Kathmandu: Christmas Indulgence

I'm taking a trip down memory lane with a look back at our trip to Nepal last December. For all of the entries about our trek, click here.

1. Christmas Day Buffet - fresh produce!, 2. Refreshing 7UP!, 

3. Jazz band entertainment, 4. Showing off my hairdo, 

5. Hyatt Regency Kathmandu, 6. The Hyatt grounds, 

7. View from the club level lounge, 8. View of the pool

After overindulging the day before, my first stop Christmas morning was at the hotel's gym. After a 45-minute sweat session, I headed back upstairs to grab a quick breakfast before I'd have to return back downstairs for a trip to the spa. Nothing like spending Christmas morning getting a (much-needed) massage and facial! While down in the spa/salon I decided I might as well get my hair done as well (my hair was still a little mad at me for not washing it for 10+ days during our trek) so I got a wash and style, too. 

Following my beautifying, I returned to our room to meet up with D and head back downstairs to the Christmas Day BBQ held outside on the back deck by the pool. While eating plenty of plates of grilled veggies, pizza, and other goodies cooked to order, we listened to an excellent jazz band play and at one point were entertained with an enthusiastic version of "Feliz Navidad" sung by a guest from Fiji. 

After lunch we took a short walk around the hotel's grounds. The one downside of being at the Hyatt was that once you're there, you're kind of stuck there unless you take a cab elsewhere. Luckily, we found plenty of ways to entertain ourselves and the grounds were quite beautiful and fun to explore.

After partaking in another evening cocktail hour, D and I headed downstairs where we had plans to meet Prim, who would drive us to La Dolce Vita to meet up with Bharat for Christmas dinner. While at dinner, we exchanged Christmas presents. Bharat gave us each a t-shirt screenprinted with the route of the EBC trek -- an excellent reminder and souvenir of our fantastic time in the Himalayas. Following dinner we returned to our hotel, and Bharat presented each of us with a khata prayer scarf and we said our final goodbyes. Our trip was officially (and quickly) reaching its end. 

{Bharat, me, and D after our Christmas dinner}

Nepal: Back in Kathmandu

I'm taking a trip down memory lane with a look back at our trip to Nepal last December. For all of the entries about our trek, click here.

The theme of our first full day back in Kathmandu after our trek was food. After enjoying the buffet breakfast at our hotel (toast, muesli, and the like), we headed off to Pilgrims Book Shop to find new books to read as D and I had both finished reading the books we'd brought with us on our trek. On our way back from the bookstore we stumbled upon Pumpernickel Bakery, and decided to enjoy a second breakfast of pastries and hot beverages. I opted for a cinnamon roll and hot chocolate, while D chose a chocolate croissant and cup of coffee.

{goodies from Pumpernickel Bakery}

Following our stop at the bakery, we headed back to our hotel, where we sent off some of our dirty clothes from traveling and our trek to be laundered and caught up on email. In the early afternoon we headed out for another meal, this time to the Roadhouse Cafe, which featured wood-fired pizza on its menu. Unlike our first attempt to find this restaurant the second night we were in Kathmandu, we were able to find the cafe this time around with little problem. Following a lunch of (too much) pizza, we ordered a couple of coffees and hung out at the restaurant for awhile longer while we read our books.

{pizza for lunch at the Roadhouse Cafe}

Later in the evening, we met up with Rajan back at our hotel, and we all made our way to Nepali Chulo, a former rana palace, for an evening of traditional Nepali cuisine and a cultural show. We ate our weight in delicious food and had an excellent time listening to the songs and watching the dances that exemplified different regions of Nepal.

{traditional Nepali banquet meal}

Nepal Trek Day Fifteen: Lukla - Kathmandu

I'm taking a trip down memory lane with a look back at our trip to Nepal last December. For all of the entries about our trek, click here.

Today marked the final day of our trek in the Himalayas. It was definitely a bittersweet moment -- the trip I had dreamed about taking for 10 years was nearing its end -- but I have to admit I was looking forward to returning to lower elevations, warmer temperatures, and hot running water.

We were up early for breakfast, as our plane was scheduled to leave fairly early in the morning. After breakfast, we packed up our big red bag one last time, and Dilip schlepped it over to the airport. Upon our arrival at the airport, we learned that no planes had left Kathmandu due to clouds. To bide the time, the four of us wandered over to a nearby "bakery" and got some hot beverages to drink. Shortly after, Dilip said his goodbyes and headed back to Namche. After our snack, D, Bharat, and I headed back to the airport to continue the wait for our flight. 

{Bharat, Dilip, and me}

 {Lukla airport}

 {runway}

D and I hung out in the airport waiting room for awhile, then headed outside to bask in the sunshine. Bharat waved us back in around 9:30a and we went through "security." Unfortunately, I forgot that I still had my multi-tool in my backpack that I was carrying on and it was confiscated. Eventually our plane arrived, and as soon as the arriving passengers de-planed, it was our turn to board. Bharat was on it and made sure that we got prime seats on the righthand side of the plane. Forty-five minutes later, we were back in Kathmandu.

Upon our arrival in Kathmandu, Prim was waiting for us at baggage claim, and we quickly loaded up the car and were back on our way to the Samsara Hotel. Once we arrived back at our hotel (which took a bit of time due to the chaotic traffic of Kathmandu), we said our goodbyes to Bharat, but made plans to meet up on Christmas day. We dropped our stuff off at our room and made our way back down to the hotel's restaurant for lunch. Right after lunch we found our way to a local "department" store, where we stocked up on sundries including shampoo, soap, shaving cream, and razors. Once back at the hotel, I enjoyed a much-needed long, hot shower. We spent the remainder of the afternoon relaxing and making use of the hotel's free wi-fi.

D and I consulted our Lonely Planet guidebook to find a place to eat for dinner. We decided on La Dolce Vita, an Italian restaurant. Oh, it was so good. We feasted on bruschetta, pasta, red wine, and had tiramisu and espresso for dessert. Our bill came to 1990 rupees -- about $24 --  and it was totally worth it.