A sneaky update today - I've cut my afternoon class and done the hot and dusty trek into Naranyghat to change money and pick up bits and pieces before I depart for Pokhara on Saturday. Cockroaches in my room for those of you wondering. Frankly, I'm so bored of daal bhaat now that it's tempting to try them in garlic as suggested. Great day yesterday - went to a local festival (called Bikram Baba, which I keep mishearing as Big Rum Baba). It involves queues to ge...

Greetings from your Nepali correspondant - Namaste. Not a huge amount to report this week - the days kind of blend a bit really! It's getting pretty hot in the Terai now, mid 30's most days. I'll be teaching on my own for a week from tomorrow - Chris (the other volunteer with me at Sitamai) has returned to Kathmandu today. Lots of volunteers over at Happy Home though (currently Sukan, Lara and Kelly). We've been helping the kids revise for exams this week (afte...

Hi everyone! Thanks for all your mails and messages this week - I can read them but am having difficulty replying to anything - the vagaries of the Nepali communication system! The Happy Home kids loved their day out in the jungle, bless them. As did we! The bus journey home was a bit nutso though... some very crazy driving! Having had a couple of days off, we have knuckled down to proper teaching the rest of the week (today is our only day off). There's one v...

Hi All! Got shipped out of Kathmandu unexpectedly last Wednesday morning at 6.30. Not to Pokhara as expected, but to a tiny village in the Chitwan National Park called Ganganagar. It's on the edge of the Rapiti river, there are rhino, crocodiles, loads of birds, elephants and apparently, wild peacocks... The project I'm with has built a school, an orphanage, a crocodile hatchery and various paths/bridges and viewpoints to encourage eco-tourism. I'm teaching i...