, while I was waiting. More about Alex in the friend's section below.
The
Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla has the reputation of being the world's most dangerous airport. Alex mentioned there hasn't been an accident at the airport for over ten years. Good to know as I'm already committed to taking the flight! The online article I'm sharing tries to sort fact from fiction.
Flight
It's a quick thirty minute flight to Lukla. Amazing views, if you're seated on the left hand side of the plane. Alex, who was sitting on the left hand side, shared a few of his fabulous videos from the flight. You'll get a good sense, through Alex's videos, of what we experienced during our flight and landing in Lukla.
Lukla
My non-english speaking guide/porter, Samir, met me at the airport and we were off to eat breakfast. After breakfast, we were off to hike for about 4 - 5 hours to reach Phakding, our first overnight stop.
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| Our Czech twin prop plane |
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| Mountain view from airport - clear skies! |
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| Mountain view from airport |
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Lukla runway - sudden drop at end of
runway! |
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Tibetan bread and honey
Breakfast of champions! |
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| Lukla main 'street' as I start my trek |
Lukla to Phakding (2600m/8530 ft)
I had a serious bad attitude problem on Day 1. I was having serious misgivings about what I had signed up in making this trek. The trek's first part is mainly downhill which immediately had me thinking about the difficulty of the return journey. I was far from embracing my adventure. It's one of those moments where I was happy to be trekking solo as I was unbearable for myself, never mind if there were others with me. I had stepped directly into the consequences of 'ignorance is bliss'!
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| Immersed in nature's beauty |
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These suspension bridges are found throughout
Nepal to help people cross rivers |
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Slow learner in being comfortable
crossing these bridges |
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| Artistic me with clouds and mountain tops |
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| Beautiful warm and clear day! |
Phakding to Namche Bazar
Day 2 promised to be a 7 - 8 hour hike, with the Hilary Bridge marking where our hike would be strictly uphill. We were blessed with clear and warm weather once again. Hard to imagine the challenge of hiking uphill, on dirt paths/stone walkways, in the pouring rain. We started hiking at 7:30 am, stopped for an hour lunch around 10:30 am, reached the ascent to the Hillary Bridge about 30 minutes later and started hiking uphill until we reached Namche Bazar around 3 pm. There were sections where I'd stop after hiking 200 - 300 m to catch my breath. Slow ascent, and I made it. I had now embraced my adventure knowing that I could go the distance, as long as I walked slowly and took breaks as necessary.
My Achilles tendon injury that I was concerned about behaved itself to the point I almost forgot I had the injury. My right hip would only complain once the hiking was over for the day. After a good night's rest, I was ready for more hiking - thank goodness!
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| Quiet magnificent beauty |
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| Catching the morning sun |
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| Waterfall along the way |
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| Park Entrance |
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| Nearing the higher peaks! |
Namche Bazar (3440m/11,286m)
I enjoyed a two night stay in Namche Bazar. Hot shower after a long hike and a delicious dinner to finish the day!
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| Welcome to Namche Bazar |
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| Stupa |
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| Water driven prayer wheels |
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| Pathway to my teahouse |
Namche Bazar to Hotel Everest View
We had two separate hikes planned for the day. The first hike was to check in at the park office. The second hike involved retracing some of our steps to rejoin the main Everest Base Camp trail that led to our destination. We had more serious uphill hiking for about an hour. Samir was kind enough to advise me that the last stretch (about 1 km) was on flat terrain. What magical words to hear! We reached the hotel in about two hours.
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| Park office entrance |
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| Everest is bump in middle (left side) |
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| More unnamed mountains |
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| Everest on left |
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| Everest on left |
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| A mountain |
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| Tenzing Norgay Memorial |
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| Memorial - Everest in background |
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| More Himalayas |
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| Keeping track of the breeze |
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| We've climbed another 400m in altitude |
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| So steep |
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| Beautiful mountain |
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| Almost to the hotel |
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| Yak |
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| Park office |
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| That is some breeze |
Hotel Everest View (3880m/12,730 ft)
We waited for about 45 minutes for the clouds to break long enough to see Mount Everest. While enjoying my coffee/waiting for the clouds to break, I met Alex, my fellow flight passenger. I also met up with Ted who I had talked with at our Phakding teahouse. I also met a new friend, Jane, a solo traveler who happened to be living in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.
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| My trek's highest elevation (3880m/12,730 ft) |
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| Hotel dining/eviewing area |
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| Everest on left |
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| Everest in middle |
Return to Namche Bazar
Two hours to reach Everest Hotel View; an hour to return to Namche Bazar. Our greatest gift in this part of the adventure is we avoided the heavy rain that fell after we returned from our Hotel Everest View hike. I spent a few hours in the Everest Bakery and Restaurant enjoying a good cup of coffee and a fresh cinnamon roll.
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| Namche from above |
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| Namche from above |
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| Everest Bakery and Restaurant |
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| Just cinnamon rolls and brownies today |
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| Mingmar with barista |
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| Flat white with cinnamon roll |
Return to Phakding
I had the best blessing ever on my return hike to Phakding. Samir, my guide, pointed out our crystal clear view of Mount Everest from the trail. A second important blessing was the fact we were hiking downhill. Unfortunately, the previous day's rain left the trail muddy and slippery in sections. We hiked for about five hours in total. We also had an hour break for lunch,
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| Mt. Everest - about 30 km away |
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| Hillary Bridge up close |
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| Mt. Everest - up close and personal |
Return to Lukla
We hiked for about three hours to reach Lukla. The last 500 meters, uphill to the village, were the toughest. It was the section I recalled on Sunday that were going to be challenging given it was uphill on the return.
After lunch and a shower, I spent the afternoon at two different cafes. The first cafe had the best coffee and banana cake. A fellow patron, Marco, was kind enough to share his popcorn. Marco was from Madrid, who flew helicopters in Nepal for six months and flew helicopters to fight fires in Portugal for six months. His family also had a cottage in Ontario. My world continues to shrink.
Six degrees of separation is losing a degree or two!
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| A final look from the trail |
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| Cafe 4410 Lukla - heaven in a display case |
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| Cafe 4410 Lukla |
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| Everest Coffee Cafe - a touch of Himalayan magic |
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| Everest Coffee Cafe |
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| Popcorn! Many thanks to Marco for sharing! |
Sunset in Lukla
I was blessed with experiencing the sunset from the Everest Coffee Cafe deck on my final afternoon in Lukla.
Return to Kathmandu
I returned to Kathmandu an hour earlier than scheduled. The teahouse owner worked his magic to have me leave on the 7 am flight. No additional fees, no additional paperwork. Just show up at the airport with your bags, and the change is made. The owner also took care of contacting Sunil to advise him of the earlier departure. And like more magic, Sunil was at the airport to pick me up and return me to my hotel. I was further blessed to get early access to my hotel room. So much to be grateful for in the space of just a few hours.
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Sunrise over the airport - clear skies means
my flight is a go! |
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| One last look |
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| One last look |
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| Himalayas from plane |
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| On our way to Kathmandu |
Kathmandu
I did find a microwave at a local cafe, along with a willing employee, to experiment with making a bag of popcorn. Failed attempt as the microwave was too small and the temperature setting was too low. Til the next time.
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My newest acquaintance at
the hotel |
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| Microwave popcorn experiment |
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| Better luck next time! |
Food
My sweet tooth was looking for attention during my trek and lingered around for my last three nights in Kathmandu.
Apple Pie
I had the best apple pie on my trek. In Namche, the apple pie was freshly baked for me. My welcome surprise was the apple pie I was served was similar to a large apple pie pocket. I had been imagining a slice of pie from a larger pie like we have in North America. Each teahouse had its own delicious version of apple pie!
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| Namche Bazar |
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| Phakding |
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| Phakding |
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| Lukla |
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| Lukla |
Various Desserts
Welcome to my eclectic range of ways I tried to keep my sweet tooth in check. Rice pudding is another dessert favorite I have!
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| Rice pudding - Namche Bazar |
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| Banana cake - Lukla |
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| Rice pudding - Lukla |
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| Banana loaf - Kathmandu |
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| Like a boston creme - Kathmandu |
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| Like a boston creme - Kathmandu |
Burgers & Steak
I succumbed to my desire for a hamburger and fries during the trek. I sampled Yak steak and burger for my first time.
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| Chicken burger |
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| Yak steak |
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| Yak burger |
Friends
I was blessed with meeting several fellow travelers throughout the week.
Alex
I met Alex at the Kathmandu Domestic Terminal as we were waiting for the terminal to open. We also happened to be on the same Summit Air flight to Lukla. Alex was on his last major trip after a year of traveling the world. He was returning to England to find work and rebuild his savings for his next adventure. We parted company at Lukla airport under the guidance of our respective guides. Our lives intersected a second time at Hotel Everest View.
Alex volunteered to share his video footage from our flight. We exchanged our WhatsApp contact info. We are all benefiting from his videography that I shared in this blog.
Samir
Please meet my 24 year old Nepali non-English speaking porter cum guide. Samir is the kindest, most thoughtful and generous person one could spend time with. He shared photos of his beautiful wife and two gorgeous little daughters. Samir was responsible for keeping me on track to complete our daily hikes. He also coordinated my daily meals with the teahouse staff. His inability to speak English was a unforeseen benefit. An English speaking guide would have wanted to share lots of information about the area and the mountains which I have little interest in. I enjoyed the quiet. I was blessed to get information about my trek through other guides as they were briefing their trekkers on the next day's activities. I also learned about the solar powered showers that I needed to take during the day when the sun was shining!
A personal highlight was my chance to show Samir how to access and use Google Translate. He was delighted and appreciative!
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| Samir |
Annie
Introducing Annie, a 34 year old software engineer from the San Francisco Bay area, who on a solo trek through one of the passes that I can't remember. I met Annie during my first night at the Phakding teahouse. I discovered she started traveling on a school trip when she 14. She was near completing her PhD thesis in geology when financial circumstances shifted her education into software engineering. An active adventurer and traveler. Annie and her partner have a trip to Africa in the fall to go on safari and so her partner can see the
shoebill stork! Annie's software focus was in the construction business which was an industry lagging in the software area. She also mentioned that AI was reshaping her world on a weekly basis.
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| Annie |
Ted
Introducing 62 year old Ted from Oklahoma who was celebrating his 62nd birthday on the day I met him. A fascinating man who was enjoying great success in his second career in the new construction business. His mission was reaching Everest Base Camp. He was then flying to Brussels to join his wife and friends on a river cruise. We had an amazing conversation about his childhood, his father (now deceased) and his life.
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| Ted |
Jane
Introducing Jane, a 29 year old flight attendant on Porter Airlines (small Canadian airline) who was traveling solo in Nepal. Coincidentally, She was trekking to Everest Base Camp first, then she intended to climb
Lobuche East which is close to Everest Base Camp. I admire her courage to trek on her own and to climb a 6,119m Himalayan mountain. Inspiring! She also mentioned she was traveling to Kyrgyzstan on July 20 so there may be a chance our travel paths may intersect once again. Kyrgyzstan on Kazakhstan's southern border, the country I was planning to visit after Mongolia. We shall see how the universe unfolds.
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| Jane |
Sophia
Introducing Sophia, my newest 62 year old friend from Taiwan whom I met while enjoying breakfast at my Kathmandu hotel on Friday morning. Her husband returned on Saturday morning from an aborted attempt to reach Everest Base Camp. They graciously offered to host me when I was in Taiwan in mid May. More to share next month!
Next Week
I fly to Medan, through Kuala Lumpur, late Monday evening. I arrive in Bukit Lawang after a 3.5 hour ride from the airport for a four night stay by the jungle. I head back to Medan on Saturday to catch an overnight bus to Banda Aceh (remember 2004 tsunami) then onto Palau Weh Island on Sunday morning for the next three nights!
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