Yak cheese, Nak Cheese, sore knees and a teenage beard!

Namaste!

Just a quick note to say we are still alive and well and have finished our trekking. Himalaya's.......done! it was a bit hairy at times but the scenery was stunning, and the weather fantastic, if a bit parky up at the top. Not sure how long we have as the power supply in Nepal is sporadic at best, so we will try to supply some more details next week. We fly out to Bangkok tomorrow morning, so hopefully we will have some more time there.

Suffice to say, it was a lot of walking (surprise, surprise), but we just about managed it. The first trek around the Annapurna region was beautiful and really enjoyable. The second trek up the Everest valley was a lot more like hard work and the altitude was really difficult to cope with, but we made it to about 4200m, just below the Ama Dablam base camp. Again stunning scenery and a great sense of achievement. Will try to get some pictures uploaded when we get time. Between the two treks was a few days in the Chitwan jungle where we came face to face with a wild sloth bear, summer, spotted and barking deer, wild boar, peacocks, eagles and the odd monkey. Well, I say face to face, were were on top of a elephant at the time, but it still beats feeding the ducks at Moses Gate country park.

Mum, (you'll thank me for this) we have today sent a 15kg parcel of dirty washing back as a souvenir of our travels. It had started to walk back already, but we managed to get it in a box just before it broke into a sprint. It should arrive in about 7 to 10 days, so keep a nose out for it. Cheers, there are a few small prezzies hidden in there as well. put your rubber gloves on before you have rummage though, my athletes foot is well out of hand!

Would also like to say hello to all our fellow trekkers, the Australian contingent; Barbara & Ted, Jessica and Angela (we wont say Putchi as this may cause embarrassment) and also the Brits; Kevin & Jenny, Laura and Nicola. Most of all, thanks to Manos (the trek guide) and the 40 odd staff and crew who did just about everything we could have hoped for. (and thanks to Baz for texting all the football scores, expect the league cup match, thieving red pig dogs, too much fergie time grumble grumble grumble.....)

Before we go, we would also like to explain the bad week that occurred just prior to our departure. We almost didn't make it! our passports and visa application for India were returned just after Christmas because of a problem with the signatures. We re-applied and they were due to return on Tuesday before we flew on the Saturday only, because of the snow they didn't arrive. The next date for delivery was Friday! however to prevent the same thing happening (as the snow was still really bad), we asked if they could be sent to the collection depot in Manchester. We managed to get through the snow and pick up our passports the day before we were due to fly. We put the immodium back in the box at this point. Relief. We were then driving back up Deansgate in Manchester, when some bloke drove straight into the back of us. Nice one. Just what we needed. To follow that, I slipped on some ice on chapel street and landed right on the bones of my arse on the way back to the car park. Pass the Ralgex, please.....

Anyway, stay tuned for a progress update on the growth of Pete's protobeard (i reckon just another three weeks and it might show up on camera!) and details of how Urvy did a back flip off the side of a medium sized Himalaya and lived to tell the tale thanks to a quick fingered Sherpa or two! off to Thailand now.

lots of love

Pete & Urvy. XXXXX

P.S. Amanda & lee, always in our thoughts.