I caught my first glimpse of Mt Everest as we flew into Kathmandu with its peak at 8,848 m (29,029 ft) which was well above the cloud-line. Needless to say, it was a breath-taking sight to witness Earth's highest mountain peak and then to see it rise above the clouds. Another sighting of the Himalayas was from the orphanage I visited while in the city; a beautiful addition to the skyline of Kathmandu.
My plan was to get a close-up view of Mt Everest via a one hour flight dedicated to taking passengers along the Himalayas. So I arrived at the Kathmandu airport early in the morning of my second day in Nepal to board a
Buddha Air twin engine plane that held 15 passengers. I wanted to go early in the week in case the flight was postponed due to weather; turns out the day of my flight was perfect with only a few low-lying clouds.
The flight itself was quite an experience. We were allowed to watch the pilots fly the plane and even visit the cockpit to view the mountains from their vantage point. The views weren't too bad from our seats either!
The foothills and valleys hold a beauty all their own but the higher we climbed, the more spectacular the views. Our stewardess pointed out Mt Everest and also informed us that no one is allowed to climb the nearby twin peaked mountain because it is considered holy.
Scripture verses kept running through my mind when witnessing the Himalaya mountain range, reflecting how the same awesome God who
"created the heavens and the earth" (Gen 1:1) will one day return at the end of this age and
"every mountain and island [will be] removed from its place" (Rev 6:14). Removal of these mountains seems unfathomable to me, but to God it is but a thought.
When you place a small plane filled with over a dozen people next to a mountain range like the one I witnessed, not only does that put us in perspective -- a mere speck of dust in comparison -- but highlights the awesome power of God, the Creator and Manager of such beauty!
