| Friday 27 February 2004 This morning was quite unforgettable. I must confess that getting onto an aircraft for a flight, however short or long the journey, rarely excites me. However, today was different; a lot different. At 5.30 am my alarm clock reminded me that I had an important appointment. I caught a taxi and drove through darkness and thick fog to the domestic air terminal at Kathmandu. The signs were not good. I checked in, armed with my camera, and sat in the departure terminal. The weather had closed the airport and nothing was going to move for a few hours, so I waited.  | It was as if it was the mountain wanted to be admired |  |
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My 7.00 am flight was finally called at 9.45 am. By then I had read every sign at least a dozen times and could memorise the details written on my flight ticket. The day had suddenly come alive, with the sun burning off the fog and the runway beginning to radiate heat. I was on my way to catch my Cosmic Air mountain flight to the top of the world: Mount Everest. Sitting in seat 1A on the left of the aircraft was ideal for our approach to Everest, or Sagarmatha, as it is known in Nepal. We soon reached 25,000 feet and levelled out, flying east towards our destination. Within minutes we were flying parallel to the Himalayan range, with all the peaks sitting proudly in the crystal clear blue sky to the North. Unexpectedly the air hostess asked me to go to the cockpit. Probably repeating the words for the thousandth time, the Captain told me that the large peak, up ahead and just off to the left was Everest. If I hadn't been so struck by the beauty of the mountains, I would have laughed at the directions. Everest was spectacular. Of all the hundreds of peaks pointing to the heavens, Everest was the only one with a whisper of snow blowing off the top. It was as if it was the mountain wanted to be admired. It simply towered above its nearest rivals, snow covered and dominant. The thought did occur to me whether there was a climber on the summit that morning. All too quickly we had turned around and were heading back to Kathmandu. After touching down I was given a certificate, signed by the Captain, recording my meeting with Sagarmatha. I can already see the spot on the wall in my house where it will hang.
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