Everything But the Kitchen Sink

The final two weeks prior to leaving Denver was a blur of gathering gear, buying gear, ferrying gear to Pipestone, organizing gear and packing gear.  Multiple lists were kept by both of us so we could remember the final chores that had to get done and the last minute items that had to be purchased before we could get on that first plane.  In the end we packed 4 duffles weighing in at 198.6 pounds, two carry-on suitcases with all our medications, electronics, toiletries and clothing and two small backpacks for all that other junk you need when you travel.   It seemed as if we were taking everything but the kitchen sink to Nepal.

After dropping off the pups and eating dinner we were off to stay near the airport due to our 6:00 am departure.  We spent most of the evening downloading apps for the iPad, as well as books and music to entertain ourselves during the long rest days in the tent.  Finally after 7 months of planning, training, shopping, organizing and packing it was time to begin the adventure!

Thanks to a malfunctioning fuel gauge we left Denver International Airport 30 minutes late and on edge.  Thankfully the pilot was able to make up time in the air, and we landed at LAX on time.  One shuttle bus ride to another terminal and a quick blog post at the gate (see Antarctica) we boarded the Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong.  The upgrade to premium economy was worth its weight in gold as there were only 8 other passengers in our section of the plane!

Fifteen hours later we arrived in Hong Kong on a beautiful sunny afternoon.  We spent our three hour layover wandering throughout the spotlessly modern terminal, people watching and window shopping.  It felt wonderful to walk and stretch our legs after all of that sitting and sleeping.  We almost felt human again.

Little did we know that the last leg of the journey would be so difficult.  What should have been an easy 4 hour flight turned into a marathon.  We were unable to land in Kathmandu due to a thunderstorm and circled for over an hour before the captain decided we needed to refuel.  So we flew to Dhaka, Bangladesh, which took an hour, sat on the plane for an hour during the refueling and flew back to Kathmandu where we finally landed.  Instead of landing at 10:00 pm, we touched down at 2:30 am.  Ah, the joys of overseas travel!

We are thrilled to be here with all of our gear.  Looking forward to tomorrow and the next part of our adventure!