I am in the Jomsom airport with a group of RWI volunteers waiting for a plane to Jomsom. We are sitting on the tiled veranda of the airport. Machhapuchhre , is etched in the blue sky, its giant fishtail dusted in snow, its base painted in pink clouds.
Our flight was scheduled for 7:00 AM but wind conditions in Jomsom postponedthe flight.
10:33
Plane is on the Tarmac . We wait and wait. And wait.
11:00
Dawa, our guide, shows us a beat up old,white land rover we will use for the eight to ten hour drive to Jomsom if our flight is cancelled. It is a tedious route I had driven in reverse direction in a similar vehicle jammed with 12 volunteers last April. I had gotten ill and am not looking forward to the drive.
11:15
Our flight is cancelled.
11:20
Dawa comes to the deck where I am takin a photo of our group with Machhapuchhre in the background..
"Mr.Carl sir" he says , " we must return to the Tibet Resort for lunch."
"Is the transport picking us up there," I ask?
" Oh no, Mr Carl, sir. We must eat quickly and return to the Airport by 12:30. Our helicopter will leave then."
"Helicopter," I ask?
"Yes , sir, come sir" Dawa replies.
And so like a swarm of bees we set off buzzing.
"Helicopter," asks Katherine who flew 40 hours to join us last night.
"I thought we were taking a land rover," says Norman' somewhat nostalgic for the long bus rides he had taken across Nepal and India in the late 60's.
"Have you ever been in a helicopter," Mackenzie, our young Canadian asks Subass Gauli, our young volunteer from Nepal.
"No, no," he smiles. " Never."
Carl, What a journey you have embarked upon! A helicopter must have been an amazing experience over the Himalays!
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