Namaste!

So things have been going good here in Kathmandu. I will be off to Pokhara early next week to start my orphanage work. I'll be volunteering in Namaste House where they have 65 kids... so it should be pretty hectic but fun too. I'll be sleeping in a guesthouse rather than a homestay or in the orphanage, so I dont know what it will be like but probably similar to where I have been staying at the moment. So far I have managed to stay healthy, my throat has been a bit sore but that is probably from all the pollution, which is really really bad in Kathmandu.

I managed to sort out my card as well so I have access to money, but its such a pain with the exchange rate here because 10 pound is like 1100 rupees, and there arent many small notes floating around.

We've been on a few sightseeing trips over the past few days and have been to a monkey temple (little b******s will try to steal anything your carrying), the bodnath temple (buddhist) and the largest hindu temple in the world. Whilst its been nice to see Kathmandu, there is so much poverty and sickness here. In some of the areas we have been to, people have been burning bodies and sweeping the ashes into the river, so no swimming for us. Last night we went for a cultural Nepali dinner in a converted palace, and there were dance shows, and a seemingly limitless amount of Rice Wine, plus we all decided to eat with our hands! We then went to a bar in Thamel called Sam's Bar where they had a lock in and didnt tell any of the people inside! They turned all the lights and music off and when we came to leave the doorman had to phone a sentry outside to make sure there were no police around before letting us out!

A bunch of us have booked to go on a 10 day trek around the Annapurna region which is supposed to be the nicest trek you can do in Nepal. We also get to go down to Chitwan national park and ride elephants, canoe with crocodiles and generally try not to die.

So, whats next? Well a couple weeks of volunteering then back off to Delhi to catch my flights to Hong Kong. Turns out I'll be needing a visa to get into Thailand as they dont let you in for free without evidence of a flight out of Thailand, so I'm gonna try to book one and then that should be fine. Otherwise I'll have to get a thai visa here in Nepal before I leave! Fun all around.

Anyway, I think thats all for now, at least till I get to the nice and clean countryside of Pokhara!

Much love,

Mat