Firstly apologies for the lack of communication, we are on the road, rushing hither and thither, and it took me three days to realise that the last blog I posted, from Varanasi, got chopped off the second paragraph. Sorry to leave you hanging! Normal service has been resumed, albeit belatedly as I just haven't had time to write as we are just too busy being tourists. Our departure from Varanasi was delayed by four hours due to that interminable damn fog, which a...

Varanasians (Varanatians? Varanoosians?) like to pretend that the thick cloud of grey smog that permanently hovers over the city is a weather blip. They refer to it as fog, as if it were a transitory thing that might blow away at any moment, revealing blue skies, fluffy white clouds and clean air. But in a city of 5 million people, most of whom are cooking over open fires or using calor gas to cook their food they've already got a fight on their hands to maintain...

Oh no. Time to leave the glorious country where Gross National Happiness is deemed more important than the Boxing Day sales, the euro crisis or who is going to win X Factor. Its been totes amazing. From the smiling children who have all been keen to practise their 'what is your name and what country please?', and taken such delight in being shown their own photo, to the rickety old folk hanging around the temples desperately turning the prayer wheels, counting...

And so we ventured east, further into the more rural part of Bhutan; it's time to head to the more remote regions to see the countryside, explore some dzongs (old fortresses that were built over 400 years ago to repel the invading Tibetans) and hike up some mountains to see ancient monasteries, colourful temples and golden topped stupas. Everywhere we drive there are rows of brightly coloured prayer flags fluttering in the wind, sending out millions upon million...

Before leaving Kathmandu my inbuilt excitement level at finally getting to Bhutan was tuned to an all-time high of 11, possibly even bordering on a 12. I still can't quite believe we are actually here after dreaming about it for so long. And mentioning it about 17 times a year, according to Brian. Tch. Someone first told me about this tiny hidden kingdom in the Himalayas when I was in Tibet 25 years ago. But, they warned, like some old cackling witch in a ...