: moving parts :

Would we get out of Lukla? It was really foggy outside, and the runway is 1,729 feet long with a grade of 12%, and when taking off, planes literally fall off the side of the mountain. The week before we descended, it took trekkers four-five days to leave because of weather. As much as we had resigned to leave the mountains, we are firm believers of safety first.

Which makes you wonder, when it still looks crappy outside, who makes the decision that it's okay to fly the planes. The fog had lifted, but there were still substantial clouds hanging overhead with threatening overtones. One just has to have trust.

Finally, but with reserve, we took off. But what was worse than the weather in Lukla was the weather approaching Kathmandu. Just a word of advice. If you are a chicken shit like me, don't sit towards the front of the plane and try to guess why the pilot is looking worried about flying with no visibility.

But enough about that. We were so happy to arrive back at the Yak & Yeti with a toilet, a shower, food and soft bed. We didn't do much all day aside from indulging in these four things.

The next couple of days, we spent touring Kathmandu and it's surrounding sites. There are three famous public squares built by three prince brothers, all very similar with subtle differences in public purpose and aesthetic style in central Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan. We also saw:

Day One
-Swayambhanath, the monkey temple and the giant stupa of Boudhanath

Day Two
-the 4th century Changu Narayan Temple and the tallest temple in Kathmandu called Nyatapola
In addition, we walked through alleys and tons of neighborhoods taking in the city life of Kathmandu. Everyone and everything has a purpose, and each moving part is dependent on another. Of course, it is the same in our Western life, but here in Kathmandu, it seems more urgent. Or maybe because it is so different from life back home, it just seems that way.

We finished our evening with bacon and yak cheese pizza and Carlsberg beer at a place called Roadhouse in the Thamel district and with a full belly said our sad goodbyes to Nepal.