We arrived in Pokhara with a determination to start volunteering somewhere as quickly as possible, although it was difficult to resist all the gourmet restaurants, tourist delights and adrenaline sports on offer. This was made easier with Jess spending most of her time running between the sink and the toilet, unwillingly preparing her stomach for the more remote villages we are heading towards now...

Nevertheless, it was impossible not to notice the shear beauty of the place. Situated on the edge of a peaceful lake (the Phewa Tal), Pokhara is surrounded by the mesmerizing Annapurna mountain range. Like many similarly beautiful places in Asia, it was divided into an expensive tourist strip offering all the usual western comforts, and the typical bustling local area away from the stunning lakeside. We figured we'd be living pretty basically for the next few weeks, so made the most of the scenery and convenience of the Lakeside tourist strip.

We were all set to try our luck with the Tibetan Refugee camp, when we noticed a brochure for the Annapurna Conservation Area. Not far from Pokhara, this is the largest and most diverse protected area in Nepal. With a little research, we discovered that the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) is doing impressively good things for the natural environment in the area, as well as for the minority ethnic groups who live there. We decided to contact the Project Director for Annapurna, to see if they would take on a couple of Aussie volunteers...

After an email and one short phone call, we were invited to the head office to meet with the Director himself. We were amazed at how friendly and humble he was for the head honcho of such a large, official organization. After a quick chat, he recommended one particular village named Bhujung for us to try to help out. A four hour bus ride, followed by three hours in the back of a jeep and a two hour trek into a valley, Bhujung sounded like a fascinating village. This project also seemed to perfectly suit both of our interests. For Jess, there seemed to be opportunities for experience in community development, and for Aidan, environmental work!

All but committed, we remained determined to chase up the Refugee camp first, and hired a couple of bikes to ride the few kilometres up into the hills. Fortunately, Jess's stomach was on the mend by this point. We arrived just in time for their evening prayer and spent an extraordinarily peaceful hour listening to the strong, steady Tibetan chants and low but captivating drum vibrations produced by a group of young apprentice monks. Although very cultural, we decided we would both learn and in turn offer much more in the village of Bhujung.

Preparing ourselves for no Internet and limited phone reception, we've updated our status's on Facebook and said good-bye to our folks for at least another month. A little nervous but more just plain excited, we're now sitting on a bus, the first leg of an epic journey towards the next part of this incredible life adventure!