Day 3: Lukla to Ghat
Starting Point: (27.6881, 86.7314)
End Point: (27.7236, 86.7136)
Total Miles: ~2.5 miles (2 hours)
Finally got connected to WiFi - so going to do a proper update for today!
This morning woke up early to catch a flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. The flight into Lukla is considered the most dangerous in the world, located on a mountainside, the runway is only 500m long and it’s one plane in and out at a time.
From here is where it all begins. We got off the plane and then met our guide at a lodge in town. It was here that I found out that my bag had been left behind in Kathmandu and that it would be coming via helicopter later in the day.
We began our trek - a fairly short intro day that helped us acclimatize to the altitude. It was a fairly easy rolling path, and it was really beautiful to see the rhododendron forests and the peaceful sound of the Dodh Kosi River flowing along the trail.
We finally reached our camp in the afternoon and I was starting to feel a bit dodgy. I went to lay down for a bit and when I woke up, I felt nauseous and had a bad headache. I talked to the guide and I had early symptoms of acute mountain sickness - I had to hydrate, rest, and take it slow the rest of the evening. At this point, I made the decision to start taking Diamox and I will continue taking it for the rest of the trip.
I felt a little light-headed going into the evening, but I took a short hike to help get my heart pumping hoping that it would help improve my oxygen levels.
There was a quiet trail close by and it was lined with prayer flags and Mani stones - holy symbols of the Buddhist religion that are inscribed with the phrase, “Om mani padme hum” which translates to “The jewel in the lotus” - symbolizing the transition into enlightenment. You are reminded of the holiness of this place with every step, and I am not taking it for granted. The energy along this trek is different than anywhere I have been.
My evening ended with a dinner of Dal Bhat, the Nepalese national dish of rice and lentils, and then I went off to bed where I had a pretty restless night.
Tomorrow, we trek to our next camp in Monjo!
