Posts
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Nepal (Day 5)
4 November: Bahundanda (1310m) – Chyanje (1400m) From the official figures we have not ascended very much today but these are deceptive. Trails in Nepal are not exactly flat and, as a trekker walks, we must have ascended and descended hundreds of metres. It’s very frustrating when the path leads steeply down but you know…
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Nepal (Day 4)
3 November (Besisahar (790m) – Bahundanda (1310m) The alarm went off at 6.00am but I was already awake. I threw back our wooden windows to let some light in and lo and behold! There were pink-tinged snowy mountains sparkling in the sunrise. Wow!!! Ordered porridge for breakfast in the belief that it would provide the…
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Nepal (Day 3)
2 November (Kathmandu –Besisahar) The alarm rang at 5.00am after very few hours of sleep. Eugene provided an extra alarm call with several long farts. ‘Sorry.’ He leapt out of bed and legged it to the bathroom. He emerged rather soulfully several minutes later. ‘I think I’ve got giardia!’ Since the incubation period for giardia…
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Nepal (Day 2)
1 November – Kathmandu I slept well, suffering remarkably little from jet lag and lack of rest. We got up at 8am and went down to breakfast in the guest house. We had fruit porridge and pancakes washed down by a massive pot of very strong tea. This all took ages to arrive but I…
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Nepal Day 1)
31 October 1994 – Mahalaxmi Guest House, Kathmandu Kathmandu! The very name conjures up adventure and mysticism. I can’t believe I’m actually here. It’s a place I longed to visit even before I knew where it was simply because of its evocative name. It is so good to be travelling again. It feels like weeks…
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Nepal: Prologue
Prologue In the autumn of 1994, following eight semi-nomadic years teaching for the British Council, I decided to return to the UK and see if I could try a more settled life. I packed up my home in Tunis and found myself back at my parents’ home with a bit of cash saved and a…
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The Sandstone Trail (day 2)
Thursday 22nd May 2025 The sun had finally sunk over the horizon in an orange glow at around 21.30 last night as I was slurping my way through fish pie. However, this morning, low cloud obscured the marvellous views. We were both awake before the alarm beeped at 07.30 and we made tea. I couldn’t…
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The Sandstone Trail (day 1)
Wednesday 21st May 2025 “I’ve got a stone in my shoe already and we haven’t even left the house yet.” We were half way down my father’s drive en route to the bus stop. Grounded so far in 2025 by the hospitalisation of my elderly, seriously ill father, Nye and I have cancelled a train…