Just a quickie, honest! I'm leaving Kathmandu today, feels like I've been here ages infact I'm saying hello to the same locals every morning so it's time to get myself known in another country now! We're off to Tibet in a couple of hours and I'll be there and in China for the next 3 weeks. My itinerary has slightly changed in terms of dates the end date for my first overland leg in Oz is still mid November but somehow we've managed to gain time so therefore in Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand we're staying a little longer in each which is fine by me as I'm ready and waiting for some sea and sand now!
Nepal has been amazing it's high up on the favourites list along with Iran. Three truck folk are staying behind two of them are heading straight to Thailand and will rejoin us there and another is off to Malaysia and will rejoin us in Vietnam. It was great to meet up with everyone again after Everest they made me feel really welcome to be back and kept stressing how much we'd been missed. (I didn't tell them all I'd had a blissfull time off the truck!)
So it's back to life on the road again now my friend has just bought Hot Fuzz so that'll keep us entertained on a laptop until we reach the border tonight, I apologise for not replying to all your mails I'll log on again as soon as I can you know who you are and I'm eternally grateful for the news it's always, always welcome!
Mum/Dad my friends mobile will be working again in China so you can call me and it will cost the same price as ringing a mobile in the UK, I will text you the number in the next few days and Mum as you've read Marcus is coming over to join me in South Africa before I join my final overland group so I won't be travelling alone from Cape Town to Jo'Burg!
Keep texting, mailing, facebooking etc etc as I miss you all loads!
Lots of love xxx
P.S Mum have sent another package home from Nepal and there should be one coming via a slow boat from Pakistan (it's wrapped in a pillowcase, don't ask!) please keep them under wraps as the majority of them are presents!!
Monsieur Ming
Ming! I'm so so so so so excited!!!! So Excited! In fact I can't wait!! I've booked the time off work, I'll book the flights on 24th and we'll be drinking VLS's or Sambuca in Cape Town before you know it!! I can't wait!!! Yippeeee! Wicked!! I guess from this message you can tell I'm excited! Roll on February and the hot South Africans!!
Hope you have a most wicked time in Tibet - great to chat to you today! Don't get up to more mischief than me!!
After looking again at your photos with my hairy eye-ball - I thought it prudent to ask just exactly how many Prayer Flags you bought and how many bangles and beads your are likely to come back with.
Remember that you only have two wrists!!!
Nicole
Mum
The everest photos are great. What a shame vodaphone don't have a mast up there. I'll mention it to them when I ring !! Tibet and China are going to seem quite flat to you now !! You will now have a good conversation opener..... when I was at Everest base camp.......The possibilities are endless ! Everyone ok here. love and miss you loadsxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
TJ
Ahhh Raquel...what an amazing set of photos. BIG congrats on making Everest Base Camp - when you got there, did you think - 'hey, well if i can get here, I can get to the summit!?'
I can't belive how quickly time is going by, and you've already done so much. And quite the eye for photography! Maybe i can use one of your photos and transfer it into fabric for you when you get back!
Well, life here as always goes on. Ben and I went to Floriday for a week the other week, which was fantastic. Beautiful weather, and such a welcome break. I just wish that i didn't have to end. And of course as you have heard, and well know the smoking ban has come in, which means hanging out the back! The one bonus - i can wear the same clothes the day after i've been to the pub. The downside...England's summer is over, and we are now going through the rain rain and more rain part of the year...you know the one that lasts for 3/4 of the year! Wimbledon was a complete was out in the last week esp, but as always they managed to finish on time. You prob know already, but Federer won his 5th championship! pretty impressive!
Ben and i are moving into his new place this week! (well, we are going to be moving slowly over the next few weeks, but we get the keys on Friday!) Very excited about that. Have already started talking about curtains! Yes we are turning into boring marrieds! Come back soon and save us!
I'd better get on with some work - being monday and all!
Hope you are well. Well, if the photos etc are anything to go by - of course you are! Much love from us both, oh, and wish us good luck...think we might be meeting marcus for a drink this week (hehe, sorry marcus - but there'll be none of this 6 o'clock bed times ok!?!)
Love TJ xxxx
(Ben of course sends his love!)
See what's happened?!!!!!!!???????!?
You left Bath, Marcus was away for a brief period and the sales in Mandalyns plummeted so they've sold up and shipped out.... literally!!!
Staying in a caravan was not cheating, it is definately the way forward as I don't see why you have to live like a refugee to enjoy yourself. Besides, it is difficult to make a bacon buttie in a tent without setting fire to your sleeping bag!!)
Besides, there was one or two envious questions from some of the happy tenting campers once the mud started to submerge the site!!
Right, I will write more when I have more time - I'm busy working at the moment (I had to get myself a little job since I was off all summer so I'm doing a little marking..............dull as!!!!)
Laterz
Ming
Ming - BREAKING NEWS!!!
Lynnie and Clairebear have sold up! They leave Mandalyns in 6 weeks to live on a house boat rocking backwards and forwards in Newbridge marina! Doh!!!!! What will happen to Thursday nights from now on?
And the other news....probably not for everybodies ears (sorry gossip mongers!) - I'll e-mail you!
how is it at the everest base camp? I like the picturs of everest.
love from
james
Marcus
Ming!
How's things? Hopefully you're having a great time and haven't got too many blisters after your stroll to Everest - have a couple of VLS's on your way there to keep up the energy! Just back from Berlin - a really fun road trip; pissing up in Antwerp, Cologne and then many a party in Berlin! I'm shattered!
Thursdays aren't the same without you here - it's rather strange being the last person out of the bar without having to propel you towards the door - mind you I'll be spending most my time outside now as I can't smoke - don't worry - it won't cut me down!!
I've just moved into a new flat in Bath with the lovely Lucy who you haven't and probably now won't meet as it's just temporary like till moving to London in September. At least it's a roof over my head and somewhere to bring men ;-)
Send me a text when you're anywhere near a phone and I'll give you a call to catch up with all the juicy gossip you feel to embarassed to tell everyone else!
Hi Rach, so sorry we haven't been able to send you a message for a long while, the internet has been out of action for ages and we only just got it fixed,{don't you just love AOL !!!!]. So pleased to be able to talk to you on the phone and for your dad to contact you after you kept missing him, he was happy to hear your voice.
There are lots of photos for us to catch up on which we will over the next couple of days, and James is eager to update you on things that he's been doing over the last couple of weeks.
I'll send you another message in a couple of days once we've seen the photos and read your updates.
Claire and Mark got married on Saturday, thankfully the rain held off just long enough for them to come outside for photos. It was a great day and Claire looked lovely. They've gone to Turkey for a week with loads of suncream, it was 43 degrees on Sunday.
We all miss you , take care, lots of love Dad, Kim and James xx
Nhp Team
Hi Rach
Finally a spare few minutes to send you a message. Sounds like you're having a great trip. Stonebridge & I miss you lots, take care, stay safe.
Yvonne
Hi Rach
I am going to a caravan in Normandy France for 7 days, will look out for you
L/G X
Hi Rach
I have seen your Gran and she is fine, although I did walk in the front door. I have told her off. She is missing you.
Dean
Lloydus
Rach,
Glastonbury has been and gone and it was probably the muddiest i've ever seen! But none the less it was a blast and you were missed. It rained pretty much every day from monday to monday and by the time the festivities kicked off the site was entirely brown! The strangest thing was the amount of tents and kit that was just abandoned. I think quite a few people left Sunday night or early Monday and just coundn't be bothered to pack up their mud soaked £30 argos special so left them all behind. When Amy and I left the site at about 4pm the camping fields still looked full but we manged to drag the Pilton Hilton back to Chapmanslade and it will be back next year.
Highlights were Mark Ronson, DJ Yoda, Mr Scruff, Amy Winehouse, the fact that there were about 20 of us in our camp and a bloke riding a racer round and wearing DM's and paterned tights - apparently to keep his legs warm!!!!
Quite frankly after the rain sodden and heavy-booted week we've had a quick stroll up to base camp sounds like a nice way to relax! Enjoy it Rach, this bit more than any of your tales so far is making me very jealous.
