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Himalaya Trekking / Nepal-Annapurna-Mt.Everest
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Odyssey of the Yeti Air flight from Pokhara to LuklaNear Kathmandu the Pilot starts a mysterious flight maneuver. Shortly behind one another he flies two tight 360° loops. First I thought, we fly back to Pokhara. But a look on my GPS brings clarification. We fly around Kathmandu strait east. But where is our new destination - no announcement from the cockpit. Perhaps the pilot got new information about the weather condition in Likla during the loopings ? I try to find Lukla on my GPS, but no change. Suddenly we loose hight, browne hills and deeply indented valleys, far and wide no airport with a tared runway. Some jolting, dust raises up, we touched down on a field near Lamidanda. Everybody must leave the airplane. A few lying around bamboo mats are quickly turned into a temporary toilet. A shock when walking around the aircraft - the nose tire is completely worn and that by this gravel runway. A wrapped in blue sari nepalese lady phoned nervous with a satelite telephone - perhaps with the airline in Kathmandu, what to do now? Nosy Nepalis come running and watch the unusual activity on their field. After an hour waiting on the field, we have to go back to our seats in the airplaine. Now it gets serious - the only one still laughing now, is the pilot - he has probably experienced such adventures already more often. Manages the pilot to start on the field with such a large airplane ? The engines roar - maximum boost - dust raises up and disallows me any visibility. We where heavily thrilled, cold sweat apears on my forehead, but suddenly calmness, we hover, hurra - we made it ! My GPS shows flight course west, opposite to the original destination Lukla. But never mind, the clou is to survive. Three quarters of an hour later we have a safe landing in Kathmandu. |
| Keywords: Kathmandu, Pokhara, Phewa lake, Annapurna, World Peace Stupa, Mt.Everest, Khumbu, Namche Bazar, Syangboche, Lukla, Nepal, Himalaya |