On top of the world 20.2.10

As the certificate said, today I did not climb Everest, but touched it with my heart!
What a day, what an experience, for the first time in a long time I do feel I shall not be able to communicate in words what I saw, how I felt on the trip this morning.Words such as awesome, magnificent, inspiring,incredible,wonderment appear so inadequate to express what the journey was like. Truly a moment never to forget.
Anyway, let's start at the beginning.
A wake up call at 5am, a quick cup of green tea, and then we were off by minibus at 6am to travel the 20 minute journey, this time through relatively quiet streets, to Tribithvan airport.We were due to fly at 7.30, but because of turbulence over the peak, the flight was delayed almost 2 hours. However we embarked on a wee plane of Buddha Airways, it held 16 passengers, and set off down the runway at 9.15am, climbing steadly in a north easterly direction through the haze of polluted air of Kathmandu, to soar above the clouds into the clear blue skies to get our first glimpse of the Himalaya range.I sat on the right side of the plane, so that those on the left had the views of the mountains on the outward journey.However when the plane banked at Everest, we then had the best views. As we flew along, with the range on the left of the plane, each person, in turn was invited up into the cockpit to be given a description of the peaks before us, and when it was my turn, I got the first view of the peak of Everest, away in the distance at about 11 o'clock compass wise.And what a sight it was, standing clearly, a grey triangle of mountain peak, spilling out from it a wispy scarf of cloud.Incredible. I got another chance to be with the crew in the cockpit, and the 2nd pilot took some shots for me from his window.The return journey allowed me to photograph the whole Himalya range, what peaks what mountains, what a border between Nepal and Tibet.Most of the peaks had some amount of snow upon them, Everest was mainly a slate grey colour with the lower slopes a brownish grey. The whole complex of mountains is quite extraordinary and one is left with the thought how in the name did anyone ever climb here. How did anyone climb Everest. Difficult to explain. What a challenge it must have been and still remains!
On thr flight back, the cabin was quiet, for all of us came to realise that we had seen and been on top of the world, it was quite an emotional moment I can say, an experience that shall never be repeated.They say thet to see Everest is one of the top 10 things one must do before you die. I do not know about the other nine, but today was simply beynd my imagination and shall suffice.
The pictures I have taken look ok and look forward to sending them to you when I get back.
I shall finish as I began this blog.
Today I did not climb Everest, but touched it with my heart.
From a lovely sunny afternoon in Kathmandu
Namaste!