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Yes, we're still here in Nepal.
Since the last time, we've been doing many things with ourselves (no dirty thoughts please!). We did a 6days trek around Poon Hill (3210m) via a geo-thermal hot-spring and over many steps and down many more, looking at monkeys climbing cliffs at lunchtimes, pushing bison and cows and horses and donkeys and chicken out of our path for trekking, sleeping in very basic guesthouses for $2ppp, eating great cheap food and spending a pound a bottle of water. All that was fine because we knew that we'd be finished and there'd be no more of it at some point. Exactly 6days point!
Then we went to Chitwan National Park. The people remained the same (nice and welcoming and not over-bearing), the heat increased to 36-38 degrees, the animals got more interesting and the accommodation more advances (we have a toilet and a fan?). In Chitwan it's impossible to say whether you're in a dream or on smack and don't realise it. The place is too beautiful (in my opinion), Elephants walking in the same road that cars, bicycles, pedestrians share, the Park (really a tropical Jungle setting) is 5mins walk, and there you can glance over tigers, Rhinos, Bears, Crocodiles and many species of reptiles, birds, fishes, bugs and whatnot. In Chitwan we had our own guide who took us out in the morning and afternoon for walks in the jungle to possibly catch animals in their natural habitat and took us along in a canoe, organised Elephant showers (an experience if you ever try) and walks where you can catch Rhinos (who love chillies like i love carrot cake) 2metres away not being afraid of you because you're on top of a big-mother-of-an Elephant that nobody in the jungle messes with anyway. He also would explain to us the different birds of Chitwan (and take the piss out of us for not knowing any birds except the black bird who looks black), the different bugs (red cotton bug is red and poisonous!) and the different poos and different foot-prints, and etc. Some of the luxuries of Chitwan were the three FREE meals a day with at least 2 courses each. I personally believe they lost a lot of money from me that way, but if they're offering more it's rude to refuse.
After Chitwan's experiences, we took a flight back to Kathmandu. Well this was an journey too. A propeller plane with 18seats, not door between the pilot room and passengers (so you could see out of the pilot windows!). As we set arse to seat, the one hostel managed to distribute sweets and cotton buds and do the safety briefing and check everyone had their seat belts in 5 mins time. I thought other airlines should learn something here. No messing, soon we were in the air and Charlotte (C) was not liking it, it was making her sick. Not as nauseous as the descend. From the side windows the view was fine, but from the cockpit windows you could see us swinging left and right like a Friday night drunkard finding his way home. Emily (E) and i were laughing our heads off. But we landed, and alive too! So far the smallest plane ride for all of us.
We met our guide (Shree from iTREK Nepal) who drove us to our guesthouse in Thamal. We're to stay here till the 19th and think of doing something else with ourselves and possible relax (possibly a joke). Yet the more we looked at Thailand and our unanswered e-mails from STA Travel, we realised two days before flying to a volatile country STA had not contacted us or answered our urgent e-mails. So we called them (and my dad will hate me when he gets the bill from my phone) and discovered the tours were all happening against the FCO's recommendations. This places us in a difficult spot. We then have to cancel (possibly face fines for doing so before the tour in Thailand) on STA and pay more money to find other things to do with ourselves, while we wait for the different visas to be valid for Vietnam & China.
In the end we cancelled the Thailand trips, sent e-mails to STA Travel (very dissapointed with their communication) and to our insurances. At the same time we talked with Shree again, possibly do something here. We know the country better than Singapore or Thailand, we know the people we'd be going with (iTREK Nepal) and it's cheaper here than Singapore, safer here than Thailand. Last night we spoke with Shree and we've left it to today to get exact prices (we're trying to keep everything to a minimum) as well as extend our Nepal Visa.
Now I'm up to date. I write this before having breakfast and heading off to the Embassy to extend the visa and then calling Shree to get exact prices. Possibly move ourselves to Bakhtapur for a couple of nights before we go to Pokhara for me to do the trek and C+E to do some cooking courses, yoga classes, water-sports and other things that ladies do (didn't you know I'm a lady?!!). But plans always change, so this too may change, we'll find out. Good thing that we're all very flexible and understanding people in the face of trouble and unreasonable behaviour.
Ta ta
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