Kathmandu

Arrived safely at KTM airport. Every person on the plane looked like they were headed on some sort of trek, esp. the old Japanese dudes with brand spanking new hiking boots and North Face coats. The 7 hour flight seemed like a cakewalk compared to the previous 14 hour flight to Seoul, and the seat next to me was open. There IS a God! From the air, I was able to view Everest out the window since I was on the right side of the plane. Everest photo out plane: Got a huge lump in my throat looking at it from the air for the first time. I've waited a long time for this.

The airport was busy and small and the visa line moved quickly. Grabbing my bag from the carousel it was sensory overload with the heat and dust and honking from outside. No one checked the bags and I exited quickly into the throngs of waiting taxis and buses. I spotted my ride right away with the MM logo and joined 2 others in my group- Chris, a chemist from Michigan roughly my age, and Kerry, a recruiter for a hedge fund in Manhattan. The ride to the hotel was eye opening- the word filth comes to mind- I am trying hard to keep an open mind but the raw sewage flowing in some of the streets was nuts. The close calls with other vehicles was unnerving. There are monkeys in the streets on some alleyways! The hotel is in an "upscale" neighborhood if you can call it that. The hotel is opulent in the midst of grossness in the streets. I get to my room and nap for 2 hours before the team meeting at 5pm. The room is clean yet worn, the equivalent of an OLD 2 star hotel type room, yet the lobby is quite ornate. My coffee at the bar costs 180 rupees, about $2.50. On the street you can get it for less than 50 cents. Internet here costs 10 rupees a minute, about $8/hr. The group has one outstanding character from Canada who was pretty drunk at the meeting...Randy. There are twin sisters, Joanne and Dianne (in their 50s) and a friend, Hilly, from Florida (age 71!), Me, Chris, Kerry, and Katie, the recent college grad from New York who will be my room mate for the next 3 weeks. 1 person from New Jersey in his 50's, Steve, and his "adopted" son Derek from Colorado who is 23. There is also a couple from Atlanta in their 40s-Abby and Andy. Jon is in his 50s from just outside of Washington DC. Of the few people who do have children, most are already grown. The ice is broken when someone admits that they are worried about how often they will be able to get a shower and what the bathroom situation is like on the trail. The leader Deana is likable right from the start. She has a good command of the group. We go to a private residence with a beautifully maintained garden patio for a traditional dinner of Dal Bhat. The talk turns to Fantasy Football near me. Groannnnnnn. I cant get away from it! The power is out sometimes at the hotel as a means of conserving energy in the city. In peak months, the power is off in the city about 12 hours a day. The hotel however has a generator that comes on. Heading out as a group to go to the market and a monastery today. More monkeys today, too. Tomorrow morning is the 6am flight to Lukla, landing at the world's most dangerous airport.