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06.04.18 Home: Final Thoughts
We made it. Just as Dave predicted, "the Universe would take care of us," and she did. The weather that had delayed our departure from Lukla finally broke and presented a small window of opportunity to shuttle us safely back to Kathmandu - where we spent two days recovering from our adventure and touring the city. Now that I'm sitting at home in my bedroom with blazing fast internet speed, I can share a few pictures of this wonderful city. These and a few others are posted on Facebook.
Buddha with the seven snakes protecting him from the rain. Taken near the royal palace.
Rhesus Monkeys grooming at the Monkey Temple.
The totally creepy Monkey God, Hanuman. Durbar Square, Kathmandu. This historic site took extensive damage in last-year's earthquake. The rubble has been cleaned up and support scaffolding erected, but no renovations have been started.
Some Final Thoughts:
Everest Base Camp is a difficult trek. It tests your psyche as much as it does your physique. A few things are certain if you choose to take on this trek:
1) you will be tired
2) you will get sick
3) you will learn to hate the food
4) you will learn to love the people
5) you will be overwhelmed with spectacular views
6) you will walk farther than you thought you could
7) you will acquire a new appreciation of everything you have
8) you'll be ready to get home by the end of the trek.
The Nepali people are some of the best hosts I have met in my travels. One of the hotel employees insisted that he show us Kathmandu and spent a few hours on his day off to show me and Sam Durbar Square. When I asked why everyone was so nice, he told me in Nepal, visitors are treated like gods. It's more than an irrational amount of hospitality however. Throughout our trip, there were numerous little incidents that reinforced both my opinion of the Nepali people, and my faith in humanity.
Being a first world traveler in a third world country is an odd experience. Having a background in economics, I tend to think in terms of per capital income, comparative standards of living, jobs and productivity, etc. I was keenly aware that my sunglasses cost the equivalence of one-month's salary for an average employed Nepali. My camera gear cost an annual salary. Our guide repeatedly told us to lock our tea house doors to prevent theft, but it wasn't the Nepali we were protecting our belongings from, it was the other tourists. Twice, when we accidentally dropped money on the ground, locals would pick it up and return it to us, even though they needed the money more, and it was only a few bucks to us. But there was the drone incident...
I decided at the last second to take my DJI quadcopter drone to get some cool video shots from above. Bad idea. Apparently, the rest of the world thinks drones are evil instruments of the devil and anyone who possesses one must be harassed and interrogated until they appropriately apologize for spying on them with these plastic death machines.
The Indian TSA Gestapo "inspecting" my drone for 30 minutes.
After convincing the Indian customs officers that I was not a spy, but merely an amateur photographer with cool toys, they let me leave New Delhi for Kathmandu - as long as I promised not to attack India with my electronic weapon. Kimberly sat and laughed at me while I tried not to be a smart ass - she also managed to get this picture without the authorities noticing (I was as annoyed as I look).
When we got to Namche a few days later, we hiked to the Everest Museum - which offered a nice vantage point to attempt my first drone flight. Trying not to be an annoyance to anyone, I launched from a hidden location below the park area and tried to get high enough so the whirling of the electric motors would not create a distraction. I was in the air for about 20 seconds when a small army of Nepalis converged on me, took my drone, and whisked me off to a make-shift tribunal to discuss my punishment. Long story short, they kept my drone and told me I could pick it up on my way out, as long as I promised not to attack them with my plastic toy. In hindsight, the park officials were simply doing their job and took care of my drone until I returned 10 days later and picked it up. For the record, I did not kill anyone with my drone, nor did I steal any major military secrets from India or Nepal.
And that's about it. I've had fun sharing some of my experiences with those who've taken the time to read the blog - and now it's time to get back to the real world. If you have any questions, shoot me an email and I'll see you on my next adventure.
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