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[–] Crux 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

In 2004 I flew out of a helicopter from Lukla. On the control panel a digital device said, "must inspect by sept 1999"

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[–] TheBuddha ago 

Yeah, I flew in and took the trip to Tengboche. I came in on a twin-engine prop job that was probably constructed in the 60s but three men and a goat. I made the trek to the monastery and spent two weeks there and then flew out. (I think it was two weeks, that was almost a decade ago.)

That was probably the scariest airport I've ever landed at. When we took off, there were clouds at the end of the runway. It was like flying into a wall of cloud and I had no idea if we were falling to our doom or going to survive. Next time, I'll do like you did - and take a chopper. Do NOT take a plane into that airport.

I'm a wee bit surprised to see another goat who's been there. Mind if I ask what you were doing up there? There's not much up there, that I know of. Well, great hiking and the monastery are there. Also, that delicious tea that they serve. Damned if I can recall the name, but it's delicious.

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[–] Crux 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

When I was there in 2004, I was fresh out of HighSchool and just traveling around. I hiked up to Mnt Everest base camp. During that time they were in the middle of the hot civil war with the Maoists. When I bused to Chitwan I had to fly back on a twin prop because the Maoists forced a public transit strike and threatened to blow up buses. The twin prop had ductape on the wings. I almost got roped into diamond smuggling. Those were the days.

I return to Nepal every 2 years or so (was last there december) to offer security consultation and training to an NGO that interferes with human trafficking into India. I also visit a friend from Canada who brought in the country's first milk pasteurizer. Sometimes i just rent a motorycle for a month and tool around the country. I've been to places in the jungle where they just started wearing clothes and using agriculture a few decades ago. Or places in the mountains where you take off your helmet and suddenly all the kids run up to you to touch your hands because theyve never seen a white person before.