Pictures from Nepal

The caption for each picture is below the image. I don't know why the spacing is messed up on some of them.

Kathmandu

The airport at Lukla, this is where we started trekking.

Namche and Kongde Ri.

This was our first view of Mt Everest and Lhotse, Ama Dablam is on the right.

Tengboche Monastery

Island Peak, the route we climbed is around the right side.

Lobuche East, the second peak we climbed.

Ama Dablam at sunrise.

Brian and I on the summit of Island Peak.

Island Peak basecamp, our tent is the only green one.

Everest, Nuptse and the Khumbu Glacier from the summit of Lobuche East.

Our porters descending on Lobuche East.

Brian making friends.

Prayer flags on the way to Thame.

Everest, Lhotse and Makalu from Renjo La.





Ama Dablam

When I asked a passing guide what kind of goat this was he told me a "high mountain goat." It's actually called a thar.

This porter carried all our gear from Namche to Lukla.

Boudhanath, Kathmandu

This is the river we went rafting on for two days.

Riot police tenderly holding hands before they kick the crap out of some protestors.

Kathmandu from Swayambhunath.

Patan Durbar Square

Island Peak Summit

This video is from the summit of Island Peak.

Frustration in Kathmandu

I'm still stuck in Kathmandu but there may be light at the end of the tunnel. I've spent the last several days standing in various lines at various different airline offices being told various different things. I was originally supposed to fly with Thai Airlines back to Bangkok, but because Bangkok is still a mess thats not going to happen. Instead I was told that Thai Airlines would pay for a new ticket for me to a different airline hub, I'm trying for Hong Kong. So I ran all over the place trying to find a flight to Hong Kong, I finally found one on Royal Nepal Airlines and was told to go back to Thai to have them endorse my ticket. I waited at Thai airlines for 4 or 5 hours before I made it up to a ticket agent. The agent takes one look at my ticket and says "I can't do anything with this." A rather loud and protracted shouting match ensued where I very diplomatically explained to the man that it was in his best interest to make the ticket for me, he declined and I loudly voiced my disagreement with his incompetence, to no avail. After this little encounter I walked into a different section of the office, sat down and handed a different agent my paperwork. He took care of my ticket right away, no shouting, cursing or threatening required.

So I have a ticket out to Hong Kong on the 4th of December and then flights on to Taipei and Anchorage on the 5th. So I'm hoping that all that will get worked out and I should be back in Alaska by Friday morning. I'm looking forward to getting back there, it sounds like the snow is already piling up which means I need to get out my skis.