KTM

Hello!  Just a quick note to let you know we made it safely to Nepal!

We did actually get to experience the outside in Doha, Qatar.  It was a bit like breathing in quick sand - thick, humid, sandy air.  Really wild.  We got bused out to the plane and flew from there to Kathmandu without a hitch.  Gorgeous views!  But I'm sure that was just a teaser!

Dr. Veletzos and two of his girls met us at the airport.  All of our bags got in safely as well.

We are now safely ensconced in the Hotel Tibet, up on the fourth (top) floor.  Unfortunately there is construction on the third floor, but I doubt that that is disrupting anyone from napping.
http://www.hotel-tibet.com.np/

We have some "free" time to take a nap, take a shower, repack, etc.  Our next appointment is with Joe Latorre - the Merrimack grad who is living in Nepal.  We will have tea with him this afternoon, and I get to deliver his birthday present from his mom!

Tomorrow bright and early (4am local time!) we will be heading to the domestic terminal of the airport to try to get a flight up to Lukla.  If the weather isn't good, we will come back home to Hotel Tibet and try again on Friday!  Fingers crossed for good weather!

[PS:
** HAPPY 13th BIRTHDAY to ADDISON!!  I hope it is amazing... and, in your honor:
- Why are mountains so funny?  Because they are Hill- arious!
- How do mountains hear?  With mountaineers!
Let the laughing ensue!! Looking forward to celebrating when I get back!]

Qatar Airport

An extra hour on the tarmac in Boston, and 12 hours in the air... and we made it to Qatar!

The famous "Lamp Bear" in Hamad Airport, Doha, Qatar.
Ya, I don't get it either.

Most agreed that it was a fairly pleasant flight, really nice plane, not too bumpy, plenty of movies, pretty good food...(Although my "breakfast" this morning was a bit unrecognizable... The steward didn't even know what it was, but I finally settled on calling it blueberry pancakes.  I didn't finish.), punctuated by Leyna's repeated refrain of "the bridge is going to be repaired by the time we get there."

We arrived in Qatar just before 7pm.  Everyone is in good spirits.  From the window in the airport, it seems dusty, smoggy, poor visibility, but we likely won't go outside.  Quickly through security, and after a bit of walking, we set up camp at a table near the food court.  This way we can explore the airport in groups, so we don't have to carry computers, auto-level (bringing for our surveying project!), etc.  We will leave Qatar at about 2am local time, and arrive in Kathmandu before 10am.  Almost there!

It's just days now till our departure. Although I can't speak to the feelings of my traveling companions, I am filled with apprehension and exhilaration in equal measure. I am embarking on an expedition into a world which I have no real knowledge; seemingly a journey into the great unknown. I have some inkling of what to expect, a brief idea of what lies before me. But there are many questions still bouncing around in my head.

As I sit here typing I am reminded of many great adventurers who braved the unknown in search of some greater meaning. Although these trails are well established, for myself and I'm sure most of my peers, they are strikingly new. We set off to make a difference in the lives of people we have not yet met, that we cannot communicate with easily, and have no great knowledge of. I do not know if we do this because of some greater sense of selflessness or in some capacity to enlighten our view of the world. For each member of our expedition I'm sure there is a different reason, none less or more worthy than another. But by the end of this trip I believe each and everyone of us will be irrevocably changed.

There is an ancient Chinese proverb that goes: “When the wind of change blows, some people build walls, others build windmills.” I believe we are building the windmill.

Nepal According to the Internet

You may have heard of the "Everything I Learned About *Subject*,  I Learned on the Internet" articles that have become popular in major fandom posts on the Internet. Well here is what I expect going to Nepal based off of what I learned from the Internet.

It's Got Some Tall Mountains

Apparently this super tall mountain called Mount Everest calls Nepal home.

Source: theodysseyonline.com

It is this gathering of earth that peaks at 29,029 feet which claims to be one of the seven wonders of the world. By looking at a few photos and watching some videos, I must say I agree. We will be staying approximately 20 miles from this majestic yet deadly titan of a mountain, and I cannot wait to say hi (from afar).

Goddesses Live There

Young girls, typically between the age of six and thirteen are believed to be the reincarnation of the living goddess, Gurda. Gurda lives in the bodies of these young girls, found through a thorough selection process, until puberty.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

These goddesses are revered by many Buddhists in Nepal and worshipped in their temples. Not being allowed to touch their feet to the ground, they are carried everywhere they go and can only speak to family and close friends.

Yaks, Snow Leopards and Yetis?.... OH MY!!

Nepal is home to many amazing and rare species including the snow leopard, Tibetan fox, Bengal monitor, and, apparently, yetis. It is commonly believed amongst the Himalayan people that a giant, furry ape-human creature lives in the mountains. According to some it can fly, kidnaps women to have children, throws stones at people, kills villages livestock, and makes you snow cones when sent into exile by the large spider-director of Monsters, Inc.

If I get lost in the Himalayas, please send Sully, Mike and the Yeti to find me. (I would love some fruit punch snow cones too)

Squatters (The Asian Toilet)

You know when hear the name of something and it turns out to be just creative naming to peak your interest such as the Spirit of Boston, which is not the actual spirit of Boston, it is a fun booze cruise. The squatter is in no means a creative name. They are literally a hole in the ground in an outhouse that you squat over to use. I will spare you the actual imagery...

Falling Leeches, Cliff side Airports, and Death (Suspension) Bridges

I have heard of it raining cats and dogs, but leeches? Well Nepal likes to be unique, terrifying, and mystifying, so why not have leeches that fall from trees and suck your blood? However, that is the least of your worries.

To get to these mini vampires, you must first land on the world's most dangerous landing strip known as Lukla airport then cross death defying suspension foot bridges.

Why is this airport so dangerous? Its landing strip is built on a steep cliff that bottoms out in a deep valley and ends with a wall formed from the rest of the thousands of feet of mountain reaching to the sky. So if you miss the runway you either fly into the cliff or into the mountain face. Let's hope the pilot doesn't sneeze at the wrong time.

So your pilot is allergy free and landed the plane. Now you get to trek over 30 miles including suspension bridges that, like even the best of us, love to go for a swing in the wind. Imagine a very rocky boat but floating hundreds of feet above land instead of on water.

The Best Milkyway Ever! (Chocolate Not Included)

Think you have seen the night sky before? Think again! We are so far away from other humans and 24 hour power that there is only natural light. Thus, the universe provides. I think the image below (yes it is real) will describe this better than chocolate, gathering of stars better than I can.

My Takeaway

Simply put: Call me crazy but I am more excited than that time I rode a broom.

It's About That Time

We are only days away from getting on a plane and flying out to Nepal to start the three-week adventure through the Himalayas.

NOTE TO FAMILY- IF YOU WANT TO SEE CONFIRMATIONS THAT I AND THE REST OF THE TEAM ARE ALIVE, OBSERVE THIS BLOG.

To be honest, I don't really know what to expect for this trip! I also think that is a good thing, since I will be able to keep an open mind on the experiences we will encounter. This will be the longest I have been out of the country, and also the furthest I have been from home. I think that both of those concern my parents (especially Momma) more than they concern me. I love the adventure, and the opportunity to use what I know to help people in need. Trips like these are why I got into engineering to begin with- the things I have learned are completely universal and can be applied to any place in the world.

The summer has gone by faster with this being the big finale, and I really couldn't be more excited. I am very thankful to be a part of an engineering program that makes these opportunities available to its students. I would like to thank my family for their support, especially my great-grandmother who still thinks she can keep me from getting on that plane. The next update will probably happen when we start the travel!

Love you all and thanks again.

-Brad

The Plan...

Less than one week!  We are all excited, nervous, packing, and training for our upcoming trip to the Nepal Himalayas!

The general plan is:

- Monday, 25 July - Fly Boston to Kathmandu.

- Spend an unspecified amount of time (2 days more or less) in Kathmandu waiting for the weather to be good enough to fly up to Lukla.

- Fly to Tenzing-Hillary Aiport in Lukla (the airport used for Everest climbs!)

- Walk north to Namche Bazar, take a left and walk up past Thame to the village of Hilajung.  This should take us about 3 days total.  I'm pleased to see from the map that there is a view of Everest before getting to Namche Bazar.  I hope that there is a break in the clouds enough for us to see it!  Folks planning to hike Everest would turn right at Namche Bazar.

-The bridge shown in the map below across the Bhote Koshi River just west of the village of Hilajung, northeast corner of the map, was partially destroyed in the earthquake of April 2015.  We will spend about 10 days in this area, surveying this bridge and others, and making plans and recommendations for repair of local bridges.  The damage from the earthquake overwhelmed the local group that usually maintains the bridges - so we hope to help.

-Then do it all in reverse!  Hike back to Lukla, fly back to Kathmandu, and fly back to Boston.

 (Maps below borrowed from https://frankiesfootprints.com/2015/06/23/everest-region-trek/

10 Thoughts I Have 10 Days before Nepal

So it's July 15th...10 days left until departure...that's right, 10!!!! Tomorrow we'll be in the single digits...THIS IS SO SURREAL!! Amidst all of the vaccines and shopping for supplies and packing, there are a lot of thoughts going through my mind in regards to this trip. In the fashion of typical blog posts, I'll keep the whole 10-thing going and list 10 of them:

1. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

What on EARTH have I gotten myself into?????

2. I should probably wrap myself in bubble wrap and live in quarantine for the next week and a half to avoid any potential injuries or sickness.

This one's simple--I'm clumsy and consistently that kid that gets sick on finals week; luck is never in my favor and these two options seem like my safest bet.

3. Am I in shape?

I mean technically any solid matter has a physical shape...so, yes, I am in A shape. Unfortunately that's not really going to help me through day after day and mile after mile of hiking. And this is NEPAL we're talking about. Can't we just hire a Sherpa to carry me?

4. What's the deal with altitude sickness?

To paint a picture: Augusta, Maine, my hometown, is at an elevation of 68 feet above sea level; North Andover, Massachusetts (where Merrimack College is located) is at 75 feet; our final destination in Nepal is upwards of 12,000 feet. Altitude sickness occurs when your body has trouble acclimating to new heights and cannot take in enough oxygen. Everybody reacts differently to the changes in altitude, and while most symptoms of the sickness are mild, others can be quite dangerous. Granted, all of us going on this trip have medication to treat the issue and insurance to cover anything that might go wrong, but just the fact of not knowing how you will react up there is a little daunting.

5. I know how to say Namaste (hello)...and that's about it.

I traveled to Ecuador earlier this summer and what I found to be the most difficult, but also the most interesting, were the language and cultural barriers. Sure, I don't know how to speak Nepali or Sherpa and I don't know much about Hinduism or Buddhism, but I know that recognizing and embracing the differences between their culture and ours is what will make this trip so amazing.

6. Leeches and Monkeys and Yaks--oh my!

Apparently during the rainy season (June - September), leeches can just fall from trees and land on you; groups of monkeys frequent the streets of Kathmandu; yaks just roam all over the country. Nepal is home to many other exotic animals--the "big five" are rhinos, elephants, Bengal tigers, snow leopards, and musk deer. While the jungles of Nepal are home to the rhinos and elephants and tigers, in the mountains we could get the chance to see a snow leopard or a musk deer, as well as red pandas, Himalayan tahr, langurs, and Asiatic black bears. That would be cool...right? Maybe?

7. Who is going to sedate me and drag me across this footbridge?

Photo credit: Rocky Prajapati (Katha Haru), Tony Lee --See Thame Sherpa Heritage Fund page on Facebook

'Nuff said.

8. Oh yeah--The Tenzing-Hillary Airport, also known as THE WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS AIRPORT?!

CASUAL…we’re flying from Kathmandu to Lukla to begin the hiking part of our journey, and flying out of Lukla back to Kathmandu at the end of our trip. Whatever you do, do NOT watch videos on YouTube of planes flying in and out of there. I already made that mistake. On the bright side, I am confident that if we survive the landing and takeoff, we're pretty much invincible and can survive anything else Nepal throws at us.

Yep, that's the landing strip. What's at the end of it? A cliff. And a mountain.
(http://2nomads1narrative.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/plane-at-tenzing-hillary-airport-lukla.jpg)

9. I'm going to have my birthday in Nepal!

My 21st birthday to be exact! How many people can say that? I've been reading up on birthday celebrations in Nepal--I think it's different everywhere you go; sometimes they rub rice pudding on your forehead (and that's it), and sometimes they make you celebratory donuts. I guess I won't know until it happens, but I'm excited nonetheless! We also begin hiking back to Lukla on my birthday, so it looks like the drinks will have to wait until we are back in the US!

10. Is it July 25th yet?

I'm scared and nervous and freaking out and am SO DANG EXCITED FOR THIS TRIP and to see what Nepal has to offer!