This website is giving me serious trouble hence few updates. But now I will try to race through my progress before it turns its fickle back on me once more.

Shortly after my last entry, I found myself at 5.30 in the morning in a filthy stony square, crawling with dodgy men, beggars, horns beeping, and food which looked like an advert for gangrene. At your typical Asian bus stop, in short, and I sighed; I felt completely at home. Since then I have been bussing all over, whether inside or on top (which requires CONSTANT VIGILANCE if you don't wish to be garrotted by a telephone line). Was pleasantly surprised today when someone eventually translated what the rotting, but nonetheless charming, old lady next to me had been shouting for ten minutes: 'She wants to go travelling with you." Despite a sudden exciting vision of what the next three weeks could have been, managed to refuse.

Once out of the tasselled buses, I have cycled round Buddha's birthplace, sweltered in 40 degree heat, become Mecca for the mosquitoes of the continent, seen rhino/deer/monkey/wildboar/peacock/etc, had a good thorough river bath with an elephant or seven, got totally lost on a day hike and been rescued by farmers, fallen on my behind twice, experienced life in a city with no electricity for 36 hour periods, and not eaten any good food.

Now back in Pokhara, refuge for tourists and western cuisine, I hope to rectify the last point

Next, I go onwards and raft-wards...