After a few hours of delay in Kathmandu we finally were on our way to Lukla. I was losing hope when we were told to go through to the gate area. I did not want to celebrate until we actually landed in Lukla. This was the first time in several days that planes had actually departed for the airport that services the Khumbu Region and as such the domestic terminal in Kathmandu was more crowded than before.

We arrived in Lukla a happy bunch. Finally we were here. We ate a late lunch and started trekking. Immediately you can tell this is the Nepal of pictures. The weather was colder, the vistas were more, well alpine, there were glacial runoff streams, lots of pine trees, and waterfalls. We promptly registered ourselves as trekkers and started downhill. The weather was great. It was hard to believe how difficult it had been to make it here, but we knew right away we had made the right decision. We were in really good spirits. The next day we arrived at Namche Bazaar, after a mostly uphill day of trekking. On our way there we stole our first (and best, it would turn out) glances at Sagarmatha itself. For me the moment I saw Everest will always be unforgettable. After all the attempts I had finally seen it and I was pleased and at peace. Still we hoped we could see it from closer but that was not to be. The following day we decided to go to Syangboche instead of Tengboche as we were pressed for time and this vantage point (from the highest hotel in the world, the Everest View Hotel) was better than the other options we had. Unfortunately as we were approaching the view point the weather turned. We waited for hours, chatting, drinking tea, and eating. It was clear Sagarmatha had other ideas. Still we got great views of Ama Dablam, another beautiful mountain (more so than Sagarmatha itself, I would argue).

We spent another day in the region and then returned to Lukla. We got there earlier than anticipated so we went to an Irish pub and had some beers. (Word to the wise: when in Nepal stick with the local beers, a Nepalese Guinness, is not quite a Guinness). There was still a chance to get back to Kathmandu so we decided to try our luck. Instead of waiting until the next day we hopped on the last flight of the day (the plane was supposed to return without passengers). That decision turned out to be an interesting one as we spent the most authentic and fun evening of the entire trip in an unusual place.  But that is reserved for the final act.