For those unaware I have gone to Nepal with the christian organisation BMS to work in a rural mission hospital for 2 months. After this I am meeting housemates in sydney and hitting fiji, LA and NYC on the way home. Hope you enjoy the blog.

It was my first day in Kathmandu. What a crazy place...unbelievable... to quote Karl Pilkington "my eyes have never been so busy". Kathmandu is so much fun. There is so much going on. So many different colours, smells and ways of life that I am slightly overwhelmed.

I started the day by attending Nepali church with the two lads that run the guesthouse, Bushan (25) and Dillip (28). Such good lads. Nepali church had a great atmosphere. I was pretty much the tallest one in there at five foot ten inches. Men sat at one side of the church and women at the other. You sit cross legged on the floor for the 2 hour duration. I'm not the most flexible of people and was in agony after the notices. Everyone kept asking if I was ok as I writhed in pain near the back trying to support myself in different ways. They must have thought I was attending for healing. I will have to practise my cross legged posture if i am to survive this trip.

After church I took an hour nap (still pretty jetlagged).

Myself and Bushan then went into Kathmandu. It is pretty much indescribable. The roads and drivers are just crazy. I'm pretty sure I saw an 8 year old behind the wheel of a bus. People just walk on the road into the oncoming motorbikes and buses.

I sat ont he public bus which had 9 seats. There were 25 of us enjoying the ride. I couldn't stop laughing. We arrived at our first stop, Bushan favourite temple called Swayambunath stupa. It was a buddhist temp, grand and golden, covered in monkeys. A pretty cool place.

We then took another packed bus to Thamel int he centre of the city, the 'touristy area' where all the trekking and adventure shops are. I liked it and will probably head back on monday to chill with some people from the guesthouse. We walked to Kathmandu Durbar square which means "square of the palace". Again temples and a palace, lots and lots of people and they only charge foreigners to go in.

For dinner we ate at a restaurant in Patan near the guesthouse. I had some daal bhaat (rice and vegetables) which is the staple diet here in Nepal. I also ordered some 'momos' as I had heard a lot about them. They are basically samosas and taste pretty nice.

My first impressions are that its a beautiful country, rich in culture with some of the most warm hearted people. I couldn't help noticing that guys walk down the streat holding hands as a sign of friendship. Its a little early for me and Bushan but hey, he might win me over one day. The poverty is striking and overwhelming. I hope I can in some way prove a help to these the Nepali people.

An awesome first day, time for sleep.