The Wrong Apple Pie

Lukla (9350 feet), 22nd October

Lukla's main street

Lukla main street

It was a luxury being able to sleep on a mattress indoors and not to have to go outside to use a loo.

There was no hospital facility in Lukla so Colin gave up his ticket so that the Sherpani could get on the flight and be taken to a hospital in Kathmandu. She was suffering from TB or a similar respiratory decease.

We agreed we would meet Colin on the next night in Rum Doodle. After all, we had to conquer those massive apple pies which had defeated each of us the first time around.

We had a funny moment at Lukla Airport. When our plane was ready for boarding, lots of people stepped forward, because there was no precise queuing place. Lee then announced in a commanding voice "Very sick Sherpani" - and thrust the poor Sherpani forward. All then stood aside to let the sick person be the first on the plane. Lee then placed the Sherpani on a seat and acquired for himself the best seat on the plane for mountain views (front right).

We had another smooth flight back to Kathmandu, where Sherpa Dawa was there to take us back to the Hotel Utse.

The worst thing was hanging around the Hotel Utse while they got rooms readied for us (because we had arrived fairly early in the morning). Once you come down from high altitude, where everyone is smelly and has been wearing the same clothes for days on end, your nose begins to work again and you get more self-conscious. We met Bronwen (Colin's daughter, Andy's wife) at this time, looking very fragrant. We were gently steaming and I still had on my plastic snowboots and bright red Yeti gaiters - not exactly suitable clothing for Kathmandu.

Bronwen was delighted that we had managed to get out, because rumours abounded that people had been trapped high on Mera in the last couple of days, with between 3 and 6 people killed and others rescued by helicopter.

We came face to face with mirrors for the first time for over two weeks. My God, my nose! It looks like I have been the visiting punchbag at a boxers' gym. And when we met later, the main point of conversation was how long we had spent in the showers.

Next day Lee, Nicky and I went to Patan, the city to the south of Kathmandu. This was a wonderful place, especially the museum.

We couldn't stay too long, we had to get ready for the big Rum Doodle apple pie eating requirement in the evening.

We also saw the Himalayan Kingdoms client 'Jim' who had been in such difficulties at altitude. The strange thing was he looked just as uncomfortable now!

We felt depressed in Rum Doodle. If we had summitted, we would have been entitled to sign one of their big yeti's foot menus and hung it on the wall.

As it was, we hadn't got to the top, although we had certainly had our share of adventures.

A tourist again in Patan

A tourist again in Patan

The Wrong Apple Pie

Once the main courses were over, we all ordered the apple pie. When it arrived we saw that it was a generous portion, but not the lion sized one which we had dreamed of.

At length it came to us, it had been the other restaurant, the Northfields Café, which had had served up the giant apple pie that none of us had finished, not Rum Doodle. But now it was too late and we were due to leave for home first thing tomorrow.

What an ill-fated expedition! We had even scaled the wrong apple pie.

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