Goodbye Kathmandu, Hello Family and Friends

I left Kathmandu and Nepal with mixed emotions as one might imagine. With all that had happened, I couldn’t help but reflect on it all, especially all who now needed help in so many ways. I felt like I was running from a problem I lacked courage to face.

As we gained altitude, the city became smaller and smaller till it vanished from my vision and then my mind. It was no longer a problem I was immersed in, and, curiously, my mind was quickly turning to more mundane things such as what might Thai Airways be serving for lunch, and what movie I may be interested in watching.  How quickly selfless thoughts and acts were replaced by the real me.  As I imagined the jagged peaks of the Himalayas now behind the clouds that obscured them from my view, I wondered what circumstances in the future might permit me to return.

After about three hours, we landed in Bangkok for a four-hour layover.  It was just after dusk and I couldn’t help but notice how much more illuminated the city was than Kathmandu.  It’s was a stark contrast to Nepal’s capital and its Third World status!  There were about eight of the original IMG group on the same itinerary as mine, at least to Inchon, Korea, but Andy Land and I ended up in the airport’s first-class lounge, since he was flying business class and had a special pass for a guest. The special pass came with a $32 price tag, but since we had a few hours to kill and I had access to unlimited food and drink and other amenities, I figured it was worth it.  It finally came time to board for the flight to Inchon.  Andy headed to the luxurious front of the plane and I shoe-horned myself into economy.

I looked forward to landing in Inchon because I had about nine hours of layover time and would be taking a free tour of a couple of the Buddhist temples around Inchon.  Judy had visited one on her way home and I was curious to see if it was one I remembered from my days there in 1974.  After we landed I found out I had time to take two tours.  The first one was a short, one-hour tour to a nearby temple I didn’t recognize. The second was a two-hour tour to a beautiful temple in Inchon proper, but again it didn’t seem familiar. In fact, nothing seemed familiar.  Downtown Inchon looked twice as big from a distance as downtown Los Angeles!  It took a while to recognize I hadn’t actually been in Inchon.  I had been in East Inchon.  It’s characterized much more by small one- and two-room homes crammed together over miles of rolling hills. I was sad I wouldn’t have time to visit there to relive memories.

I returned to the airport and eventually took a shower before boarding the long 11-hour flight to LA.  I loved the Inchon airport.  It is so high-tech! Unfortunately, it puts every other airport I’ve ever been in to shame. Way to go Korea!  I watched at least three movies and ate equally as many meals on the long flight and sat next to Andrew Polloczek, another of IMG’s Everest guides, and also one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.  He’s a German who left his homeland 13 years ago and currently lives in Kamas, Utah.  I didn’t meet an IMG guide I didn’t like, and Andy was no exception. Unfortunately, he worked most of the time with the Hybrid group (I was in the Classic group), and I just met him two weeks ago.  I would liked to have spent more time with him.

We finally arrived in LA and I anxiously called Judy to say I’d be on time and couldn’t wait to see her and everyone!  It wasn’t long, and I was there and had the best reunion ever!  It was such an honor to have my loving family there to greet me!  I had missed every one of them so much!  I well knew the anxiety I’d put everyone through, and the genuine relief I could see in their faces and eyes brought tears quickly to mine. Home never felt so good!