Introduction.
David Crowley, the boys' father, and Conor Crowley, their brother, went out to Nepal to meet up with the 'Drive for Life'. David and Conor were accompanied by Pat and Des Ryan, Steve O'Reilly, Alastair McDonald and Stephen Kelly. This team embarked on a sponsored trek up to Ireland's Everest Base Camp high in the Himalayan Mountains. What follows is David's account of the gruelling Everest Leg of a 'Drive for Life'!
GETTING TO NEPAL.
Our trip began on Saturday, 3rd May at 4.30 am with a taxi pick up, a flight to Amsterdam and then on to Delhi. After an overnight in Delhi and some early sightseeing, we asked our guide to bring us through Old Delhi - a total eye opener, although I had been there before, with relentless traffic chaos, street stalls, cricket matches in any available space and a hum and smell rarely experienced.
Back to our hotel and lunch and then to the airport and our flight to Kathmandu, where we meet up with Cian and Shane and Ray McMahon in the beautiful lodge-type hotel, the Dwarika, complete with magnificent internal courtyards. They have flown from Bangkok and so our contingent of ten was now complete. A mighty piss-up follows, with a great singsong and we eventually retire to bed at 4.00 am, having drunk them out of Star Beer!
My first impression of Nepal: A very happy people and while there is lots of poverty, it's not as manifest as in India. Also, one could not miss the influence, or historical link-up with Tibet and the presence of Tibetans everywhere.
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