Namaste folks!

Well I have been in Nepal for almost two months now and the first leg of my trip is complete! It has absolutely flown by and I have loved every second of it and am having the time of my life!

INITIAL SHOCK - Having left the UK, never having really been to a third world country, I was a bit nieve and nervouse! Arriving in Kathmandu was initially a BIG shock, but I soon adapted and opened my eyes to another world! I didn't eat for the first 36hrs though as everywhere looked so dodgy (it wasn't at all)! The traffic is insane, with no order what so ever! Im not even sure if they have a dedicated side of the road to drive on (I jest)! They use there horn for everything (I have been here so long now i barely hear it)! As a pedestrian it can be very dangerous, but you quickly learn that if you have confidence in your stride, they will stop for you! Just don't dither, as they will not stop and you get hit! I was almost taken out several times in the first week, escaping by the skin of my teeth! The pollution in the city is unbelivable (or so i thought, but having spoken to others it is like fresh air compared to places like Calcutta - look forward to that). As Kathmandu is situated at the bottom of a valley, completely surrounded by mountains, there is little wind to clear the bad air and it just lingers. It can actually be seen as a visable cloud from outside the city! Needless to say I have tried to spend most of my time in the Valley (ie. outside of the city) using Kathmandu only as a hub for accomodation and grub! The poverty goes without saying and you see some real aweful sights and are pestered by beggers! You also are hounded by touts (these guys get on my wick), rickshaw/taxi drivers, and dealers - "you want some hash man, its from good flower"!

TEMPLES - Nepal is a very religious country and there are temples and shrines everywhere! I visited Kathmandu Dubar Square, Patan Dubar Square, and Bhaktapur Dubar Square, the latter of the three being the best due to limited tourists and no traffic! It was quite amusing because there were numerous Tantirc/Karma Sutra temples that had erotic carvings on them! Like a little boy in sex education I had a giggle to myself! Seriously though, all the squares were very intresting and I learnt alot about the history and culture of the people and the land. The architecture was incredible! It was also good to experience these sights during the Dasain festival, as there were lots of colourful events going on.

TREKS - I have completed both the Annapurna Trek (5300m) and The Everest Base Camp Trek via Gokyo Lakes (5400m). Each was a 20 day trek and very difficult in many ways, both physically and mentally! The Annapurna I walked on my own (with guide and porter) and met loads of people. On the EBC trek I was part of a group of 12 (all english speaking!). Both had insainly beautiful scenery - the Annapurna was more in the lush valleys with the mountains surrounding you, and the EBC you were more up in the mountians (ie. both very different with spectacular scenery!). Being here at peak season ment that both were busy! On the EBC trek one of our group suffered from a very serious spell of HACE (high altitude cerebral edema - swelling of the brian!) and we had to get him off the mountain ASAP - matter of life or death! This was a very long day for me, not only was it the longest walking day at the highest altitude, but I was directly involved in the resuce of the mans life. It is a long story, but to sumarise myself and two others had to carry him off the mountain (sods law he was the biggest of the group) as he had no control/use over his body. I then went down with him and his wife and the porters to the nearest Rescue Centre, where he was air lifted to hospital! This meant travelling through the Himalayan mountains at night in the freezing cold. We covered a total distance of approx 17km over some very trecherous paths indeed (at one point i thought we were all gonners as a big boulder moved as we passed it to which I had to stop! It was a shock to the whole group and really affected our enthusiasm and moral for a few days. Nepalise compaines have little safety provisions and westeners book these trips being very nieve as to the danger they are putting them selves in! When you are up there you may as well be on the moon, you are so cut off from the rest of the world! For me the only side effects the altitude had was sleepless nights and HAFE (high altitude flactulant expulsion!) - needless to say my room mate wasn't to impressed! Lol! I also got food posioning (as did the rest of the people stopping at Phakding Lodge) so that made treking very hard, as I was without food for 48hrs! Anyway the weather was fantastic every day - crystal blue sky and cold morning / evenings. I loved being cut off from life and in the mountains away from it all, however it was great to return back to civilisation and experience some of the simple luxuries we take for granted - eg hot water, fresh water and proper food! Six weeks of chlorinated river water is not nice! Nor is it not being able to wash as they charge for extautionate rates for showers (didnt wash once whilst on the EBC trek - I was ripe to say the least!).

WHITE WATER RAFTING / CANYON SWING - I booked up on a rafting trip (river grade 4/5 - pretty crazy!). This was a two day / 1 night event. We had a gentle first day and the a mental second day, once we were all familiar with the comands! The accomodation was at a place called the Last Resort (Tibetan/Nepal Border), a very exclusive outdoor camping location with massive tents! At this location (convienientally) was Asia's LARGEST Bunjee Jump/Canyon swing (160m)! You know me, i wasnt going to miss out and a shot of adrenaline, so signed straight up! Harness on, smile for the camera and 1...2...3...JUMP! Didn't think twice about jumping, as I was filling my trousers, and through myself off screaming like a little girl with pigtails! After a few seconds of free fall (when I was expecting the rope to kick in and it didn't) my breathing, and I am pretty sure my heart, stopped momentarily until the rope became taught and i swung up the otherside of the valley! It was absolutely MENTAL and loved it!

MOUNTAIN BIKING - With some lads I met from the first trek we all hired bikes and went off for the day! We cycled out of the city (that was an experience in itself bearing in mind how insane the streets/traffic is) to a place called Kakani - a 1000m higher than Kathmandu! This was a long old uphill slog, but when at the top it was amazing! We got on some proper mountain biking tracks and just descended the whole way back through forest! I hit something with my front wheel and went sraight over the handle bars landing, of all places, in a great big muddy puddle! Shortly after I slipped off my peddals and landed directly onto the cross bar (lads I am sure you will sympathise with me)! The mountain bikes were excellent quality - my only gripe was the racing bike saddle! This was not good for my rear end, and by then end of the day I could barely walk due to the serious bruising!

VALLEY - I have been to many places around the valley. I did a bit of a trek, walking from Kathmandu to Bhaktapur to Nagarkot to Dhulikhel, getting the local bus back sitting on the roof (this was so much fun, you just had to watch out for low cables and branches!). The highlight of this miny solo trek was Nagarkot and the stunning sunrise it offered from a 360 degree viewing tower - out of this world! I also went to Kopan Monestry and met a 60 yer old monk, also the english teacher, and we got chatting and ended up walking down to Bodnath together! This was a long walk, as every 10 steps he would stop to tell me another story! It was so much fun, and half way down we stopped for a cup of tea at a place for locals (not tourists!)! I was served a cup of tea, in a shed like hut, that had all sorts of bits floating in it! Lovely! Oh to hell with it, I thought, as it went down the hatch! It was piping hot so anything that was in there would be dead! I lived to tell the tale anyway!

HAIR CUT AND SHAVE - I had a slit throat shave after the first trek! I had never had one before and it was fantastic! They also shaved my head for me! It was after this that came the amusing bit! Me and a mate got full upper body massages! They had you in some real strange positions, stretching and massaging the muscels! The head, they would litterally punch and karate chop. They massaged you eyelids of all things!!! They finished it off by placing there hands on my head and spinning the upper and lower part of my head in opposite directions! This resulted in my neck cracking in 3 places on each side! I screamed at the shock! It was hillarious!

BARTERING - I SUCK at this and seriously need to work on it! They state a price, i state a price and the idea is to meet somewhere in the middle! This is how it is supposed to work anyway - not for me though! They say a price and they wont budge, so i try the 'walk away technique' thinking they will chase me and fold on the price! I should be so lucky! They obvioulsy have years of experience and see me coming a mile off! Lol!

FOOD - The food has been suprisingly very good in Kathmandu! There is an excellent selection of Western meals so have been eating very well! The food on the Treks was a bit limited (but then that is to be expected at that altitude!). Trek food consisted of either Dal Baht, pasta, or poatoes most nights and there was very little variation between villages except in the price! Although I have eaten very well, I have lost so much weight! I have eaten SO SO SO much food, but you just burn it ALL! I left the UK at about 84kg, after Annapurna I was 76kg, and after EBC i was 70kg! Everone was in the same position though!

ACCOMODATION - This has been very good indeed! I booked my first week before I left the UK ($US10/night - cheap). It turns out that is quite expensive so soon changed that being on a budget! Obvioulsy you pay for what you get but it is clean and dry. The electricity is very temporamental throughout Nepal and the showers are hot when there hot - you have to accept!

PEOPLE - The people I have met and travelled with have been fantastic and there are so many people in the same situation as myslef (ie. lone travelers). So many of them have invited me to stay with them when I am in Oz/New Zealand! The locals are a good laugh also, once you get past the language barrier! I had a very crazy, and some what restricted, conversation with one guy who didn't speak a word of English, and as you are probably aware I dont speak Nepalise, so it was very odd! What made it worse was he was waving a blade around the whole time, having just come out of a Padi field where he had been harvesting his crop! Walk away slowly Jez, i thought to my self!

NIGHTLIFE - Every where shuts at 10PM, so say no more!

I am off to India (Calcutta) for the next 3 days to get a flight across to Thialand. Here i will meet with my brother and his girlfriend (Kate) for approximately 3 weeks. We will also be joined by a friend from Rugby (John - aka Wilba) for two of those weeks. I really look forward to seeing some familiar faces! In Thialand I am going to chill for a bit and get absoultely mullered on several occasions as I have not had a proper all night drinking session since i lef the UK! Also I will chill on some glorious beaches and eat lots to get my weight back up!

I just hope the rest of my trip is as good as my first two months!

Please feel free to message me, it would be great to hear from you all!

Take care and be in touch again soon!

Jezza