... the next day was equally frustrating but with a twist! We again turned up at the airport .... waited for 4 hours and then everything was canceled. We hired a van to take us back to the hotel and on the way back there was a mood of irritation and frustration until someone said.. "It is such a shame we couldn't just get a helicopter!". we all looked at each other.... why not?!!! A series of telephone calls to our local fixer and we had booked a helicopter for the next day! Maybe we would be out on the mountains after all! The good thing about the helicopter is that it needs 500m less visibility than a plane and that is the length of the runway at Lukla!
Unfortunately the next day the weather in the mountains was even worse and nothing moved. We again went back to the hotel and the smoothie bar!
The 1st September dawned bright and cloudless.... we sped out to the airport and mobbed the helicopter team. There was much shaking of heads and sucking of teeth (I wondered if they had met my plumber!). No there was no good weather... no it was a bad flying day... yes we could wait in the lounge ... no they didn't think we would go.... an hour later Mark K came up the stairs two at a time with a tray of coffees in his hands - nice guesture... "What are you guys waiting for!?!" he yelled and we tumbled down the stairs after him... we had an hour window of good weather - and were off!
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