Hello!

Well its been an eventful few days to say the least :) On saturday we got up at 6 to begin our rafting weekend, we walked down to paddle nepal ready to get on our bus and met the other two people we would be rafting with Aaron and Jenn both from America. The bus ride was about an hour and a half which was very bumpy but all together good and when we reached the place at the Seti river we walked down to the edge and got ourselves ready while the guys blew up the raft. We could see the river going forward for miles and disappearing into the distance ready for us to get on!

After being shown what to do if we fell in and being told about the different instructions we climbed on the raft, pushed off and were away! Took a while to get the hang of it but before long we were all paddling in time and doing rather well! Going along the river was great the views were immense and it was rather peaceful and calm. We reached some faster rapids that were about grade 3 so nothing too dangerous but just really good fun and a laugh. We stopped for dinner at a little section of sand that had a clean stream which we cleaned ourselves in and ate salad and cheese and bread and buscuits ready to set off again. Me and Philippa took it on ourselves to re-enact the whole cleaning process of the mud and rcie festival (when in Nepal...) and half swam in the stream which met the Seti River. I was so suprised by how clean the water was compared to the river and it was so cold too - and of course being the big kids we are we had a mini water fight! Thought Philippa was going to lose her flipflop at one point too as the paddle nepal boys were making a little whirlpool in the stream and putting her shoe in it - luckily it didn't disappear though.

Going down the rest of the river was also really good fun and we had all swapped seats so I was now sat in the middle of the raft. We got very wet and paddled underneath a waterfall as well. The safety men in the kayaks were splashing us as well and we all had a bit of a sing a long too!

After about 4 hours of rafting we got to camp which I was very excited to do as I have never camped before. All the tents were set up ready and we unloaded the raft and brought it up to make a shelter with. We then walked up to a waterfall to have a shower underneath and bring back clean water for washing the dishes in. After getting changed we all sat around and played some games of cards while tea was being cooked. We had some lovely soup with popadoms followed by spag bol! As it got dark we had candle outside the tents to show us where we were sleeping and we built a camp fire which we all sat around for a while until it started to rain heavily. Once we were all under the cover of the shelter Jenn brought out her digeridoo and we began to dance and then we and danced outside in the rain by the campfire! Walking with Kim to the make-shift toliet (a whole in sand with a windbreaker for cover) with a torch we saw this massive crab like thing in the sand. Once we got back to the shelter we told everyone about it so armed with tourches we went to have a look but it had disappeared... I dont think anyone believed us but it was definately there! Jenn started playing the digeridoo again and then the others asked if they could have a go... I think she was a bit annoyed when Philippa was really good at it and more people danced!

Going to bed was good... the tent was tiny inside and full of sand and smelly wet clothes but we could hear the rain on the tent which is an amazing noise and before too long we were asleep. I was also a little disappointed as there was a firefly in our tent - and I always thought they looked like dragonflys but they don't! They are just tiny insects.

Waking up in the morning was a little dazing and I was the first one out of the tent to be greeted by the smell of pancakes and toast being made by the guides and we were literally in a cloud. It had rained alot over night and the river was much fuller and faster and it looked really eerie and very beautiful (but everythning in Nepal is beauiful!)

I was a bit concered as when I woke up I couldnt feel my fingers and my arm was numb. On friday the two mosquito bites I had on my arm got infected as Bindus dog jumped up and scratched them open as she jumped on me and wanted to play and they seemed to be getting worse. After breakfast (very yummy) I decided it was best if I didnt go rafting for the day and Philippa said she would go with me to the medical centre so as they jumped on a bus one way we got in a Yute (a transit van with the back covered by a tent like cloth) going the other way. I have to say that ride felt like the longest 10 km of my life! We were in the back like and both felt like illegal immigrants... bumping along the winding roads in the rain not being about to see where were going. A woman tried to help me but grabbing my arm to hold on, bless her it wasnt the best idea she ever had cos if the look on my face could kill I think she would have been very ill as my arm hurt so much!

We got off at the medical place and a doctor took a look at my arm, prodded and poked it for a bit then put acid on it to clean it, which made the skin bubble the bandaged me up and sent me on my way. Becuase of the rain we decided to go back to Lakeside rather than to camp and wait for the others to get back as it was about a four hour bus journey. So we got on the local bus and clambed to the back, being careful that I showed my arm so noone grabbed me again as it was stinging very badly. The bus was packed and full of little boxes of chicks and on the floor was bags of sugar. It was an ok trip back... well part way at least until we got to this village (no idea where we were) and the bus just stopped. The man had found two chicks that had escaped and me and Philippa were given them to look after and made a little nest out of my towel. After about an hour we started to wonder why we had stopped and when Philippa came back from the toliet she told me that there was as strike and people werent letting the buses leave where we were - so it looked like a pretty perment thing. After a while we decided it was best if I went to look for another medical centre as my arm was really hurting again and the bandage kept falling off.

Walking down a backstreet someone had pointed me down I found the medical centre and after the dr had taken a look and cleaned it up he decided that I needed an injection as I couldnt move my arm and the infection was pretty bad. So he filled up a syringe and I proceeded to have a sedative in my bum! Not the nicest of experiences...

When I got back to the bus Philippa said she had been worried about me, I'd been gone over an hour and we would be leaving soon. As we left the sedative took work and I slept the two hours back to lakeside. The bus the other people were on overtook us and when we got to our last stop we got off and jumped on their bus back to lakeside.

After a much needed shower we went out and got some food and had a big nights sleep.

Getting up this morning my arm was still very painful so Philippa went to the hospital with me, as I'd been told it would need draining when I was at the drs before. Phil met us there and I had a tentinus injection and had my arm cleaned and dressed with iodine. They gave me 5 different types of tablets and as soon as I got back I spent the morning asleep as he said it would make me pretty drowsy.

I have to say though that rafting is a great experience! Kelly from paddle nepal came to visit us today and gave me and Philippa t-shirts as we had missed a days rafting so we really have been there, done that and got the tshirt! So hopefully all being well I'm on the mend now and am back off to school tomorrow :)

Philippa has been my little angel and really looked after me - and since the suncream she bought here is fake and she has burnt her back so badly it has blistered I have been there for her too rubbing sudacrem into it for her!

A brilliant weekend, full of lots of adventures and fun! Can't believe I've been here for three weeks - the time has flown!

Much Loves and big smiles

Rachel

Xxxxxx