Walking Among Giants: My Everest Base Camp Trek with Adventure Consultants - Part 2 - Travel Day (or days) to Nepal
Travel Day(s) to Nepal
We loaded our bags into the Uber and headed to the airport on March 30th. It was a quick flight to Chicago on American Airlines. We had booked our flight in Q-Suites from Chicago to Doha and were saddened when there was a change in equipment from the gorgeous A350-1000 to a slightly older A350-900, which did not have Q-Suites installed, also our seats were moved apart, so we would not be sitting next to each other for the 14 hour flight, which altogether was a bummer. When we landed, we hopped on the shuttle to Terminal 5 in preparation for our long flight to Doha. We did speak to the gate agent who had asked to verify our travel documents before boarding and after hearing that we had initially booked Q-Suites, he apologized and was able to move our seats around to give us better accommodations and got us seats next to each other so we could enjoy the service onboard together. He provided us our handwritten departure lounge access passes and we were off to the lounge, feeling much relief for the long flight to come. After having some basic food offerings and a couple of beverages, we were ready to board as they made the boarding announcement in the lounge.
We made our way to the gate as Group 1 was boarding and found our seats. Immediately upon sitting down, the amazing onboard service provided by the Qatar Airways cabin crew began. Rose champagne, amenity kits and fresh “loungewear” (aka flight PJs) were provided. What an amazing way to start this long journey. One of our cabin crew members was excited to hear of our journey ahead to Mount Everest and insisted she wanted to hear more about our trip and would come back later to catch up. Not long after, the plane was fully loaded and after a quick safety briefing video, we pushed back from the gate and began to taxi. Here we go, there was no turning back at this point.
Shortly after takeoff, as the evening began to descend upon us, the cabin crew began offering meal service. The great thing about business class on Qatar Airways is that there is no “set” dining time. It’s “dine on demand.” The cabin crew did ask if we were ready for a meal and confirmed our orders and provide any pre-meal beverages we wished to have. Our dining tables were set with all the accoutrements we would need for the fine-dining experience to come. An amuse-bouche was provided of a small piece of beef topped with bits of gold foil. As the cabin crew asked if I would like it, I just remember thinking….”an amuse-what?” I do not consider myself “fancy.” Sometimes it is nice to get dressed up and enjoy an evening out, but not to the extent of having the foggiest idea of what this “amuse-bouche” thing was. But I said yes, and I liked it. Maybe there is something to this “being fancy” thing. A choice of appetizers were available, but based on research completed ahead of time, there was no choice for me. It had to be the classic Arabic Mezze of hummus, muhammara and moutabel served with warm slices of flat bread. Oh my, I was in Heaven, and it was only the appetizer course. For the main course, I selected the biryani, which was well seasoned and unpretentious; a fine staple for the meal. In a food coma and in culinary bliss, I thought there was no chance I would be able to enjoy anything else that evening. I was wrong. When presented with such a lovely berry tart and a glass of 20-year old Graham’s port, it was only polite to accept. After the enchantment of that dining experience, I quickly changed into my loungewear and got ready to settle in for some rest and to enjoy the remainder of the flight.
Arrival in Qatar
Once we landed, it was evening already in Qatar. Our fabulous cabin crew provided us with fine Laderach Swiss chocolates before bidding us a safe onward journey.
Something I had learned through my pre-trip planning was that if you had a long layover in Qatar you had the opportunity to book a Doha cultural tour that gave you the chance to leave the airport and tour the city and experience the local culture. At the time, if you were booked in business class, this tour was complimentary. So, before leaving for the trip, I made reservations for us on this tour. We walked quickly, stopping to take a picture with the famous teddy bear in the terminal, making our way to the meet-up point for the tour in the airport. Once everyone was present and accounted for, we made our way through immigration, being granted a short 4-day visitors visa (but really we only needed 4 hours) and boarded our luxury coach for the tour.
Our stop in Qatar came at the end of the holy month of Ramadan, so we were cognizant and mindful of locals and their observations during this time. Fortunately we were able to experience Doha at night, so the city was alive with joyful sounds and spectacular lights as people were out and about, preparing for iftar.
Downtown Doha, Qatar at night
Our first stop was in a central district that contained modern shops, an artificial beach and boardwalk and a mosque. As we exited the coach, I remember hearing the haunting yet intoxicating sounds of the call to prayer for Isha. We walked along the empty sidewalks and the boardwalk while the call to prayer echoed in the background, capturing some captivating shots of the downtown business district of Doha as a backdrop.
The highlight of our tour was our experience in the Souq Waqif market. It was a complete immersion in a traditional medina setting with bustling alleys full of shoppers, displays of bulk spices, handicrafts and touristy souvenirs, all in one space. At this point it was after Iftar and the scene was full of people enjoying the evening and each other. We walked along the alleys, experiencing local life, stopping to purchase some souvenirs, a ceramic decoration for the house and some fresh Turkish coffee, which is exactly what was needed to perk me up after not even knowing what day it was.
After our few exciting stops on the tour, it was time to head back to the airport. We headed through a quick security check back into the terminal and then headed to the business class lounge to wait until our flight to Kathmandu. Remember back to when I said I was not really “fancy?” Well, this lounge really made me question that further. Keep in mind that this lounge had been voted the number one business class lounge in the world. I could believe it. What a sight! We rode the very long escalator up to the lounge entrance, having our boarding passes checked before doing so to ensure we were going to the right place. Once we passed through the doors and beyond the walls, I was left speechless by the sight…the…opulence of what laid out before me. “Yeah, I could totally get used to this,” I thought. After settling in for a bit, taking a quick shower to refresh myself and relaxing, it was time for another meal. We headed upstairs to the restaurant in the lounge that offered everything could you ever want, both in a buffet style or with seated table service. We opted for the latter.
By the time we were done, it was finally time to continue on with our journey and we bade the lounge farewell…for now. It did take us a while to figure out exactly where we had to go, but once we did, we made our way through the vastness of the Hamad International Airport to our gate, that was boarding.
Flight to Kathmandu, Nepal
We boarded an Airbus A330 and found our seats in the business class section again. At this point of the trip, having no real idea what time of day or even what day it was, I was pretty exhausted, so sadly, at this time, much of this flight is a blur. I remember seeing so many “trekkers” it seemed wearing trekking-style clothes and loading large hiking backpacks into the overhead bins. Yes, we were definitely heading in the right direction as we had found our like-minded adventurers. This flight was much shorter in comparison, I think just under 4 hours, and after enjoying a very similar menu to that which was provided on our trip from Chicago (I was really amazed at exactly how much the human body can consume in 36 hours) and settling in for a short movie, we had already begun our descent into Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal. We were no longer in Kansas, or rather, Florida. In all, it had taken us just over 36 hours of travel to make it from Florida to Kathmandu.
