Mera Peak Expedition – Getting in and out of Kathmandu

No arrival in Kathmandu, Nepal can beat the greeting that we’re always given by our friends from Adventure Geo Treks, known as ‘AGT’ by us, and ‘Geo Treks’ by the locals. For us, they’re much more than a commercial operation and much more like friends. Though he owns and runs one of the largest tour and expedition companies in the country, Niru Rai always manages to meet us at the airport and take a personal hand in making sure our first moments are smooth and comfortable. In a remarkably friendly country, Niru still stands out for his hospitality and great nature. What’s more, his family and staff have the same infectious enthusiasm.

The KGH

Very quickly after our arrival, we were taken in the comfy AGT van to the Kathmandu Guest House. The ‘KGH’, as it is known locally, is an established hotel in the Thamel section of Kathmandu. Thamel is the touristy heart of the city, which could sound like a negative, but it also means that anything you could possibly need is nearby. There are many decent restaurants that keep a higher hygiene standard than those outside Thamel. You can pay less and find quieter places, but there are drawbacks. The KGH is a good hotel by Kathmandu standards. While not a five-star, it has reasonably clean rooms, a beautiful courtyard, and functioning bathrooms. Cleanliness and working toilets/showers may seem a low standard to those used to Hiltons, but in Nepal, these aren’t a given by any stretch.

The Team

Our team arrived over the course of two days from Los Angeles, New Hampshire, Indianapolis, Seattle and Basel, Switzerland. Most of us had trekked in Nepal with AGT before, and all of us were seasoned life-long hikers and adventurers. We ranged in age from thirty three to seventy three years old.The 2011 Mera Peak Expedition was made up of the following individuals:

• David Hudson – Third time in Nepal and unfortunately the first to drop out due to illness before leaving Kathmandu
• Karlin and Ursula Meyers – First time in Nepal, but veterans of caving in Mexico and New Guinea, and plenty of hiking in their home country of Switzerland as well as France and Italy
• Joel Meyers – Two times in Nepal and Karlin’s brother. Joel lives in Seattle and has had a previous trek from Kongol Danda, through Basa, up to Namche Bazaar, and then to Khumjung, home of the highest airport in the world at 3500 m.
• Jeff Rasley – Twelve times in Nepal and six times with Adventure Geo Treks. Jeff hails from Indianapolis and is the US agent for Adventure Geo Treks.
• Mike Miller – Four times in Nepal and retired and living in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Mike has had one trek to Tengboche, one to Gorekshep, and one previous time to Basa with Adventure Geo Treks.
• Dennis Mathews – First time in Nepal and from New Hampshire, Dennis is a serious cyclist and university professor.
• Jeanne and Chris Taylor – Third time in Nepal and from Pasadena, California. We have two treks in the previous eighteen months. We have trekked Langtang Valley and Gorkha-Rupina La-Tsum Valley.

Our purpose

While we may refer to our time in Nepal as the Mera Peak Expedition, we were in fact there for an even better purpose. We planned to carry six laptops that were donated by Nimbus, an English company recently acquired by Tibco to the Village of Basa, a remote place a day’s walk from the airport at Phaplu or several days walk from the end of the nearest road at Jiri. The plan was to spend time in the village to train both teachers and students in using the laptops.

Both Jeff and Mike have been very involved in projects in Basa that included bringing clean water, electricity and smokeless stoves. Niru and most of his trekking teams are from Basa and this contributed to the feeling that we were more than customers. Members of our team also checked into the installations of the electricity-generating turbines and smokeless stoves, both projects from this past year. Watch future posts for more about what the Basa Village Foundation has done and what we’re doing to create a new non-profit in the US that will take this work even further.

The Domestic Airport

We were up early at the Kathmandu Guest House, packed and excited about leaving for Phaplu. We went through the normal experience at the Domestic Terminal of standing in line, shuffling along through nearly absent security, waiting in the airline counter area for the employees to show up and the bustle to begin, and then moving to the Departure Lounge. There were significant improvements to the terminal since our last visit, including a working scanner belt (last time they pulled luggage through with a long, hooked pole), monitors that listed flights and expected times in both English and Nepali, and loudspeakers that made announcements nearly audible. The video isn’t ours, but is an excellent depiction of the facility.

Change of plans

The Departure Lounge was as far as we were to get, as the loud announcements every few minutes seemed to be calling out flights to all destinations except Phaplu. We were a disappointed group when at 4pm we were finally told that our flight would not go that day. We had spent eight hours in the hectic, loud terminal only to head back to the parking lot and down to the Kathmandu Guest House for another night. Jeanne was feeling quite sick, so I headed to the Hotel de l’Annapurna with Buddi for something we introduced to him last year: American-style hamburgers, listed on the menu as the “American Burger”. The restaurant was good enough that we were seated at a table immediately next to a former prime minister of Nepal who was having dinner with the American Ambassador.

Pizza Hut?

After decent hamburgers (not so great compared to our own In-N-Out), we walked less than a block and ordered a takeout Pizza Hut pizza for Jeanne and made our way back to the hotel. Pizza Hut in Nepal? Absolutely, and a KFC immediately next door…the ownership and management of both are Indian, the staff is excellent and all ingredients are shipped in from India. The recommended pizza place, if you’re willing to find it, is Fire And Ice in Thamel.

We were in bed early, hoping to have a more successful trip to the airport the next day. It has been said that the trick to having a successful trek in Nepal is to get out of crowded Kathmandu quickly, and we were already pushing our luck.

Up Next:  Mera Peak Expedition – Phaplu at last