Day 14 - Lukla to Kathmandu

Monday, 22 April 2013

Day 14 – Lukla (2,800m) to Kathmandu

Flight duration: 30 minutes

We got up at 5am to finish packing and get ready to leave for the airport. We were on the first flight out, but knew by now that the flight time didn’t mean anything. Basically you get yourself checked in well ahead of flight time, and wait for the plane, weather and everything else to clear for take off – that’s how it works in Lukla. And that’s how it went. We waited for more than an hour before our flight was called.

Plane at Lukla airport; not ready for take off

The short runway

I had read about the gradient of the runway, and actually thought the plane would make a little dip when it crossed the end of the runway before pulling up, but it didn’t happen like that at all. Basically the plane took off from the ground before it hit the end of the runway, so it was like any other take off. 

As the plane took off, I bid goodbye to this wonderful land of mountains that had given me so much over the last 13 days, and in many ways, changed me. I looked forward to bringing this experience home and sharing them with my loved ones. But more than memories, I hoped I was bringing home a better me. 

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