Boarding Gate 101

This live blog post continues where I left off after yesterday's Everest flight, then today and tomorrow's adventures. Due to time and logistical constraints I decided to cancel my trip to Lumbini, so I will just be exploring the holy sites around Kathmandu. November 26, 10am I went back to the hostel after getting some breakfast in Thamel, still high from the Everest experience. I've never thought that I would be able to see the highest mountain in the world - which I've only read about in books and National Geographic magazine and seen in movies - up close. The experience was indeed exhilirating. At the hostel I was to take a nap before meeting Erika again but I was invited to join the breakfast of two Irish backpackers who recently arrived, and we ended up chatting for quite some time. 11am I met with Erika and Jeric in their hotel in Thamel. Jeric is flying in a few hours so I will be accompanying Erika to Durbar square. 12pm We decided to ...

Continuing my live blog of the Nepal trip. The big event for Day 4 is Mount Everest. 4:30am I am so paranoid that I might oversleep and miss my flight that I set my 2 phones to alarm at certain intervals. I woke up at 4:30 then dressed up quickly. I went downstairs to get a cab. The trip was uneventful. 5:30am I am waiting at the Departures area to wait for boarding. The flight was a bit delayed, by about 15 minutes. 6:45 And we boarded and ready to fly. We are flying in a BuddhaAir Beechcraft 1900, an 18-seater prop plane. It only has 2 rows, sp everyone can get a window seat. I was seated at 9A which is at the back. 7:00am We are now airborne. I am so excited to be in this flight. We are going a circuit, and my side of the plane will get the first sight of the Himalayas. The stewardess was handing out a graphic showing all the mountains we can see. 7:30am The view is spectacular! The scale of the Himalayan range is astounding. As we approach Everest we ...

Continuing the live blog. On Day 2 now - currently in Nagarkot, then Bhaktapur and Kathmandu later. 7:30am We had breakfast at the hotel. The fog is still out so we may have to wait for a little longer to see the Himalayas. 8:30am Jeryc and I decided to walk and explore the village. Nagarkot is located around 35km from Kathmandu, with an elevation of about 1900 meters. If it weren't for the tourist activity the village would have remained sleepy. We met some locals along the way and went all the way to the bus station, which is almost at the edge of the village.  11:00am The fog lifted for a few minutes just to give me a glimpse of why Nagarkot is the best place to see the Himalayas. Finally, the money shot (the best I can do). 12:15 We left the hotel in Nagarkot. The car will bring me to Bhaktapur and then to Thamel for Erika and Jeric. 1:30pm I arrived in Bhaktapur, which is the cultural capital of Nepal and ...

Continuing the live blog of the trip. 1:45pm NST I just saw a glimpse of the Himalayas as the plane is preparing to land in Kathmandu. At first I thought it was a wisp of cloud, then I realized it is the mountain range. 2:15pm NST We landed in about 2pm local time. Immigration was a breeze I got my visitors visa right away. I exchanged some money and got a cab to my hostel in Thamel. 3:10pm I took some snaps of the city. Above are school kids leaving school. 3:30pm I got to my hostel - Elbrus Home. I liked it. The manager was very nice and attentive. I will be leaving for Bhaktapur to meet Erika there. 4:30pm From my hostel I got a taxi to bring me to Bhaktapur - a UNESCO World Heritage site - and from there, to go to Nagarkot. After agreeing on the price I got in and we set out. From there I managed to experience the traffic in Kathmandu. In one street there were people dancing, apparently to celebrate a wedding, which gridlocked the traffic on the st...

I will be live blogging my trip to Nepal and Malaysia this week, so check out this page for updates! Nov 23 4:47pm PST I am in NAIA Terminal 3 now, in line to have my travel documents checked by the airline. My flight is later in the evening to Kuala Lumpur but I find it prudent to be at the airport early, considering the chaotic Metro Manila traffic.   5:30pm PST I just cleared immigration and will head to the lounge to wait for the flight. 5:50pm PST Free food at Skyview Lounge :) 7:47pm PST Went to boarding gate 101 to wait for the flight to Kuala Lumpur. The plane will arrive there just after midnight. 8:46pm PST Taking off in a bit. November 24, 12:45am MST Arrived in Kuala Lumpur just after midnight and cleared immigration. My next flight is later at noon so I am checking in the capsule hotel to spend the night. 1:10am MST I checked in the capsule hotel and was able to settle in, got a shower then on for a few hours of nap. I am only b...