Pokhara > Kathmandu: Does Cosmic Air care?

Subas and Ang with us.

The goodbyes… As could be expected, some of the porters seemed a bit distant. Language barriers, etc. not assisting friendships. But the ones that got to know us seemed happy for having us as their guests. Some of the guys I messed around with playing hack and other stuff came across as if they counted me as a friend… which I’m lucky to have experienced.

We had a few shots taken to cherish the memories, and put a clearer image to those memories. And then we were away to the airport.

The crew were taking a bus back to Kathmandu, but since it’s uphill all the way and can drag on into the night, we had a flight with airline extraordinaire, Cosmic Air.

This was an experience in itself.

I had experienced “rubber time” many times before throughout Asia… but never at an airport.

All involved.

At Pokhara airport you basically turn up when your flight is scheduled, and it all depends on when the traffic controllers in Kathmandu can be bothered responding to their Pokhara counterparts to give us the all clear for weather conditions. There have been many cases of the flight being so delayed that the passengers are basically told to come back again tomorrow. We weren’t so unfortunate… We boarded a mere 2 hours after take-off.

Before that affair took place though, we encountered security measures.

Searched behind a closed curtain… Pass.

Made to take a sip of my water and eat a sweet in front of the guard and presumably not die… Pass.

All clear to go.

Small plane… maybe 12 seats. I get the back, directly next to the one and only door. Slight problem.

The door didn’t close too efficiently.

Even though the flight was only about 45 minutes in duration and we buzzed the high peaks in transit, I found myself just wishing we’d land due to the pleasurable fact that my left arm was beginning to lose all feeling from the numbness.

So then… we land. I revive my limbs. We get to the Radisson, and best thing to happen in weeks takes place.

A shower.