Everest 2006: Fi and Paul: Downtown Lukla

Location: Lukla
Altitude: 2830m
Local Time: 7pm, 29th May
Weather: Low cloud and rain on and off, 12C

Hi, it's Mary here.

Life in Lukla
We were so excited when we finally trekked into Lukla late yesterday afternoon. We were looking forward to a shower (shower outside and solar heated).....oh sorry....too cloudy to heat the water!

At our Lodge we met up with many other people from IMG- sherpas, climbers and admin staff. We had a fun dinner in a relaxed dining room. Most of us went to bed early as we had to be up and ready to board our plane at 6am this morning.

"Bright eyed and bushy tailed" we were ready! ..........but alas.....at
the cloud cover was very heavy and it still hasn't lifted .....we are STILL here at 6pm!

The small plane we were due to fly out on has to fly in from Katmandu first, but as these planes fly without instruments, they cannot fly in cloudy weather and unfortuately it has been cloudy and then wet all day!

Checking out Town
Lukla is like many of the Nepalese villages we have seen, but unlike others, it is built around an airport which is "protected" by a large unit of armed soldiers.

Lukla has one narrow stone street which is shared by people - stall holders, young kids playing among timber or piles of stones, school children (amazingly clean in their uniforms), chickens, dogs and yaks!

Killing Time
We are filling in our day by chatting, reading, laughing and playing cards- Paul won, followed closely Fiona in the the card challenge today (and the worst thing is that I taught them the game!)

Hopefully the sun will shine tomorrow morning and we will fly out to Kathmandu, change our tickets and head back home......(fingers crossed!).

That's all for now,
Mary

Updates

Millet One Sport Everest Boot for Spring 2009 has made some minor changes by adding more Kevlar. USES Expeditions / High altitude / Mountaineering in extremely cold conditions / Isothermal to -75°F Gore-Tex® Top dry / Evazote Reinforcements with aramid threads. Avg. Weight: 5 lbs 13 oz Sizes: 5 - 14 DESCRIPTION Boot with semi-rigid shell and built-in Gore-Tex® gaiter reinforced by aramid threads, and removable inner slipper Automatic crampon attachment Non-compressive fastening Double zip, so easier to put on Microcellular midsole to increase insulation Removable inner slipper in aluminized alveolate Fiberglass and carbon footbed Cordura + Evazote upper Elasticated collar. Expedition footwear for mountaineering in conditions of extreme cold.  NOTE US SIZES LISTED. See more here.

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