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November 8, 2012 Posted by Ramon Fadli in Temperate Deciduous Forests

EBC Day 01 - Kathmandu Arrival

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Kathmandu Arrival

The Airasia flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kathmandu that I had purchased cost only MYR579 (including the airport tax) however the return flight came up to a total of MYR780. This was because I had taken quite some time to finalise my itinerary and as such ended up booking the return flight much later on. The flight itself was fairly uneventful, an Airbus 330-300 that remained between 10000 and 11500 metres with a speed of 780 km/h for the most part. One thing I did notice however that was out of the ordinary was the fact that there was a large number of Nepalese men on the plane that were between the ages of 20-30 years old. I then realized that they were all expatriates who were working in Malaysia that were heading home for the Hindu festival of Diwali (known as 'the festival of lights') that was to occur a few days hence.

I had managed to acquire a window seat on the starboard side of the plane so that I would be able to capture some window mounted GoPro shots and timelapses of the Himalayan ranges as we flew by. Unfortunately, condensation started to form on the windows fairly soon after and the only decent shots I could get were with my DSLR. I found it interesting how almost all those who had pre-booked their meals were non-Nepalese and also found it unnerving how all the Nepalese that didn't have meals just stared intensely at those who did.

Mount Everest (elevation : 8848 m) from the air (view is from the south-west)

The immigration at the airport was a breeze as I had printed the visa form and filled it in well before so I ended up going straight up to the counter to pay the visa fees of USD40 (NPR4150) for a month-long visa (there was also an option of a two week-long visa that would only have cost USD25). The only problem with being the first to get through immigration is that you end up being swarmed by touts outside the airport. To avoid this I went to the taxi counter instead (despite knowing that it was slightly more expensive) and secured myself a taxi for NPR650 to Thamel. One thing that quickly struck me was how dusty Kathmandu was, perfect conditions to exacerbate ailments of the throat!

The taxi took me straight to Annapurna Guest House as I had booked a basic room online with a common bath (with king sized bed) for two days for MYR44 (NPR1200) a few days prior. The hotel was pleasant and clean enough for the price I was paying and the room was nice and cozy. I unpacked my backpack and laid everything out :

The Gear

Electronics


    Kindle Paperwhite
    Galaxy Nexus
    HP laptop & charger
    GoPro HD Hero2
    GoPro suction cup mount
    GoPro battery and SD cards
    GoPro headmount
    Mini tripod
    Suunto Ambit
    Suunto Dual Comfort Belt
    Suunto Ambit crocodile clip
    Nikon D7000
    2x Nikon EN-EL 15 battery & charger
    Nikon IR remote trigger ML-L3
    Nikkor 50 mm f/1.8 D
    Nikkor 10-24 mm AF-S f/3.5-4.5G DX ED
    Nikkor 18-105 f/3.5-5.6 VR
    5600mAh powerbank
    Mini USB cable
    Micro USB cable
    USB Hub
    Travel adapter
    Headlamp
    15x Spare AA batteries

Clothing

    Down jacket
    Windbreaker
    2x Long-sleeved t-shirts
    2x Quick-dry t-shirts
    Trekking pants
    Cargo pants
    2x Cotton t-shirts
    4x Underwear
    Gloves
    Snow cap
    Pillow case
    Thai fisherman pants

Footwear

    Timberland Earthkeepers waterproof boots
    Cross trainers
    2x Thick socks
    6x Thin socks
    Knee Support

 

Bags

    55 l High Sierra Explorer backpack
    Kata LighTri-315 DL (Camera bag)
    10 l FeelFree drybag
    Dry box

Wellbeing

    First aid kit
    Hydration pack
    2x Muesli bar boxes
    6x 3-in1 Coffee sachets

Miscellaneous

    Keyset
    Padlock
    2x Pens
    Pencil
    Notepad
    Multitool
    Doorstopper
    Ear plugs
    Earphones
    Sunglasses (with dust protection)
    Spectacles
    Quick-dry towel
    Passport
    Wallet
    3x Garbage bags

Toiletries

    Soap
    Chapstick
    Toothbrush
    Toothpaste
    Anti-perspirant
    6x packs of wet wipes

To Purchase

    Trekking pole/monopod
    Sleeping bag
    Water treatments tablets
    Diamox (acetazolamide) tablets
    Immodium Tablets
    Adventurer Opti water purifier
    Water bottle
    Maps

If you are interested, here is a list of <100 items that I currently own.

Next (Day 1) : Kathmandu Arrival (Part 2)

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EBC Day 02 - Kathmandu's Durbar SquareEverest Base Camp & High-Altitude Passes
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