Day 30 - Woking 22nd April

Woke at 4:30 after getting to sleep around 1 am, the excitement about heading home is comparable to Christmas! Got up at 5 and promptly showered and dressed and by 5:45 was packed and ready to leave. At 6:15 we took bags downstairs and waited to meet up with Dendi at 6:30. At around quarter to we got in our minibus and came to the airport for 7:15, only to be told we had to wait till half 8. Still at 11:15 we taxied onto the runway and took off!

Now sat 40,000ft above the arabian gulf, starting our descent towards Bahrain.

Just left Bahrain, a very pleasant transit, chips from Maccy D's and a giant fanta between me and Rob was very nice. Bought some oreos and a kit-kat for the flight (like I didn't already have enough, plus they gave me dodgy change!) Also bought myself a magazine. On the next leg of my trip home, because of the nature of us being squeezed onto a flight (you won't catch me complaining) we were split up all over the plane, I have landed a window seat (Score!) next to a very nice gentleman, who I assume is returning from a business trip. Will be settling in for the next 7 hours. flying into a jet stream headwind will slow us down and may cause some exciting turbulence.

We've been going slow and taken 6 hours so far, 'bout one to go now! But not seen much turbulence, thankfully. Excitement levels have peaked and am shattered, still almost home now! 38,000 feet over Europe now seen some large cities out of the window, not sure where though? 1:35am Kathmandu time so I am seriously tired now and will probably sleep in the car on the way home.

Well I am afraid that's where it ends, and I must say thank you all for taking an interest in my babble and, to those of you that have followed the whole journey I am sorry for the delays here at the end. Shortly after I put the book back in my bag I fell asleep for the last hour and only woke up when they came round checking seat belts for landing. After the usual fight through passport control we made it to the arrivals lounge where are families were waiting there and we said our hellos and, of course, our good byes. And it was over an adventure had come to a close.

Day 29 - Kathmandu 21st April

Oh my god sorry life has been so busy the last week or so, I really need to get on top of it all...

Woke at half 7 for an early trip to the bakery, in preparation for Rhys & Fiona to go to the Gulf Air office. As it happened they heard aboot LHR opening and set off early. I had a cream doughnut and a custard Danish, very nice! At first we were told five of us would get on a flight tomorrow morning and that they would ring the hotel later with more news. At around three they rang back to say we could all fly to LHR at 11:25am tomorrow. With that we all went up to our rooms to pack, none quite sure if they wanted to let themselves believe it. We decided to go back to the steakhouse for Vicky and Tash who had missed out the night before. I had a club sandwich that was very very good, bread, fried chicken, bacon (lots), bread, mayo, fried eggs, tomato, lettuce, fried onions, bread. Lovely! When we got to the hotel again we settled our bills and again I covered me and Rob at a total of over 11,000rupees!! Then me and Vicky had to settle our bill from before we went to Chitwan. Would have been fine, if I still had the cash to cover it, and then my card had not reached its limit... Had to borrow some cash from Rhys to pay off the bill, but I have an invoice for $200 that we should be able to claim back from the insurance company.

Day 28 - Kathmandu 20th April

One month as of today. Woke at 8 did our usual breakfast routine but also ate our set breakfast at the hotel as well, 'cos it's free. So I ended up having 2 poached eggs, 2 slices of toast w/chocolate spread, a chocolate doughnut and a custard Danish. Watched some news after that but still doesn't help our cause at all. Starting to run low on omeprazole so me and Fiona went to a pharmacy to see what we could find. Ended up returning with a 2 week supply of prescription strength drugs for 150 rupees no questions asked. Just back to internet cafe as it was so cheap have sorted all my emails and revisited facebook and checked my messages on there. Have also sent my under wear etc. off for laundry as well. Went for dinner at the K-Too steak house but had I nice spaghetti with tomato sauce. Came home and lay in bed making shadow animals on the roof with Rob (Very immature!). Sat now in the hotel lobby waiting for a phone call for Rob.

Day 27 - Kathmandu 19th April

Rose at the usual time and went out on our usual pre-breakfast walk to the supermarket and bakery. Came back, ate, and lounged for the morning, after calling room service for lunch we went to the internet café next door sent a couple of emails, updated facebook (I should add here that since then my gmail account automatically asks if I want to translate into Nepali whenever I type an email...). Went out for dinner at La Dolche Vita again. Had a lovely carbonara and came home for a team meeting then bed.

Congrats to the person who wanted to know if their ipod would work at base camp answer = yes, if you have a solar charger, and well done on being my 350th viewer!!! (Yes I can see the keywords used if you click my link on a google search...)

Day 26 - Kathmandu 18th

Still here. Woke nice and late today at quarter to nine an set out fairly soon for breakfast ritual. Though today it was pineapple juice, cream doughnut and cinnamon roll, Very good! How could I forget; we had a huge thunderstorm last night! Lightning lit the courtyard like daylight and rain pelted the windows as it was blown horizontally down the street. Have started breaking my rules now, I am writing this and listening to my iPod, a rule I made to avoid running out of things to do! But now I have given up and am just doing what I feel like at the time. Following an afternoon nap I got dressed up again and we went out to La Dolche Vita for a lovely Italian meal, I had a Hawaiian pizza that was to die for! And would have loved to put the remaining three slices in a doggie bag for lunch tomorrow.

Day 25 - Kathmandu 17th April

Woke at half seven today not a bad time, breakfast was again a trip to the supermarket and the bakery opposite, and apple juice, apple Danish and a chocolate doughnut on the hotel roof was bliss! Did some washing after that now drying out on the balcony on my ingenious washing line. Kept an eye on the news all morning but appears no change, the deadline is just being extended all the time but what more can you expect? Skipped lunch collectively, nobiggy, ate bananas, granola bars and peanuts kept the wolf from the door. Went shopping after that to break the monotony of the day and bought my genie trousers. Went out for dinner to a nice restaurant, had a lovely pizza bolognese and 2 cokes all for 630 rupees!! (roughly £6.30) got back to the hotel, watched a bit of news, not lookin' good, phoned home all seems to be well and we may have to be here a while...

Day 24 - Kathmandu 16th April

Sorry for being silent for the week... I might try to make up lost ground over the weekend... Its been pretty busy here, and I could say I was teasing you with our failed ending but I wasn't I just kept running out of time / forgetting when I had free time... So with out further ado: 

Still here decided that yet another set breakfast would be too much so have, at 9, been out to the supermarket and a bakery, bought water, apple juice, snacks, and apple and custard Danish pastries for today's brekkie. Now we are relaxing on the roof shaving just stuffed ourselves.

After that we headed back down for a brief nap and fully refreshed we set out for lunch in the vegetarian restaurant attached to the bookshop. It was very nice, a veggie chow mien and a fanta. Also ended up buying another book... Lounged all afternoon, joined some local kids for a game of cricket in the hotel courtyard, I was 3rd floor square leg, for a 7/8 yr old one kid could hit several balls up to the 5th floor balconies!! Went for dinner at KC's, had a really nice BLT club and some nice fresh apple juice. Have now resigned myself to the fact that I will have to buy some 'genie pants'. Its only 8:30 now but I am shattered again and considering bed soon.

Day 23 - Kathmandu 15th April

Last day, this is it we now have to leave Nepal after what has felt such a short time and yet it feels like a lifetime ago that we left the UK. Despite all of it's hardships (not to mention illness) I would love to come back and do this again and reach base camp. Though it was disappointing  I still had an amazing time and did things I would never have dreamed about 12months ago. But alas with every hello there must be a goodbye and now we must say goodbye to Nepal, even if it is only for a few years, I am sure i will come back one day. So now I am almost all packed, just a few bits like my towel from this mornings shower is still drying but mostly all good. Woke up half six, breakfast at half eight, plan for later is to go for a shop and then lunch at the Kathmandu Guest House at one before we head to the airport at 3:15. Won't be able to write any more as now this book has to be packed into my duffel bag. So I guess it's goodbye as I end the single greatest adventure of my life...

Or not! We went for lunch at the KGH as planned and as we returned, after having changed all our money back to dollars, we were told we can't fly back today because of a volcanic ash cloud at Heathrow!! It is a big disappointment as we were all ready to come home, but still there is nothing we can do about it and so we have now joined a queue of people all over the world waiting to get back to Heathrow. But some people are more needy of a flight home than us so we shall wait our turn. Dinner was just a simple chicken soup, though 'twas a bit salty and now just chillin' in our room real good to be back with Rob after being on my own for so long. So now I will relax get some sleep and hopefully by the morning someone somewhere will know what is going to happen to us?

Day 22 - Kathmandu 14th April

Again a bad nights sleep, woke early but was persuaded to try breakfast, managed a slice of bread and a mouthful of agg. Now others have all gone off sightseeing but me and Fiona have stayed here. Faired a bit better at lunch, managing most of a chicken noodle soup, the others returned while we were eating and this afternoon we had a wander into Thamel and did some shopping. All my prezzies bought now, even a new ring so I don't have to wear a keyring. We met Dendi at half six and wandered back into Thamel for dinner at New Orleans again, had a nice penne pasta with tomato sauce and some nice fresh apple juice. After food we celebrated Tash and Lukes birthdays with chocolate brownies with a candle in. Then we came back to the hotel and now at 11 everyone has gone to bed and so must I.

The Weekend!

Well here you go:

National Park entry permit and the crocodile centre ticket.

Day 21 - Kathmandu 13th April

Didn't sleep at all, combination of the heat and feeling shite again. Skipped breakfast and left at 9 for the coach park. Another 5 hours later back in Kathmandu. The team had returned and was great to see them but when you're throwing up and got the runs all you want to do is go up to bed which is what I did after a few quick hellos.

Day 20 - Chitwan 12th April

We were meant to leave today but a strike meant no buses so we stayed an extra night. This morning we just lounged until lunch at 12 and after that at 1 we went on a jeep safari. It was good but still not as good as the elephant one. We saw a rhino, a sloth bear, some deer, and some baby wild boar. At half way we stopped at the crocodile breeding centre where we saw crocodiles and turtles. After that we sat and watched the sunset again and this time I had a hanging garden, mocktail of pineapple juice, coke, banana and coconut milk, and no it didn't taste any better than it sounds... After that we returned for a buffet dinner of a Nepalese dish called Dahl Baht. 

Day 19 - Chitwan 11th April

Early start 6am wake up call, breakfast at half past, poached eggs 2, toast, 3 slices, fried potatoes slack handful, fried tomato one half. After my hearty breakfast we were taken by open jeep to the canoeing centre where we boarded our dugout, a lovely hand-crafted local piece with seats for 5 and one standing punter. We were with our guide and an Indian couple who are staying at the same hotel. We set off down the Rapti river and spotted lots of birds including kingfishers and martins with their nests in the banks, doves, herons, cranes, storks, and various waders. However the highlight was definitely the 3m gharial crocodile. We stopped on the bank and walked into the sal forest named after the sal trees. There we saw birds, a small mammal whose name evades me and a sleeping owl! And a group of owlets. We also saw several termite mounds and some strangler vines. From the woods we walked to the elephant breeding centre, where we got to see baby elephants of varying ages. We drove back and had a wander in the local town, in all of the local shops. And returned for another 2 and a half course meal. Mushroom soup, vegetable cutlet (burger) and a tiny green banana for desert. We are now lounging in the hotel untill our elephant back safari at 4.

Just got back from the elephant safari, it was amazing! That alone made the 5hr bus ride worthwhile! We got feet away from a heard of rhino, saw eagles, deer, a crocodile, a monkey, a weasel and loads of types of bird! Our elephant was lovely, if not a bit hairy, and we got to stroke him at the end. Now we are sat in our room absolutely knackered waiting for dinner. Just before we left a bus load of Japanese tourists arrived and joined us on the elephants, this could make life fun for the next couple of days especially if they get the same bus home.

I have to apologise for the lack of pictures but I have had very little time for typing this now we have gone back to school, I will put a big load up this weekend!

Day 18 - Chitwan National Park 10th April

Travel day, woke at 5, breakfast at half past, too early for full cooked so simple pancake it is. Left hotel at 6, got to bus stop half past left kathmandu at 7. Six hours and 3 stops (2 loo breaks and on fuel stop where I bought a mars bar and one white, one milk kitkat chunkies) later we arrived in Braghaputar (in Chitwan) and after a short connection in a safari jeep we arrived at Hotel Parkland. We were given welcome drinks, strange orange liquid that tasted of banana, mango, apple and others I can't place. Then shown to our room. And at 1:45  we sat down for lunch a 2 and a half course affair of cabbage soup, veggie steak (burger) and oranges for desert. Then at 4 we went for a nature walk into the woods. Our guide pointed out lots of birds we could see/hear, we also passed local marijuana plants, though he said they were useless as drugs. We arrived at a riverside cafe where we watched  the sunset whilst sipping cocktails. I had a banana Coladora. Then we returned for dinner, a buffet of; rice, fried veg, boiled veg, fried chicken and bbq sauce. Pudding was a large helping of rice pudding, Yum Yum Yum! We have retired to our room and are now considering sleep at 8 after our early start and busy day.

Day 17 - Kathmandu 9th April

Woke at a sensible hour, showered and ate at 8:45 same again but poached eggs. Met our guide at half and took a taxi to the office in baluwatar. From there we got an electric tuk-tuk to the zoo or as the 'english' translation said juu. There we saw all kinds of animals from crocodiles and tigers to peacocks and parakeets. It was good fun but not nice seeing the conditions the animals are kept in, many simply paced their cages. We returned for lunch but first we arranged a trip to the Chitwan National Park. Lunch was a "Kathmandu View Special Burger" or veggie cheese burger to you and me. Spent the afternoon and just got a call saying the bus to Chitwan leaves at 7, we leave the hotel at 6, alarm set to have brekkie at 5:30.

I was going to put a scan of my visa here but I'm not sure about the rules so if you wanna see it email me =P

Day 15 - Kathmandu 7th April

Lazy day, woke at a normal time breakfast at 9 the usual: eggs, 2, scrambled, toast, 2 slices, with jam, fried potato and a milk tea. Headed into Thamel bought a watch so as to stop using my camera as a clock. Bought some bananas as a snack and a new book as I finished the other two, and a crossword book. Headed back for yet another rooftop lunch - sizzling chicken, very tasty so much in fact that Vicky had the same for dinner! This afternoon our tour guide took us to see the monkey temple, a huge precinct atop the hills to the west of Kathmandu, where you can see hundreds of red monkeys clambering in trees and on statues. From there we visited Durbar Square before returning to the hotel for dinner at half seven, chicken momos lovely!

Day 14 - Kathmandu 6th April

Yay! New room I moved 2 floors down onto the same floor as Vicky rather than the 5th (top) floor as I was before and I have a lock that works! Only differences in this room are is twin beds =( and a wardrobe, its also a little bigger with a south facing window so the solar charger is on the sill 24/7. Today I woke at half six with a case of Monty Zoomer's took an immodium and was fine for breakfast at half 7. We met our private tour guide at 8 and got a taxi to Boudhanath, a sacred site to all Buddhists. It is a large stone dome topped with a statue and prayer flags. The taxi ride home was fun considered the lack of road rules and add to that the fact that the driver was pickled... We made it back to the Pema Treks office where we settled the cost of the helicopter with the company "Fishtail Air" and the insurance company. [ ed. - I should add here that the BMC were fantastic in handling the the claim, and forked out well over $5,000 considered as a member I only paid £45 for the cover] Returned for lunch again on the roof and relaxed in our rooms for the afternoon. OMIGOD!! I'm so lazy i just called room service for a 30p 2L bottle of water, I feel so bad he brought it up on a tray!

Day 13 - Kathmandu 5th April

It's decided then that me and Vicky will be tourists for the next week or so. It's not all that bad however, we woke at a very civilised hour and ate at 9, back on the set breakfasts. After that we met a friend of Dendi's who is to be our guide and planned tomorrow and the day after with her. Today though we played it slow went browsing in the morning, bought a book each, returned to dine on the rooftop garden for lunch and chillaxed all afternoon untill spag bog dinner and now an early night. First I shall describe my room as I may not be in it much longer. Fairly small just big enough for the double bed and desk, the bathroom is fine, small and a little dirty but miles better than anything I have had over the past few days. The only power is one bulb  in the main room which follows the same erratic timetable as the rest of the city. The views are ok, out to the rooftop garden on one side and another building on the other. But the problem is the lock, which can take up to 10 minutes to open and is why I will probably be moving.

Our trekking company, would recommend them to anyone!

Day 12 - Kathmandu 4th April

As you can see the air lift went ahead at 8 this morning. I woke at about 6 and my stuff was packed away. Just before 8 sat in the lounge a helicopter thundered over head, and, half carried half lead by Dendi, me and Vicki climbed aboard. 15 mins in we picked up a man with suspected HAPE and 10 minutes later we landed in Lukla. Where we waited for 45 minutes and played a game of musical helicopters. For the next 45 minutes I was sat in the front of the helicopter and got to see the fantastic views of the Himalayan foothills and Nepalese countryside. At the airport we transferred to an "ambulance" (minibus with stretcher) and went to the clinic. If I ever get ill here I will go back to that clinic, the choice was IV fluids or lay in a bed with my iPod and drink sprite and apple juice then try to eat a banana. That evening after a few tests I was free to go but told to return if it got worse or if i got headaches. Sitting back in our hotel waiting for dinner.

Day 11 - Gokyo 3rd April

Not a good day today, most of it spent in bed. Woke up a about 3 feeling sick and by lunch time been sick twice. Tea time as I write this just been sick again, not eaten since dinner last night. Will try to sleep now. After an injection in my backside has failed it has been said a helicopter evac. might be necessary.

Sorry about the brief post but as you can probably guess this was when I was ill...

Day 10 - Gokyo 2nd April

Acclimatisation Day. Breakfast at 8 today, a nice meal of Tibetan bread (a side note i should probably add that the last few days it has gotten very cold at night, usually involving ice inside the windows!) with apple jam and the ice crystals that form in it in an unheated kitchen... Despite the icy jam it was very enjoyable and after a dose of ibuprofen* I was ready for the days hike. We trekked to Gokyo Ri, a peak at a dizzying height of 5360m though a couple of people had to drop out, we took their cameras with us and got loads of amazing photos. We could see Everest, Cho-Oyu, Makalu, Amadablam and many many more which I can't recall. We returned in  time for lunch macaroni cheese (yes I am fighting homesickness with comfort foods, and its working, only missing home a little). 

      And now everyone is chilling in the lounge catching up on their diaries. And I feel the need to say at the 10 day mark, the furthest, and longest I have ever been away from home, that I am fine, we are all like a family here and having fun but I know even if she won't admit mum will be worried but without reason! This is by far my longest entry, but just sat here all afternoon in the lodge things pop to mind and it makes sense to write them down. Just listened to a meditation CD on my ipod, snuggled up in a blanket, looking out over a frozen lake, a real 'wishing you were here' moment.

*These tablets are amazing! twice in four days it has removed a real b*tch of a headache!!

My AMS and lost child card...

Day 9 - Gokyo 1st April

Rob's birthday today! We spent the whole day planning his surrise. We rose at an ok hour and set off on a two hour trek to Gokyo. We walked at first through a glacial trough until we climbed up over the side to be greeted by the first lake, although only small it was home to a family of ducks! After an hour walking along the morraine we reached lake 2, a vast frozen expanse of snow. 1 hour later we reached Gokyo and lake 3. Our lodge is pleasant though outhouse toilet may be fun in the night... Dinner was a hearty spaghetti and tomato sauce, delish! However in the Nepalese 10 minutes before dinner (1 British hour) i played so many games of clock patience i may have to kill myself if I lose another. After dinner was party time, Tenzie, our favourite porter, had baked an amazing cake (chocolate and coconut) with marmalade letters on top. We bought rob a mars, twix, kitkat, bounty, etc each, being all you can get 4 days from the nearest shop! The porters had clubbed together and bought a bag of cookies!

Day 8 - Machermo 31st March

Rest day!! Nothing to do except wake at the civilised time of nine and get hastily to avoid things dropping off in the cold. Breakfast was another debacle with a pancake that was more like bread, I was still hungry so I went for a rice pudding - bolied rice, except left in the milk it was boiled in and with added coconut chunks and almonds, very tasty!! After brekkie it was washing day so hair done, socks and pants done, all out the back of the lodge drying as a write this. We can smell lunch from the kitchen. After lunched we just chilled out and played cards.

Day 7 - Machermo 30th March

We left later than usual as it was only a three hour stint to Machermo. Breakfast was good after an amazing nights sleep. Scrambled eggs that tasted suspiciously like brioche and toast that looked and felt like it had been toasted for 10 seconds over a candle. The walk was a pleasant stroll across hilltops until we reached Machermo at half 12, just in time for lunch. Me and Sophie shared a macaroni cheese and a plate of momos. That afternoon it snowed!! Although it was our snow of the trip we were 4410m up we shouldn't be surprised. But we kitted up and went out to the IPPG (The International Porter Protection Group) AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) talk at the clinic here in Machermo. It was interesting and informative if not a little frightening looking at all of the symptoms. For dinner I ate a Ra-Ra noodle soup, which I thought would be safe seeing as it was a packaged noodle block, but by 'eck it was spicy. As the evening drew in my idiotic lack drinking gave me a smashing headache so I went straight to bed.

Day 6 - Dole 29th March

We rose early and played it safe with oat porridge for breakfast. We set out on our long trek to lunch, fortunately we met Claire, a doctor also going on her way to work at the clinic in Machermo, though she stopped before us, as she was doing the trip in three days rather than two. We also got out first sighting of Everest!! It felt surreal to be staring at the tallest thing on the planet! We stopped for lunch in a small hilltop town. Again I played it safe with tomato noodle soup. I also have found that Tash is to be my "mother" forcing me to finish every meal with threats to tell Charlie.* After that we made good progress to Dole arriving around 5. I had a nice chicken soup for tea that made me feel much warmer inside. We spent the evening teaching Dendi and the porters to play cheat but left out the wild cards to avoid blowing their minds.

*Charlie is Tash's sister in-law who works with my aunty.

Day 5 - Namche Bazaar 28th March

How could I forget the debacle over last nights dinner, the burgers with no meat, the lasagne that turned out to be a sandwich, Woke up feeling a bit better, we ate breakfast,  well everyone else did, I forgot to take my pills* and the stodgy apple pancake was too much to handle. So we left for an acclimatisation hike up into the hills above Namche via the Edmund Hillary museum. We returned for lunch of boiled rice and set out again in the afternoon for a browse, and we were reunited with Steps! Returning to the lodge in the late afternoon we ate dinner, spending the evening playing cheat until it was too dark to see.

*For those that didn't know I have to take 20mg of omeprazole every morning to avoid abdominal cramps and nausea.

Day 4 - Namche Bazaar 27th March

After a good nights sleep, we set off from our lodge at  8 and reached lunch at 11. After a good bowl of soup we left at 1 and spent a gruelling 2 and a half  hours walking up a tough hill... About half way we reached a narrow 30ft wide 50ft high bridge.

After waiting for the yaks to pass we scared ourselves as the bridge wobbled drunkenly over the river. During the day we adopted Steps as our team mascot, a small ginger dog who followed us from breakfast to the bridge where he turned back. After the bridge we climbed another two hours up a steep hill at one stop we were told we should be able to see Mount Everest, but it was too cloudy to see the summit. We arrived knackered at Namche, at about 4 thirty. I have now had a first hand experience of what shall now be referred to as "altitude bloating", where all of the gas in your gut expands as you ascend causing great pain, discomfort and nausea. The only way the medics think it will go away is to sleep on it so I lay in bed for the night and tried to sleep.

Day 3 - Pahkding 26th March

After an average nights sleep we woke early to get the second flight of the day at 10 past 8 however after arriving at the airport we were told it was too cloudy at Lukla and we would have to wait. 2 hours and several card games later we checked in but sat on the other side for 2 more hours. The flight itself was only about 30mins, but 30 mins of scary flying ending with a terrifyingly short runway ending in a brick wall. Due to the delay we arrived at lunch time and ate right away in a lodge run by a friend of Dendis. After a plate of rice we met our porters and set off... after our first injury. Luke had cut himself on a razor whilst checking his pack. After the fairly tough trek we arrived here and had a lovely meal, steamed vegetable momos and discovered that I will be drinking milk tea for the rest of the trip! (I should probably add here that all of the lodges had restaurant style service with menus and a wide variety of choices, much better that the hostel style they were portrayed as.)

Bonus Post!

Here are some of my photos from in and around Kathmandu when I first arrived!

Crazy traffic

The view from the roof (on a clear day, that's pollution not fog)

The chicken kiev!!

Some.... interesting statues...

Day 2 - Kathmandu 25th March

Breakfast was fine, we ordered last night to avoid the one hour delay. Started the morning with a visit to the hotels rooftop garden. Amazing views across the city (and lots of haze from the pollution), then we had a medical briefing in the sun. Next we headed out shopping and then to lunch, where we saw ourselves get overexcited at the sight of a chicken kiev in the shape of a chicken! Soon we headed back and spent the afternoon packing and changing our money (the guys at reception were very helpful and gave us a good rate on the rupees!). But after only two days I am sick of having to carry around monopoly money, at 107 rupees to the dollar. We had a lovely dinner in a touristy restaurant. (I have found a new favourite food chicken momos)

Hotel business card.

Day 1 - Kathmandu 24th March

Spent most of the day travelling, very exciting to see the mountains from the plane. Flight was quite good, managed to get some sleep. Stopover in Bahrain was fine, achieved very little other than starting my book. Arrival in Kathmandu was manic, people everywhere, huge culture shock. Met Dendi, very nice guy. Hotel is good not exactly 5* (not even 1*) but has everything you could need. Food left a lot to be desired but was edible. Worst part, being the only guests in the hotel meant a 1 hour wait for the food. As for the "new" money belt, it fell apart before we landed in Kathmandu, luckily Rob had a spare and I have now stolen that.

Ticket stubs from my outbound flights.

The story behind it all...

Back in Easter 2010, aged 15, I was the youngest member of a charity youth expedition to Everest Base Camp. Over the four weeks that I was out there I kept a diary, a lovely little hand-made card bound book with pressed leaves on the cover and held shut by a bamboo closure, about one A5 page for each day. I also included a little memento for each day relevant to that day or the trip as a whole. I have decided to share this with the world and relive my experiences of those weeks, by typing up a page of the diary every day. It includes the two weeks I spent trekking, the days in hospital after being airlifted off the mountain, and even a journey into the jungle. So stay tuned for the next month or so as i delve into my little brown book...