EBC: Back to Kathmandu

We woke up sad - who would want to leave the beautiful mountains for dirty, polluted, crowded cities? But it was time to get back to reality - however ugly it may be. As usual I was up before the cook and demanding masala tea before leaving for the airport. Around 5:45 am, Nima got a call that plane has left Kathmandu so we started for the airport - just 5 minutes away. 

Our porters carried the bags to airport, including the ones left by the 3 members who had already reached Kathmandu the previous day. The bags couldn't make it yesterday in time for their flight so they were being transported as cargo today. Lukla airport has no x-ray screening so after manual security check of our luggage and back packs we proceeded to boarding gate. 

Soon we had 4 air-crafts landing one after another - if the weather permits about 60-70 flights take off and land between the two airports everyday. While our luggage made it to our flight, other bags were on different planes - but since the departures from Lukla were just a few minutes apart, we didn't have to wait much at Kathmandu airport for other bags to arrive. The others were already in the same hotel as before (Encounter) so PK and I also checked in there. 

The group had done some shopping and sightseeing the previous day, and they were planning some more of it today but PK wanted to go to Pashupatinath temple again, so we split and PK & I offered prayers at the temple while rest of them went to Darbar Square. The plan was to meet for lunch afterwards but PK & I were too tired (trek the previous day, early AM start today) so we came back to Thamel area, had a good lunch with another bottle of red wine and went back to hotel to rest.

Evening all of us went for drinks at H2O cafe/pub. As long as you don't plan on using the rest room, the place is fine. But honestly I didn't care much for the pub. PK was tired of all the walking she had to do in order to reach this place, I was also tired and wanted to crash, so we left early, grabbed a cab and went back to hotel. 

Next day we had an uneventful journey back - from Kathmandu to Bangalore (via Delhi). After all the excitement build-up for months, all the fun and tension and drama during the trek, it felt like a pretty lame ending!