Freezing cold and a room for less than a quid....
Having survived the landing on this mountainside airstrip (Youtube Lukla airport for those that sadly didn't) everyone is quickly ushered towards the exit gate and, well, that's it - no terminal building to go through, just a small hut for those with bags to collect and it's uphill towards a German bakery and Lukla town. Time for a few photos of other planes coming and going, quite a busy scene at this airport with room for only 4 planes at once!
Its pretty cold up here in the Himalayas, about -3 at mid-morning with those clouds getting ever closer to the town and of course the airport, got here just in time looks like. Next I need to find somewhere to stay and looking around here that shouldn't be a problem as every other building I look at advertises lodgings. A trail of people heading up past the runway, guess I should follow since they'r heading towards the main concentration of dwellings, the main part of town I should think. Icy cold and I'm quickly out of breath and actually starting to feel unwell as those stone steps are quite an effort. I read about how altitude can effect some people with symptoms of nausea and headache so at around 10,000 feet I should imagine that's what I have - altitude sickness, not a big deal, just annoying.
Kumnjung Lodge is on the left here, a nice looking place of wood construction, i'd better enquire here before I freeze to death. Gingerly walking in, it's all very quiet but eventually I find the occupants huddled around a wood burning stove. The girl is exquisitely polite and speaks perfect English - just as well since the lodge owner speaks none. "how much for a single room for to nights", I ask expecting rates to be hiked to tourist levels. 100 rupees, that's less than a quid in British terms but the catch is I have to eat there with food upto three times the price of a Kathmandu equivalent! Looks a decent enough room, and I can have an extra blanket. Deal done its quickly back to the wood burner for some defrosting and a nice cup of milk tea.
Having survived the landing on this mountainside airstrip (Youtube Lukla airport for those that sadly didn't) everyone is quickly ushered towards the exit gate and, well, that's it - no terminal building to go through, just a small hut for those with bags to collect and it's uphill towards a German bakery and Lukla town. Time for a few photos of other planes coming and going, quite a busy scene at this airport with room for only 4 planes at once!
Its pretty cold up here in the Himalayas, about -3 at mid-morning with those clouds getting ever closer to the town and of course the airport, got here just in time looks like. Next I need to find somewhere to stay and looking around here that shouldn't be a problem as every other building I look at advertises lodgings. A trail of people heading up past the runway, guess I should follow since they'r heading towards the main concentration of dwellings, the main part of town I should think. Icy cold and I'm quickly out of breath and actually starting to feel unwell as those stone steps are quite an effort. I read about how altitude can effect some people with symptoms of nausea and headache so at around 10,000 feet I should imagine that's what I have - altitude sickness, not a big deal, just annoying.
Kumnjung Lodge is on the left here, a nice looking place of wood construction, i'd better enquire here before I freeze to death. Gingerly walking in, it's all very quiet but eventually I find the occupants huddled around a wood burning stove. The girl is exquisitely polite and speaks perfect English - just as well since the lodge owner speaks none. "how much for a single room for to nights", I ask expecting rates to be hiked to tourist levels. 100 rupees, that's less than a quid in British terms but the catch is I have to eat there with food upto three times the price of a Kathmandu equivalent! Looks a decent enough room, and I can have an extra blanket. Deal done its quickly back to the wood burner for some defrosting and a nice cup of milk tea.
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