Farewell Kathmandu, hello Pokhara!
Today was basically a travel day, taking a short internal 35min flight on Buddha Air from Kathmandu to the gateway for our trek, the town of Pokhara. I was glad to leave Kathmandu as the air quality had really started getting to me – and I was hoping that getting out of the city would mean the pollution and thick haze would improve.
We were up early, ready for a 7am departure. It didn’t seem to take as long to get back to the airport as it had when we arrived (isn’t that always the way?) and Tribhuvan airport domestic terminal was as chaotic and busy as you’d expect. We soon discovered that it was even more crowded and busy than it should be because – yes, you guessed it – there were delays for the planes taking off because of the weather conditions! And – even worse – it was because of low visibility in Pokhara, not Kathmandu! It seems like the thick haze and smoke is pretty much everywhere right now, so there goes my hope of clear skies and clearer lungs, at least for the next couple of days. Apparently, its not just the traffic pollution that’s contributing, but there are a number of wildfires burning right now (both prescribed burn and not) that are making it really bad. And it’s not just me being an oversensitive flower – the Ministry of Health actually issued an alert today about the hazardous levels of air pollution in Kathmandu. https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/mohp-issues-health-alert-as-air-pollution-hits-hazardous-levels-in-kathmandu
Our flight did eventually leave – but only after a 3-4hr delay, which we spent sitting in Tribhuvan airport. The thick smog also meant that there was ZERO visibility of the mountain ranges – a real bummer given this time I had a window seat on the right side of the plane! I guess it’s heightening the anticipation for when we eventually do catch our first glimpse of Annapurna!
I have to say I wasn’t expecting this at all – you think mountain region = minty fresh air. I guess not always! There does seem to be some hope on the horizon, though – another news report suggests the pollution will start improving in the next few days (apparently, Kathmandu was the most polluted city in the world!). In the meantime, I’m following the advice to restrict time outdoors to minimize my exposure. Amanda also got some face masks for me, so I’m hoping that will help a lot too. Its a bit of a bummer as I stayed inside the hotel while the rest of the group went out for lunch and to explore the local lake (Aqua took that gorgeous picture) but I have to be sensible. I haven’t trained my ass off for the last 3 months to have my efforts undermined by my lungs going on the fritz! So, yeah, today was a bit of a bust in some ways – but – hey! I’m still here, in Nepal, about to have an adventure of a lifetime and I’m not going to let a teeny tiny bit of world-class hazardous pollution stop my fun!
Tomorrow, we leave Pokhara and drive to Naya Pul and Ghandruk. There’s a short 1hr hike in the afternoon but hiking starts in earnest the day after, so tomorrow is more of a gentle stroll to get our legs moving. I can’t wait to hit the trail!!!
One thing to note – I will be doing my best to blog the trip in real time and post something every day – but the wi-fi is likely to get a bit spotty, especially the closer we get to Annapurna Base Camp, so don’t worry if you don’t hear from me. I haven’t fallen off the side of a mountain – I’m just temporarily out of range!!
