Category: The Road to Recovery

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Homeward Bound

I awoke as my plane came to a smooth landing in Kuala Lampur. It was about 5am local time, and I had slept most of the flight.  Still undecided about my next move, I passed through Malaysian immigration and sat at a coffee shop, pretty content. It was startling to be back in the regular functioning world again.  My options were to head on with my travels to Thailand, do some more diving and let what had happened set in.  The other being, head back to Vancouver, passing through Hong Kong, where I would stay with my friends Hollie and Chris again. I had given Hollie the heads up that I may be arriving this very day.

I sipped my coffee and went with my gut. It was time to go home. I could not face the thought of a 8-9 hour bus ride, or any other of the many less fantastic occurrences of SE Asian travel. My patience was fried.  So that was it. I found the Air Asia desk, and bought a ticket in two hours time to HK. I messaged Hollie and she was happy to pick me up at the airport. Back on the airplane I went for another 4 hours.

When I arrived, I was again in awe of the normal activity of life. The HK airport is quite busy and large. All of these people were just going about their business, flying all over the world to continue the living of life. The horrors of Nepal, likely just another piece of news that had come and gone.  I didn’t judge them, but it really drove home the feeling that we do an atrocious job of taking care of each as human beings, but I digress.

First up, I sat down at McDicks and had a big mac combo. My first meal back in the new world. Not gunna lie, it was delicious. Hollie rolled in, and we made our way back to her apartment. Back where my journey had begun almost exactly 4 months earlier.  That first couple days, I could only imagine what things would unfold before passing back through. At times I felt I would be on the road forever. But for now, the story was written, all but a couple closing pages.

It was fantastic to see her. She is a friend from my young days in Cape Breton, and because of that had a unique understanding of my experience. I told the crazy tales of the earthquake, and later Chris would join us after work, again relieving my adventure with him.  But I was exhausted. Being the unbelievable hosts that they always are, they offered me their bed to sleep. They insisted, and I had a sleep I could only dream about. Out like a rock.

The next morning they had ordered the Mayweather/Pacquio boxing match, and 2 other friends were coming over to watch. I managed to get up and join them.  We watched the match, and I was reminded what a pathetically messed up world we live in. These guys were pulling something like 100 million to punch each other in the face. Meanwhile $100 would go a long way in Nepal to provide some food and water.  Capitalism at it’s finest.

Despite some challenging emotions, it was really great to see these friends of mine. I needed to worry about me for a bit, and let the world take care of itself. Next up was to get my flight to Vancouver sorted. My Cathay flight was not until a month later, so I tried to reschedule. They would not do it. I pleaded that I just fled that earthquake and needed to get home. Nope. More Capitalism at its finest.  They wouldn’t put me on a fight earlier than a week later.  So I bit the bullet, and bought a one way ticket back.

For our last day together, we all hopped on the ferry for a day trip, and had some beers with some of their friends that were in town. Fellow Cape Bretoners, we all exchanged some travel stories over beers.  I must say I was in a bit of a state of shock still. The traumatic experience had taken its toll and I was slowly returning to my normal form. It was however, a great afternoon with friends.

The next day, I packed my bags up for the last time, bid farewell to my dear friends Hollie and Chirs, who took great care of me, and prepared for the flight home to Vancouver. I stared myself down in the mirror. I had lost over 20 lbs since I began.  A seeming infinite stream of thoughts passed through my mind. I hopped in my last cab ride of this great adventure, and soon was at my familiar gateway of the Hong Kong Airport.  I was passing through Tokyo for a layover, but a few Sapporros and a sleeping pill later, and the 16 hour journey was behind me.  We landed in Vancouver on a nice spring morning.  Back home again.

Stay tuned for a closing remarks entry.

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Tough Goodbyes

I boarded a flight from Biratnagar to Kathmandu, sometime around 9pm. What was in store for us in this city we had feared passing through? One hour later we would find out. The plane circled a darkened city, with spotty lights as we came in to land. It was a heavy feeling looking below at this city that had been so devastated.  We landed smoothly, grabbed our bags, and sought some transport to the hotel. First up however, I had been told to try and find the Canadian representatives at the airport, to see if I could get on the military flight, that was now finally leaving the next morning.  No luck.  Venn asked a cab driver to take us to Thamel, but he refused. He was still scared of that area, and thought there was a big crack in the road. Onto the next guy, who had no issue.

We drove through the town, and it was deserted. Some building were destroyed, some people sleeping on the sides of roads and in open areas. But we did not see the carnage that was on TV. Other than damage to walls and a few downed buildings, everything was in relatively good shape. Soon we arrived in Thamel. A usual madhouse of bikes, cars, motorbikes, and people. It had a eerie calmness to it. All shops were closed, and only a few roamed around. The hotel was next, and it was in perfect shape. A newer building it had stood up to the violent shaking the earth had thrown at it.  The owners welcomed us, reassured us, and took us to a clean beautiful room. Running hot water, air con, and fully functional fast Wifi.  How was any of this real?  Venn took a shower for possibly 30 minutes. The journey had taken its toll on us, and it seemed we had made it to safety.

I called Tina, and my sisters, and talked about the madness of the previous week. I assured them things were fine and I’d be out of Nepal soon. Venn and I set out to find some food. Worst fears were there would be none. Instead, we found a delicious Indian restaurant open across the street. It was where I had eaten each day before the trek to build my strength. We sat to live music, and a beautiful atmosphere while we stuffed our faces with food. I had not had meat in 11 or 12 days, so the chicken curry with naan was indescribable. We had a toast over a beer to our success, and a somber moment to think about all of those that did not make it.  I stared straight up at an almost full moon, and thought back to when I was a child staring at the moon in my back yard in Nova Scotia.  Lifetimes had passed in between, but it was still the same moon.  Venn and I discussed that this would be our last meal together. The next day he would head to his parents’ village to help his family cope with the disaster that had claimed many homes there.  To say I was conflicted does not capture the emotion. I was fleeing this land back to my first world safety. This was his life, his people, his home. For the moment I enjoyed the time we had left.

That night I booked a flight for two days time with Thai airways to Bangkok. I was hedging my bets on getting out, and the airport still had not seen many days of full service. I was not as worried now, as staying in Kathmandu was safe and things were coming back to life.  In the morning, I got a call from the Canadian embassy asking if I wanted to board the military flight. They were heading to New Delhi, India and allowing only a small carry on bag. It was up to us to find transport onward.  I shocked myself when I said no, but I did.  I booked another flight that night to Kuala Lampur. Nothing onward. Just to KL for now. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Continue my trip abroad, or head home to Canada. So many emotions were flowing through me so I did not make a decision.

Around noon, I bid farewell to my dear brother Venn. We had lived through life and death together, and I could hardly imagine the journey that still lie ahead for him. A strong embrace and he was off.  Walking down his path, as I had to walk down mine.

The hotel staff gave me a surgical mask to filter the air. There was fear of disease after so many had died.  It was a lovely day outside. The district was coming back to life some, and the familiar sounds were in the air, a bit more faint than usual, but present. I just walked the strip as I had before and soaked up the atmosphere of such a unique moment. At lunch, a group of hippie backpackers in bare feet and classic Thai elephant pants talked of heading to other Nepal cities to continue their trips as though everything was fine.

The day passed by, and as dark rolled in, I got a drive to the airport to catch my flight. I bid the staff a sincere best wishes.  At the airport, things were running perfectly. Before I knew it, I had been stamped through immigration, and had a boarding pass in hand.  On the other side, I again was reunited with the Aussie crew I’d been with on day one. We smiled and talked again about the journey. They coincidentally were on the same flight as me to KL. Also, the American guys were there. They were heading to Koh Tao in Thailand and invited me to come. I told them I’d decide when we arrive in KL.

I was filled with relief that I can’t describe. The unknowns were now behind me. The path from point A to point B had finally been filled.  3 hours later, as we sped down the runway and lifted off, I looked down at the country below facing such hardships. I felt great relief for being safe, and great sorrow for the good people of Nepal that had helped me when they themselves were in dire need.   I thought of Fernanda and Andres who were still on the ground. I thought of the giant rocks of the wall that had missed me by 5 feet. I thought of the New Zealander I saw carried away, along with all those that died. I thought about my sisters, Tina and The Pooh, who all I could not wait to see.  And of course I thought about my parents. How would they ever have dealt with this crazy story…  I had set out to find an adventure when I came to Nepal, but in the end the adventure came to fine me.

I slept like a brick for every second of that flight.

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Patience is a Virtue

The first morning in Lukla was filled with hope. Our nerves were less frazzled, the weather was clear, and as far as we knew, we may be flying out to Kathmandu today.  Not bad given where we’d come from.  However, the weather quickly moved in, and by noon, all flights had been cancelled for the day. Not an uncommon occurrence up here, but disheartening nonetheless.

Our time quickly started to become all about the people around us. We all had fascinating stories of what we’d been through.  Andres and Fernanda ran into a friend they had met high up on the trail. They were uncertain about the fate of some of these friends whom had been heading to actual base camp the day of the quake. This girl had a wild story. She had rolled her ankle and was stuck in Pheriche.  This was the drop of point for bodies, and injured from base camp. With no medical training herself, she helped doctors with stitches, wrapping wounds and setting broken bones.  Also, she helped settle those that had not been so lucky. It was brave story among a sea of crazy tales.

An american girl we’d befriended also was interviewed by CNN, as some foreign media made their way to the town on supply planes to cover the story.  An Indian reporter settled at our hotel. He interviewed me and a couple others, and happily sat and listened to the stories we all needed to tell.  A duo of American guys told of having severe food poisoning the day of the quake, being tied to a donkey, and led down the trail while one of them…well, shat himself many times over.  A side of humor I suppose, but a pretty awful experience.  Casually, a group wandered into a coffee shop, and talked of being lifted from Camp 2 on actual Everest, after the path below had been wiped out. It all became quite commonplace to hear these stories. But casual they were not.

Word of casualties rolled in, and we were all humbled by the horrors down below, and up above. I had been spared any gory sights of injured or dead, until I turned my head and saw a body wrapped in white sheets being carried to the airport. He was a young New Zealander whom had made his last adventure. It could have been any one of us…

That day, I began the logistics of a spy game with Global Rescue. My sister informed me that they were trying to contact me, and figure out a plan of escape. They’d set up shop in Kathmandu and were trying to get a rep into Lukla.  My sister told me to go find a man named Tashi Sherpa, who would be at a coffee shop by the airport. Hmm, very interesting. Just like a real life role playing game, Venn and I set out to find this Tashi Sherpa.  Venn asked around, and sure enough, a man poked his head out of a kitchen and said “I’m Tashi Sherpa!” I told him I was with Global Rescue and he said, ok, I’ll get you on a plane. Lol, wow, that was pretty weird… We gave him Venn’s phone number and went to the hotel to wait. What luck! This was foiled however as the weather moved in and flights were cancelled. We soon had a call from their headquarters in the US.  I was reassured they had me on their list to help out. Another surreal experience.

We were hearing horrible reports of the state of Kathmandu. The news made it look like the city was leveled.  There were reports of a 3 mile long lineup of tourists trying to get into the airport, with no food or water to be had.  Lukla was paradise compared to these stories, but it was still the only way out, for the entire country. A severe bottleneck, as the runway was damaged, and at best of times, only services around 8 airplanes at once.  It seemed as though leaving the country may take a long time.

The time passed slowly, but another night came, and with it another morning.  More and more trekkers were filling up Lukla, and there was an aura of unease in the air, wondering how our supplies would last.  I had finally heard from the Canadian embassy. They emailed all Canadians in the country an updated plan. The embassy was standing and we were welcome to go there if we get to Kathmandu.  Kathmandu, the city that according to the news reports was in ruins. They also had planned a military jet to evacuate Canadians. It was due to leave this day, and I was hopeful to get out.  I told them, if I get there, I’m on it, and once again we waited for the planes.  Again, the weather settled in, and flights ceased for the day. There were so many people here now, it seemed like it might actually take weeks to get us all out.  Global Rescue kept in touch, and I let them know my status. I finally managed to pick up a Nepal cellphone for cheap, so they could contact me directly. However, when they called, often it would reroute to a random Nepal family.  The system was in bad shape.  That evening, our makeshift family had dinner together and splurged on a drink. We cheered to our health, and we all were in good spirits.

The next morning would be my last through some stroke of luck. It began as usual, standing over the runway waiting for the first plane to arrive. I had a new attitude today to just sit around and relax and expect nothing. Venn however, wanted us to go to the airport and get a bit more aggressive with our seats. It seemed clear he was getting a bit of the runaround from his friend with tickets. We pushed into the sea of people all trying to do the same thing at the airport, and it didn’t take long to decide it was hopeless.  I left, and met up with my Chilean family at our restaurant of choice, Hot Momo ( momos are a local dish )!  We had a good view of the airport, and watched many planes come and go. At least some people were getting out, which was good for all of us. What was not good, was there was no wifi for the first day in Lukla. This was quite frustrating as this was our only lifeline to our friends and family.

While sitting at Hot Momo, I got a text from my sister on my ancient Nepal phone. It told me I had a flight in 2 hours. This was not enough information, how would I find this flight? With what airline?  I tried to text her back, old school style, and nothing got through.  As I was giving up, my phone rang… Crackling on the other end, “Steven..? Steven..? If you can hear me, you have to find Hassan from Global Rescue. He’s looking for you, and has a flight for you. He is a short stocky black man, with a global rescue hat on. If you can hear me, find Hassan!”.  She could not hear me however, so I told the Chileans Global Rescue was back on, grabbed my pack and ran back to the hotel. It was confirmed that some guy was looking for me, and I headed to the airport to find him. He was also suffering from the same failed service, and no way to contact me.  I did not see him on first pass.  I ran back to the hotel, got Venn and we went to look again.

As we walked in, Venn was greeted by his young friend who was handling the tickets. Venn had a quick few words with him, and suddenly turned to me and said, “You have a ticket out, but no guides today”.  It was tough but Venn understood I had to leave. We made our way to the area where we check bags ( picture an old warehouse, not an airport ).  Just as I was pushing through the crowd, sure enough, who did I bump into. A stocky black man with a Global rescue hat on. “Hassan?” I asked. “Yes, I’m Hassan”. I told him my name and he said they had chartered a plane to leave later that day. He had two seats booked for me.  Wow, fantastic.  Literally, as he turned away, Venn’s friend put 2 other tickets in my hand and was grabbing my bag.  Wait, wait, which one do I take? If this one fails, I’ll be back at square one again. Maybe it’s best to go later with Global Rescue, where the hell did Hassan go?!!  Just as I was about to lose my ticket, I saw Hassan, explained the situation, and he said to go with them, as I’m more likely to get out today.  So, that was it. The kid checked our bags, and Venn and I both had a ticket in hand. We went through security, and joined the herd on the other side, desperately hoping the weather would hold and planes would come and go.

It was a huge step forward, but as we quickly learned, many had been in the stage in previous days and not gotten out. Ok, we sit and wait.  I saw many familiar faces. A large group of older Australians I had been with on day one in Tengbouche was there. We caught up on how we’d made it this far, and wished each other luck.

I had a ticket for Tera airlines, flight #3, but as most things in Lukla, it didn’t mean anything. Tera planes would land, people would squish to the door, and a guy would yell, “Tera airlines number 4!”. Next time was number 1. Somebody forgot to count… So each time a plane came in, we awaited to find out if this was our plane.  It was stressful to be so close. A couple hours went by, and we watched the place slowly empty. Holding things up also, a huge Indian army helicopter was landing and taking away Indian nationals. The chaos was very present as people ran out and tried to hop on, only to be pushed away by soldiers. It was intense.

Another element in question was where we would actually fly to. Our ticket said Kathmandu, but others were flying to Biratnagar, a larger town in the south where bigger planes could land. We were notified KTM had a power outage and all flight would be sent to Biratnagar. Fine, anything to get out of the mountains.  The moment finally came. Tera airlines #3 was called, and just as weather was setting in. Venn and I patted each other backs, and climbed into the tiny little craft. The moment we thought would never come was happening. I was elated, despite the terrifying take off from the Lukla runway. I listened to music and looked at the beautiful scenes below. A moment I will never forget.

45 minutes later, we landed in a very flat, very hot city of Biratnagar. I had no idea what the plan was, but I took my winter clothes off, and joined some friend on the grass while Venn argued with ticket people to get us onward. All the faces were there, including the 2 American’s who were food poisoned. A couple hours later, Venn had managed to book us onto a Kathmandu flight. It was now late in the evening. We were finally going to see what Kathmandu had in store for us.  He’d called my hotel that had my bag, and they claimed all was fine and we had a room for the night.

Come back to hear the final conclusion of my Nepal adventure.

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There Must be Some Kind of Way Out of Here…

Despite our aftershock during the night, we all managed to pack in a reasonable sleep. Not surprising after the toll the previous few days had taken on us. We awoke, gathered our things, and after a decent breakfast hit the trail again. The weather was beautiful and we were hopeful to find out more information once we got to Lukla.  Before we left, I was able to use a local cell phone to call my sister, Margaret. I told her the plan, and that I loved her. As we started our hike, we ran into a local solider, assigned to oversee the area.  He was clearly shaken, and had heard that the barracks at other villages had collapsed. He wanted to go help his friends but was bound to his duty. We offered some condolence and shook hands before continuing.


The hike was more of the same. We made a steady pace, and had our plan set if we heard falling rocks, or if another aftershock hit. For the most part the path was solid and without any incident.  Occasionally we would see a giant dent in the path, only to look below and see one of those boulders the size of houses we had heard so much about.  It kept us alert, as a reminder we could be crushed into mush at any moment.  Our only main obstacle was a section completely wiped out by a landslide. We had a look around, and it was clearly not safe to walk along the main area.  After some snooping around, we saw some foot prints hiking straight up, over and around the section. It tested our nerves, as the entire area still looked as though it could give way. We hurried along, and soon rejoined the main path in a safer area.  A mere 5 hours or so later we were passing through the main gate marking Lukla, our goal.

The town was in great shape. Minimal damage to buildings, and the 3 story hotels looked solid. Reassuring, as we anticipated needing all the space possible for tired trekkers seeking refuge. Our first goal was information. Now as westerners, you might expect some level or organization, or authority tracking people coming in, and offering some information. Nope. Nothing. This is not the western world. There was nobody in charge, nobody we could see anywhere that was monitoring the capacity or the town.  Just a few trekkers mulling about.

The first stop was the airport. We had seen one plane fly out while we hiked, and had pipe dreams of the possibility of just strolling into a flight to Kathmandu. The airport was a busy cluster f$%#.  I headed to the check in counters to solicit some information, but after chatting with some folks getting ready to fly, managed to deduce the following. I was never going to fly anywhere.  Barely any fights were moving. Most of the pilots had not reported to work as they were possibly dead in Kathmandu, or dealing with a destroyed home.  They were trying to just service tickets that had been purchased for the current day, and well my ticket was for May 9th, 12 days later….

Andres had a bit better news, relatively speaking.  We could just outright buy new tickets for 4 days later, and hope we get out then. Not exactly flowing in cash, I held off on this option hoping things would start becoming more flexible as the emergency situation became more apparent.  So with the wind taken out of our sails we left the airport, and looked for accommodation. The town was still not that busy, so we needed to snatch up something that could hold us for at least a week or more.  Some other trekkers had suggested joining their tent camp in a safe open area near where the helicopters land.  Tents were expensive however, so we landed a room in the hotel directly over looking the run way. The building looked great, they had food, wifi and showers ( if the sun shines ).

Now that shelter was acquired, we did some exploring.  Settling in at a quaint coffee house above the airport, we saw our first glimpse at TV coverage. CNN showing off the horrible state of Kathmandu.  It didn’t calm our nerves much to say the least.  I emailed Venn to try and pin down his location, and was relieved to hear he was nearby already settled into a hotel. I went to find him, and we hugged in celebration of our safety.  He also informed me, he got our flight changed, and if a full day of planes go out the next day we should be able to be on the end of day flights.  Great news, maybe this would all just go smoothly ( snicker…).

We were in relative comfort, and also were making friends, and seeing familiar faces from the trail come into town. It was a strange vibe, as nobody knew when we’d get out, and if more danger was looming. However, our immediate threat level seemed to be appeased, and that alone was a huge relief.  Also a relief, was a somewhat steady internet source. It was very comforting to be able to message friends and catch up on the crazy social media traffic I had created. Quite surreal.  Along with catching up, my sister informed me to make contact with the company she had hired to get me out, Global Rescue. She thought I may be able to get helicoptered out.  We had heard at $5000 a ride people were getting lifted out. I didn’t pursue this, as there was a limited supply of choppers, and people in need of help were still being lifted off the trail. It felt very wrong to try and sneak my way in front of somebody in worse shape.  But this would set forth a interesting saga with Global Rescue.

That first night we slept in the common area of our hotel on the floor, in fear of more rumbles, but things went fine. Also, we all slept well, and had showered.  We awoke at sunrise to what appeared to be a clear morning. The Lukla bell went off signaling the first incoming flight, so we sat back and waited to see our fate.

However, it was not going to be that easy to get out.  Stay tuned to hear how I finally managed…

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Decisions, Decisions

The morning after the earthquake came early. I slept in my full clothes, with my boots just beside me for a quick leap out the window if needed. No need.  My Japanese-American friend was a bit down from my feet, and the first to shuffle awake at 5:30. The light was starting to rise outside, and a few of the Nepalese were already getting up and ready to prepare some food and drinks.  Venn slept behind me, with just a hotel blanket around him, so I took my extra and put it over him.  The dedication of these guys was truly amazing. The previous day, Venn was able to confirm his family was safe, but his family homes had been badly damaged along with most of his village.  Still, he smiled genuinely, and asked how I was doing with sincere concern. This kindness was the norm for these people. A true, caring, beautiful spirit was prevailing among them even with the uncertainty that lie ahead.

We all slowly awoke, and mulled about as one usually does, but pondered what this day would hold.  I spoke with two friends from Chile, whom I had talked quite a bit with the night before. Fernanda and Andres were a 28 year old couple who had hiked 10 hours from Gorak Shep on earthquake day. They saw the damage in the above villages. The day before, they completed their trek to base camp just 24 hours before it was hit by the devastating avalanche.  They were strong, confident, and we decided to hike together today. Not to mention, they had lived through the insanity of an 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile.  Experts as far as I was concerned!

The decision was to head down. Almost all agreed. Down the trail we would find more information, and the only way out of the region, whenever that might occur.  We were fearful of a mad rush to Lukla, where it could be overrun with people, and possibly short on supplies after a few days. However, we were also well ahead of many people higher up, so 2 days to Lukla was the plan. Today we would pass through Namche, evaluate our options, and possibly continue down to Phakding.  Facing another 7-8 hours of hiking was not ideal, but nothing about this situation was.

We ate what we could, packed up, and said our well wishes to each other. Almost 24 hours together had already created a bond between us that is hard to describe.  Around 8 am, Venn, Fernanda, Andres and I began our hike back to Namche.  It went smoothly for the most part. The weather was clearing, and as we descended in altitude it got warmer.  The bitter dampness of Tengboche becoming a fading memory. It was hard to believe just one day ago, I was hiking up this path struggling with negative thoughts about relative trivialities. How quickly things can change.

We made good time, but we were forced to take a longer route to Namche, through the town of Khumjung. The main path runs along the side of a steep mountain, and some Sherpas who were hiking down from base camp told us that boulders the size of houses were still falling down the mountain, and it was very dangerous that way.  Ok. No need to get crushed to oblivion. We can take the longer route over the top of the mountain. This would add 1.5-2 hours.  Safety first. This group also shared some horrible stories. They were just off to the side of the avalanche at base camp. They had some injured friends on horses, attempting to get them to a hospital.  The state of shock was apparent as we all stoically traded our stories like any other day. I told them I was glad they were ok and we parted ways.

Also along the way, we would pass groups still heading up the mountain. In awe, we would ask them, “where are you going?”.  They were naively attempting to continue their trek. The lack of information from village to village now quite clear, I explained to them the state of things above.  People had come from far away, and spent alot of money to come live what to some is a life’s dream to hike to Everest. They would not so easily abandon their dream. I gave them what information I could, encouraging them to be safe, and continued down. We had to look after ourselves.

It was a tiring hike, but I shrugged it off, knowing that my Chilean comrades had 18 hours under their belts the previous two days. If they were fine, I was certainly fine. We eventually came over the top of the mountain pass and saw Namche below us. Namche is a town built on the side of a mountain.  Each row of hotels stacks up on top of the other, terraced pieces of land zigzagging up the mountainside. At first glimpse, the buildings looked ok. Certainly some had taken serious damage, but it was far from the pile of rubble our worst thoughts had imagined. We did quickly notice that most people were up above the village, on some flat ground. Clearly they were seeking safety, and were fearful of aftershocks.

We made our way to the top hotel row, and found the hotel I had stayed at. It had some walls shaken loose, and didn’t look great. The hotel directly above-behind it was 1/2 destroyed. The hotel crew were out on a blanket, passing the time on the small flat area out side the hotel. We joined them, and I suddenly realized I had wifi internet access for the first time. I was overwhelmed by the incoming messages I had missed.  My phone only had 20% battery left and no way to charge, so I had to get down to business.

First up, I messaged Tina.  We had a very emotional conversation, as she had not heard I was ok for some time after she knew about the earthquake. It was quite intense.  It did make it a bit hard for me, as now people that I care about are almost right there, but also have never been so far away. It broke my focus. Made my emotional, and was not good for my survival mode. At the same time, I got a chat going with my sister Margaret. I knew she would be my base of operations to get shit done. And, well, she already had gotten shit done. She’d called the embassy to register me, hired a global rescue company to work on getting me out, contacted my insurance, and was pushing for a helicopter to remove me. I informed her to prepare that I might be here a while. The only helicopters were removing the injured from base camp.  I also managed to post an update to facebook, and watched as people liked the status. What a mind f$%# being so connected to the world and in such a dangerous situation still.

I had to wrap things up, the battery was dying and I needed to be fully present to make decisions. I told them I would be ok, and I’ll message them when possible. The plan was uncertain to stay in Namche or head down.  I said my goodbyes.  Little did I know what was about to take place. No exaggeration, my conversation with Marg ended as the 6.8 massive aftershock struck near Namche.  The now familiar feeling of the ground moving began. But unlike other aftershocks, this one got very strong. I was in a horrible spot. A giant hotel near me was losing some bricks and sounded like it could come down. Just behind me was a stone wall that could collapse on us. Above us was an already collapsed hotel that could release stones. Worst of all, I just stared down at the ground anticipating that at any moment this terraced piece of dirt could release into a giant landslide burying us all.  The screaming was horrible, coupled with the sound of the earth shaking and the building walls grinding and collapsing.  For the second time in 2 days, I stood helpless waiting to see if I would die. This moment worse than the first as I had nowhere to run, and also was very aware of what was happening.  All I could think about was, I can’t die here. I can’t leave my sisters and Tina with more grief. I just told them I was ok. I don’t want to die, there is still so much to see and do. As the shaking stopped were heard a roaring sound that I’d never hear before. The mountains on the opposite side of the valley had released a massive rock slide. The cloud of dust just crushing anything in its path. A truly awesome display of nature.

Just before this I had parted ways with my Chilean friends. They wanted to go down, and Venn thought we were safer here. I had to go with Venn’s advice. But, where were my friends now, they could not have gotten far. I turned my head and saw them over a wall. Fernanda had her head buried in Andres chest. Tears welled her eyes, and she saw me. She said with such anxious desperation that we all felt, “what are we supposed to do, where are we supposed to go? Nowhere is safe”.  It is a moment deeply ingrained in my mind. We had a false sense of safety and we now know, that at any moment, the next big quake could strike and we might die.  It was horrible.

The next 45 minutes would be a chaotic time filled with indecision and anxiety.  We agreed, we must now stay together. But where do we go? Back up the trail? Maybe it was safer in Tengboche. We were exhausted. We had not eaten anything more than a chocolate bar for now almost 6 hours.  The 3 of us gathered our focus as best we could. Andres said something that hit home with me. “We cannot not make a non-decision. We can’t just sit and let things happen. We must make a firm decision and execute on it.”  That was it. We had to decide. First we needed more information. Let us get some food, settle ourselves for 15 minutes and then we will make a final call. We asked about food. Nope. Nobody is serving food as nobody is going inside. Too dangerous. Ok. Where are people sleeping tonight?  On the ground outside was the response.  I had a moment frozen in time. For one minute things moved in slow motion. I turned my head scanning the landscape. This town was a deathtrap. Unstable buildings built on a mountainside.  Everybody here was sitting in shock, staring off into the distance. Sitting waiting to die. There was no food or shelter, and it was 1:30pm. Were we going to just sit and wait for tomorrow for another 24 hours of just sitting, staring, thinking and fearing. The energy in this village was the worst feeling I’ve ever felt in my life. The anxiety was all consuming.

There was no decision anymore, we were facing that path below and finding a safe spot. Fernanda and Andres agreed. We bought some water, and headed on our way. First I had to talk to Venn. He felt it was safer here, and we went our separate ways, promising to meet up the next day down below. I gave him a firm handshake and hug, and wished him well. It was very, very hard to leave him there.  We wiggled our way over ruble and collapsed buildings to the main path that heads out of Namche.  This was not an easy call but it was the one that felt right. The path was fraught with danger. 4 feet wide, and steeply descending in some parts around an overhang of rocks just waiting to release on us. If another aftershock hit, would the path even hold? In many places you could see cracks in the earth where it was already separating. Our biggest relief being other groups still coming up, telling us that the trail was intact, and the bridges were still there. Oh yeah, the bridges. Just 5-6 high up cabled suspension bridges to trust.

All three of us felt good to be moving. Hiking was so much better than sitting. We agreed to just keep a steady pace, make a plan of defense if the earth moved, and just put our heads down and hike. The time passed by, and each time we crossed a section that was scary, we just continued, accepting our fate. The goal was Phakding, 3 hours below, which we may hit before dark at an ok pace.  No more shocks came, and we stumbled across a hotel about 2 hours in, which had some other tourists, was in a flat open area, the building was in great shape, and had only one floor of rock walls. Brilliant. We asked and they had rooms, food, and a wood furnace going.  It was here that we would settle in. The fatigue of it all now taking hold. We gobbled up some dinner, chugged some water, and went to bed early. Again, we set up so that we could hop out windows if need be. I took my boots off my weary feet. 6 toenails were black, and at risk. I hadn’t even felt a thing all day…. At around midnight that night, we sprung awake to another shock, but it faded quickly with no damage, and we slept, in spite of our fear.

The next day would take us the final 5 hours to Lukla, the gateway to the region. Hopefully we would know more, and have an idea how to get out of Nepal.

See you in Lukla…

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Earthquake

At 11:56 am on April 25th, 2015, a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal. I was in my hotel room on the 2nd floor, in the village of Tengboche, unpacking my things. This is my best account of the events that took place without any exaggeration or embellishment. I assure you, this story requires none.

I was facing the window of my room when I felt a slight rumble under my feet. The next few seconds would trigger a million thoughts in my mind. The first was that there must be a large herd of yaks or other animals running by.  What else would rumble the ground?  The rumbling quickly escalated to shaking.  The noise was starting to pick up, and I looked out my window and could see the walls falling apart on the other side of the hotel.  There was dust in the air, and literally, I could see the large stones that comprised the walls falling.  I turned with a spike in adrenaline I had never felt before, and launched out my door.  I looked left and right, unsure which direction the staircase was, and bolted left out of instinct.  The hotel was now violently shaking. I would estimate a 5 foot oscillation side to side, and very fast. The plywood floor was rolling like a wave of energy. The sound was unbearably loud.  The stones in the walls were falling and I could hear the sound of them grinding, twisting and smashing into each other. I had only ever heard this in a war movie or video game. This building was built from stones, stacked on top of each other. It is going to collapse at any moment, and I am going to die, or be buried in rubble.  I bolted down the hall, literally running for my life, looking at the walls and floor, waiting for it to give way under me.  It did not. I was at the stairs, and the shaking made it impossible to visually focus.  I jumped to the bottom of the stairs, and with another quick left was now outside. However, outside was a corridor of high walls on each side for about 30-40 feet.  I could see others fleeing ahead of me and I ran as fast as my legs could move.  Just behind the people ahead, two enormous rocks from the walls fell, maybe 5-10 feet in front of me. Don’t flinch, just run. If you get hit, you get hit, but you have to get out of here.  3 seconds later, I was in the clear, catching my breath.

The next 5 minutes would be intense. I almost laughed out loud at the exhilaration of being out of the building. However, I could not see Venn yet, and another lady was screaming, asking where her friend was.  Both came out perhaps 30 seconds later. They were safe. All around us were safe, the building did not collapse, only a few walls let loose.  Now your mind starts ranging out a spectrum of possibilities for what the next few hours may look like. On one end, maybe this was just a localized shake that happens from time to time ( seems unlikely ). On the other, we may be overrun with dead and injured from other villages, and be trapped in this place with a wiped out path below us.  It is important to know that we had zero information, and zero ability to get any.

I had moved myself over to the entrance gate to the famous Tengboche monastery.  The handful of monks there had come out also, as the building took solid damage, and some walls had fallen in on them. We sat together, and I admired their mental fortitude. They were masters of emotional control, and showed it in this tense situation. I had just a thin shirt on, and it was sleeting, cold and foggy.  All of my stuff remained in my room, in what was now, a very dangerous building to consider going into. You could see the walls had some bulges, and the short term stability was highly questionable.  Imagine a jenga game where some of the blocks are missing and the tower is twisted. Do you want to climb inside?  Also, I knew that all earthquakes come with aftershocks. We did not yet know the magnitude of what happened. Was there a bigger quake coming? Maybe. Were aftershocks coming? Certainly. All terrifying prospects.

Seconds turned into minutes as they always did, but seemed like minutes turning into hours. Some local people did their best to inspect the building, and took shelter in the common dining area. The room was single story with concrete ceiling supports ( thankfully this was a newer constructed building ), so with some apprehension we went inside. Worst case, we could hop out the windows when need be.  I scurried upstairs, and grabbed my things in frantic fashion. I was not eager to ever see that room again, and this would be my last glimpse.  I needed my things to survive.  This would be the last moment I did not have everything essential strapped to my body.  I ran back outside with my bag, packed it tight, and put it under some cover to get it out of the rain.

For the next hour I estimate, some other trekkers came up the path. We slowly gathered a small group in the dining hall. It was cold and wet outside, and we were all fatigued, if not from the trekking alone.  I considered the option of heading back to Namche. However, we were in a localized high spot in the mountains. Nothing around us put us at risk for rock slides or avalanches. Venn said we should stay put until we get more information and I agreed with his logic. Namche was a city of rocks built on a slope, certainly not an ideal location.  I reiterate that nobody had any knowledge of what happened or what to do in an earthquake. No one present had experienced this kind of event before, there were no experts. Each person had an opinion, but you had to trust your own reasoning weighed against others’ opinions to make a decision on what happens next.

The order of events a bit lost in my mind, I believe we settled inside near a wood stove when I wandered out to see what was happening with others.  I happened upon a man giving an announcement.  He had a satellite phone, and had some information.  He told about 20 of us the following news.  7.8 magnitude earthquake, very close to Kathmandu. The city is devastated, many people are dead. The Khumbu region ( our region ), has taken major damage and the situation is very dangerous and unknown. No communications between local villages has taken place, but rumors say that Namche is ok, with mild damage to buildings.

The surreal nature of this is hard to describe. This is a major world disaster, and somehow I am basically right on top of it. I feel another wave of relief that I’m alive. Followed by more scanning of my thoughts on what the next few days would hold. Kathmandu was the only way out of Nepal. The Everest trail is treacherous, if not beautiful, in many places we had passed through. Is the trail safe? Is it even there still?  Do we have enough food and water? What is our supply situation like if they entire mountain of trekkers needs to come down?  What if they are hurt? The only way out of here other than walking is by a limited number of helicopters. Today was dense fog, so no choppers were going anywhere.

I reported this news back to my friends in the dining hall barely able to believe the words coming out of my own mouth.  I now turned my focus to the latest priority in my mind. How would I get a message out to my friends and family that I’m alive and ok?  What are my sisters and Tina going to think when they here this news?  They have all lost so much in the past year, how would they possibly cope with the uncertainty of my fate?  A Japanese-American girl in our group had a cell phone and a very weak, intermittent signal. We went to a high point outside to try and get a couple messages out. She was first able to text her husband and get a response, and was happy to let me try to message my sisters. I sent them both a message stating I was alive and ok in Tengboche, and to please update facebook to spread the word as fast as possible.  My sister Heather responded with, “Hey, good to hear from you”. She clearly had no clue yet what had taken place. I was relieved, as she is quite intelligent and will figure it all out. Task complete.

As I was outside with the owner of the phone, the man with the satellite phone got some more news and approached us to tell.  “I have some really bad news…there has been a massive avalanche at base camp, and as many as 80 people are feared dead.” He paused, and followed with, “I just lost a lot of friends”.  The situation has now gotten much more personal and real, for lack of a better term. I gave him a hug, offering my support.  I would speak to him a bit through the day, checking in on how he was doing.  I learned he had reached the Everest summit in the past, and was an accomplished climber, so also asked him for any advice he had.  I would learn later that he is world famous explorer Johan Ernst Nilson ( feel free to google his amazing feats of exploration ), but that day he was just another guy who had lost some friends.

This first day dragged on for an eternity. Some climbers came from higher up and confirmed heavy damage to the support villages on the trail.  However, we would not learn much else despite Johan checking in with his sat phone every half hour.  Aftershocks came, I belief 4 that were tangible. But we sat in our dining hall, enduring the stress, and the unknown of what would come. We were alive and well with ample supplies, and felt quite lucky.  We set up our sleeping bags on the far wall for the night, minimizing the risk of wall collapse. We checked the windows next to us, making sure they opened for an easy escape in the middle of the night. We shared each of our stories of the day, in a bit of awe of what was going on.  Finally, after a generous round of rum offered by some Russian friends in our group, we all tried to sleep. I was exhausted, partly sick with a cold, and getting rest was of extreme importance. Somehow my body knew this, and I got a solid night in.

That morning we had to make some important decisions.  Stay tuned to hear what happened next.

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Onward We March

Greetings,

After my first solid sleep on the Everest trail, I awoke at 6:30 am to pack up my things, head down to breakfast and continue onward to Namche.  This day would be the first solid trekking day, taking us up to 3400 meters elevation,  passing through breathtaking views, some being the first of the larger snow capped mountains.

We headed out around 7:30 and had perfect weather. The sun was shining and I was hiking in a thin long sleeve.  Despite having been sick the previous few days, I was feeling full of energy, my new hiking boots were good on my feet, and I was content with my efforts. The trail in this lower region was amazing, crossing many more suspension bridges, and quaint little villages.

We rolled into Namche after about 5 hours, and checked into my hotel. I had more amazing views of the mountains opposite to the village, and was eager to roam around some. I had seen this place in photos and TV travel shows.  It is a cool village,  the hub of the Everest trail, and the last place where you can pick up some last minute supplies.  The quintessential stone buildings dominating the bowl of the mountainside, stacked on top of each other up the slope. All day you can hear the “tink, tink, tink” as the Sherpa people work to shape more stones into buildings.

The rest of the day, I ate alot, drank alot of water and didn’t do much else. I was bracing for the coming days, still trying to get as healthy as possible, and now had a mild cold setting in.  A standard practice on the treks, I would stay 2 days here to acclimatize to the altitude.

On day 2 we awoke the same time, and headed for a day hike to keep our bodies moving. The weather was amazing again, and I got my first views of the famous mountain, Everest.  We roamed for 4.5 hours through the village of Khumjung, and then back into Namche.  I must admit, my knees and endurance were feeling it a little bit, but another nights rest would be good.

I did some inventory as this was the last stop to grab cash, and had an anxiety attack when I realized I had made a horrible mistake. I had left $200 bucks worth of Nepali rupees in my bag in Kathmandu….with all my cards.  I did not have enough money to complete the trek, and no options at this point to pull more cash.  Wow. This really undermined my confidence in myself, in my tired state.  With flaky internet I messaged my trek organizer and through no small miracle, he came up with a solution that involved a Paypal transfer and a long chat with the hotel owner.  Long story short, I got 25,000 rupees in my hand, and basically felt like an idiot. But things were in order, and the next day we were starting to get into the real meat of the trek.

April 25th – 7:30 am
Venn and I awoke at our usual time to some crappy weather, stuffed our faces with breakfast and headed out on our days journey. This day would be a 4-6 hour jaunt along the mountainside, followed by a downhill and then a steep uphill into the famous stop of Tengbouche.  Known for it’s large, beautiful Buddhist Monastery, Tengbouche would take us to 3800 meters, and if the weather cleared, offer some more stunning views.

Again, this day I felt great. We made amazing time, and rolled into Tengbouche just before noon. Sadly the weather was still dense fog and sleet, so we checked into our hotel just next to the monastery.  I grabbed a cheap room on the second floor of the hotel. Venn and I decided to meet at 3pm to see the monastery, so until then, I thought I would rest my weary frame.

I had been fighting some strong negative thoughts this day, struggling with my incompetence with the money, fighting off some nagging doubts about my desire to trek for 17 days, thinking about what home would be like afterwards, and missing Tina after our 10 wonderful days together. Just before we arrived, I cleared my mind, and made a deal with myself to completely focus on the trek, and find some inner peace in this beautiful place.  I had come here for a reason, and I would let myself find it.

At 11:56 am, local time, as I unpacked my wet clothes and settled into my room, I could not have imagined how irrelevant all of those negative thoughts were about to become…

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Belly Aches

Back again folks.

After flying back to Bangkok, I had a single night near the airport before flying to Kathmandu to begin my Nepal leg.  Tina flew out that night at midnight, and after some good byes, I tried to get my head back into the solo travel mode ( not easy but necessary ).  My gut had other plans. Human bodies are strange things, and as soon as Tina drove off, I ran to the bathroom. Well timed!  My second bout of traveler’s sickness attacked ( 3rd overall intestinal battle ).  I was flying at 10 am to Nepal, and was not sure I would make it. I was up most of the night with this one and had no antibiotics to keep it at bay. I loaded up with immodium, and through no small miracle, made my flight.

I landed in Kathmandu around noon, and was greeted by my trekking company. Kathmandu is a much wilder city than I’ve been to before, with a much more western Asian feel, like how you would imagine India.  I settled into my hotel in the Thamel district and had 3 nights to rest up, and get healthy before I journeyed into the mountains for 17 days. Not thrilled by my state of health, I laid pretty low.

The Thamel area is loaded with chaos. Tight streets with no sidewalks, shops everywhere peddling trekking goods and random trinkets, and drivers ripping around in cars, on motorbikes, and riding barefoot on bikes make it a wild scene.   After checking in with my trekking company, meeting my guide, and grabbing last minute goods, I basically laid in bed resting in hopes of being healthy to begin the physically demanding adventure.  I was a bit sad not to take in the city tour, as Kathmandu has many famous sites to see, but I would have a couple days on the other side to see the city.

My 3 nights passed by, and on the 22nd of April, my guide Venn picked me up in the morning and we headed to the airport. We boarded our tiny 15 seater propeller driven plane to fly into one of the sketchiest landing strips in the world, Lukla airport. The flight was smooth, cruising in between the mountains, when suddenly the pilot points the nose to the ground and dives into the runway.  Not for the faint of heart. We landed fine on the uphill strip, and banked hard right to finally stop.  Not so bad :).

After collecting my bag, a moderate 15kg ( 33lbs ) I would have to lug up and down the mountain side with me, we headed straight out on the trail. The first day was a modest 2.5 hours into the first mountain town of Phakding.  I got a taste of the glorious views I would be treated to.  Words and photos cannot do it justice.  This lower elevation also has beautiful flowers, trees, and some high up suspension bridges to get you over the fast flowing glacial rivers.

I was on my way down the Everest highway, very excited to see how I would handle the altitude and challenges that lie ahead.

Stay tuned!

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Life’s a Beach

Howdy y’all,

Tina and I left our swanky hotel and headed for the airport to make our way to Krabi. After circling the drain in the air for a while, the plane finally landed. Then after a long luggage wait we were heading to the dock to get us to Railay. Railay is a stunning location, accessible only by long tail boat. It has no motorized vehicles, pristine beaches, and is a climbers paradise as the giant limestone karsts that dominate the landscape make for some solid routes.

We arrived just past dark, commandeered a long tail, and were treated to a thunder and lightning storm as we cruised into the east beach. It was a stunning display of nature.  We managed to make our way to our hotel and settle in for the night, looking forward to exploring the next day. I had been here two years ago, and was very excited to show Tina what a wonderful place it is.

The next morning we got our beach bum gear together and headed to Phra Nang beach. The area is divided into 4 main beach areas. Railay east and west where most of the accommodations are, Tonsai beach, where the hippies and climbers reside, and Phra Nang beach, where the lazy bask in the sun and swim.   It is quintessential Thailand. Light blue waters, white sand, and huge limestone cliffs. Absolute beauty in all regards. We chilled on the beach had some beers, and enjoyed each others company. It was with great excitement and relief that after so much chatting and build up, she had arrived, and we were getting along so well. The first day on the beach I also bumped into a couple from Israel I had met 6 weeks earlier in Luang Namtha, Laos. They were staring at me awkwardly until they realized who I was and said hello. It’s not unusual to bump into the same folks while traveling the same country, but a bit less common when you have ventured through so many places.

For the 9 days we basically did similar activities. We hiked to Tonsai Beach, kayaked, laid around together in the rain,  had drinks over looking the beautiful views. We randomly were there for the Songkran festival ( Thai New Year ), which entails a few days of people running around soaking each other with buckets of water and spraying each other with water guns.  On our last full day, we even did a day trip to Phi Phi, which is best seen in the day ( obnoxious at night… ).  It was paradise at its finest. I won’t go into too many personal details, but we have both been through hard days and have connected with each other at the least expected time. The days flew by as we had so much fun together. I honestly can’t imagine a more perfect 10 days with anybody. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. We had to head back to Bangkok and go our separate ways for now. However, it’s with great anticipation that I look forward to spending more time with her when I return to North America, and see what the real world holds.

For now I just have one more trip to make on my journey. I’ve decided to head home after the next adventure. I’m heading to Nepal to do the Everest base camp 3 passes trek. It will be a big change from the beach bum life I’ve been living and push my physical and mental boundaries for 17 days trekking in the Himalaya. After, well, it may be time to head home and see where life takes me.

See you in Nepal folks.

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10 Days of Crazy

Hello y’all,

I have eluded to a surprise guest that is joining my trip for 10 days. Her name is Tina, she is from Texas, and she is quite amazing! The story goes like this… Last summer I met a girl in New Orleans while there on a bachelor party. She was from Dallas and we had some pretty solid chats over drinks, and got to learn alot about each other. The tough ordeal I had been going through with my grief and loss impacted her, and we stayed friends after the trip.  Fast forward to February while I’m traveling and she tags Tina on a facebook post, saying “Steve, meet Tina”. Ok, I’m always up for meeting new peeps. ( Especially really hot ones from Texas… ).

Tina had also had some severe loss in the last year. She lost her young husband tragically, and was also going through a tough period of grief. Our common friend filled me in, and I dropped her a line.  A few messages soon turned into something like 10,000 according to facebook. It started slow but soon we were talking alot. She threw out the idea of coming to visit me in Thailand. She wanted to travel as a healing process like me, and strongly identified with my situation. So, I said f&%$ it, come visit me. This all started quite platonic, as I was trying to respect where she was at in her grief, but, soon crossed a bit further.

So, Tina is joining the adventure for 10 days. We’ve talked twice on skype, only seen pictures of each other, so hence, “10 days of crazy!”. You only live once right!

She arrived late to Bangkok around midnight after a very long flight, and I anxiously awaited her at the airport.  Would we be awkward? Would we not be what the other thought we would be? Who the hell knows, big gamble here.. It’s not often you get ready to meet a girl you’ve shared so much with, but never met.  She rolled in on time, and honestly, our chemistry was even greater in person. Yada yada yada, the next day we got up to explore a bit and have some fun.

We had a full day in Bangkok to let Tina acclimatize to the heat and time change. She was born in Laos, but moved to Texas as a 4 year old, and has never been back. She speaks Thai and Laos, so this would be fun to have her navigate our way through the city.  We had a great time chilling at our hotel pool first and then wandering our neighborhood. We were in the Patpong region on Bangkok ( sleazy red-light district ), so voyeuristic-ally took in the night, roaming around having some drinks. We even indulged in the crazy fish that eat all the dead skin off your feet.  We did not indulge in any ping pong shows…

After some Asian delights ( McDonalds ) we headed back to the hotel for the night.  The next day we were due to fly to Krabi, and spend the next 9 days around the fabulous Railay beach. The ice was broken and we were really happy to be with each other. I think the gamble was paying off.

So next up Railay Beach. Stay tuned for how it all played out.