Nepal Postscript

2014-06-02 17.47.19

Annapurna South

As you can probably tell, I love to travel, and part of what make travel so enjoyable is coming home. I am now home at last, with a head full of incredible memories of awe-inspiring mountains, the lakeside, tourist town of Pukhara, the humid, elephant-filled jungle lowlands of Chitwan National Park and the teeming city of Kathmandu.

Kunmig airport

The Modern Kunming Airport

I don’t know if I believe the slogan, “Getting there is half the fun”, but I can tell you this, getting home is a pain in the ass . . . literally! For us, it clearly won the battle of ‘the one bad day’ . . . or two. We were picked up at our hotel in Kathmandu at 1:30 on Friday afternoon (That’s around midnight on Thursday back on the left coast) for a 4:30 flight from Kathmandu to Kunming, China. We arrived there around 7:30 p.m. and had to pick up our checked baggage, as it could not be sent directly from Kathmandu to Los Angeles. Unfortunately our connecting flight to Shanghai, China wasn’t until 8:00 the next morning, so we had ‘a few’ hours to kill at the airport – like all night! We thought about going to a nearby hotel, but then decided we’d just tough it out and hang at the airport. After we wandered through all the shops, eateries and restrooms, we cozied up to an airport bench with our backpacks and luggage and tried, in vain, to get some sleep. The next morning we departed at 8:00 and arrived in a very smoggy Shanghai around 11:00 a.m. We then had about two hours to kill before departing for Los Angeles at 1:00 p.m. After an 11 hour flight, we arrived in LA at 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning. I don’t think Patrick is going to let me book anymore of his flights.

For those keeping score at home, that’s crossing through 11 time zone and the International Date Line for a total of 36 hours from start to finish! Now that I’m in the comforts of my own home, I like to say that it wasn’t that bad – but it actually was.

2014-06-04 01.53.33

Those Damn Stone Steps

I think the message was clear from the blogs posted over the last two weeks that our favorite part of the trip was our time spent in the Himalayas – the scenery, the people, our time with Dom and Kirin and that feeling of exhaustion at the end of the day that was only relieved by a hot shower and a cold beer.

Each time I posted over the last two weeks, a Jimmy Buffett lyric echoed in my head and helped me realize why I love to travel and write:

“If you ever wonder why you ride this carrousel,

You do it for the stories you can tell”

So thank you Jimmy and thank you to all who followed us on our adventure and particularly those who took the time to comment on the blog – it’s always good to hear from home. I did try to respond to them all, but our schedule and connectivity issues wouldn’t allow, but I did read, and sincerely appreciated every one.

Thanks to sister Suzanne, who I’m sure edited and cleaned up my posts and kept me abreast of what was going on back home.

Thank you to Patrick, for taking two weeks off work to join me – I couldn’t have had a better trekking and travel companion. We spent 24/7 x 2 together and we’re still friends . . . I think.

Jimmy

Inspired by Jimmy Buffett

My biggest THANK YOU goes to my wonderful wife, Linda, who surprised me with this amazing trip for my 70th birthday. I have to admit that Kathmandu was not on my rather extensive ‘Bucket List’, but it turned out to be the adventure of a lifetime. I love you Linda and you cannot know how much this trip meant to me.

 

 

10 comments on “Nepal Postscript

  1. Thanks for sharing you trip it sounds like you had a great trip. I have one question did you wear your pink shirt ?

    Bill

  2. We had a great time following your amazing adventure! Glad you made it home safely. Let’s try and get together and have a glass of wine or beer and catch up.
    Your long tone friends, Sue & Dennis

  3. Welcome home, Bob! What a wonderful adventure…I printed all your blogs so I can re-read them on the occasion that I might need a good laugh! You are VERY funny! I can’t wait to hear all about the stuff you couldn’t write about and know you have lots of pictures to share!!! Good job, Linda!!!

  4. Thank you so much for sharing your journey. The commentary & humor were great……made me want to do the trip….

  5. Yes, coming home was a horror story! Wonder what your wife will do for your 71st bday? Thanks for taking all of us on this amazing trip!

  6. Welcome home BOB SPARROW!!!!!!! Sounds like getting home was the biggest adventure of the trip!!!!! Glad you’re back to civilization!!! Thank you for sharing the two week journey with us!!!! It was amazing!!!!! That last paragraph brought tears to my eyes!!!!!!!! Can’t wait for your next trip!!!! Now on to the mysterious “Tape”!!!!!! I’m still on the edge of my seat!!!!!!

    • Thanks Caro! Scove! Good to be home and thanks for ‘joining’ us – really appreciate you comments. ‘The Tape’ will be coming soon to a theater near you!

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