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An unexpected blog!
In true Nepali style, half an hour before we were due to set out this morning, our guide told us that in fact we weren't going to leave today after all... Apparently this is due to the highway disruption caused by a local election and the word from the police was that the 70km journey to the start of the trek was impossible.
Yesterday, I was disappointed to not be paragliding, so 15 minutes after the postponement I was in the office of Sunrise Paragliding, saying "can you fit me in today please?". They said - you're in luck, we have one space if you can leave now! So off I went...
We set off in a jeep to the summit of Sarangkot (1500m). For the whole of my time in Nepal thus far, I've hardly seen a mountain, because the dry season haze obscures them all the time. But last night we had a terrific thunderstorm and this morning everything was so clear. The paraglide guys said it was the best flying day they'd had in a couple of months. How lucky am I?!!
The view just driving up was amazing, my first proper view of the Himalaya.
I was in tandem with Herve, a fabulously suave French guy who's been gliding for 20 years. Fascinating watching everyone set up, and obviously lots of care and atention to all the harnesses etc! We were last to go (of 4) so I'd had plenty of time to watch everyone else, and it was really easy (or at least Herve made it seem so). Just running off the edge of a mountain...
It was totally brilliant anyway, as you can probably tell from the look on my face! It's taken me an hour to transfer and upload that pic, so it's the only one you get but I think you'll agree I'm having a great time. I'm so glad I got to do it after all, and on a day where the views were so clear and wonderful. I'm running out of superlatives.
About a half hour or so flight before we landed by the lake. I wanted to go straight up and do it again, of course!
So - an unexpected day and an unexpected adventure - life is good!
We'd better set off tomorrow - having finally seen the mountains I want to get there up close!
Byeeee (again!)
Cathy
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