Sabai Dee (Hello in Lao) everyone!

I am currently in Laos and think it's time I updated you on my travels so far...I arrived in Kathmandu, Nepal from Delhi not feeling very well at all, luckily after a few days in bed I was back to my normal self again, I think it was something I had eaten in Delhi! Anyway I spent my first week sightseeing around the Kathmandu Valley with 3 other volunteers (2 of them I'd already met in India).

We stayed with local families during this week and experienced true Nepali culture, eating Daal Bhat (rice and lentil soup) for breakfast and dinner. I had Nepali lessons every morning, which really helped me to pick up the local language, our teacher was wonderful! We also stayed in a farmhouse for one night, which was surrounded by so much greenery, it was lush! We sat around a campfire singing songs and star gazing, the next morning i made roti's for everyone with the aloo (potato) curry that had been cooked for us.

From there we made our way to Bhaktapur for a few days and then onto the Truisuli Centre where we experienced one of the longest journeys so far. We were in a van and it should have only taken us 3 hours to get there but there was an accident along the way, a truck driver had fallen asleep at the wheel and killed a woman on the roadside, it was very sad. Her family refused to move the body until the driver had given them money. There were no police at the scene because this happened in a small village outside of Kathmandu, we were stuck on the roadside for 12 hours! Looking back we all learnt alot from that experience.

We finally reached our destination and went white water rafting for 2 days on the Truisuli River, it was a first for me and so much fun! We would stop over on a sandy patch and have lunch in the sun! I volunteered to sit at the front of the raft so I got soaked during the rapids!

We stayed in the Truisuli Centre in tents next to the river, the first night me found huge spiders in them and so we slept outside next to the campfire under the stars and the moon...we had a wonderful chef who cooked delicious food for us while we were there, yummy!

All the volunteers were then split up and I made my way to Pokhara. What can I say about Pokhara...it is the most beautiful place I have been to so far on this trip. I loved the food, the people, walking along Phewa Tal (lake), waking up and seeing the Annapurna mountains, I felt so at home there, it was amazing...just thinking about it makes me smile! I stayed in a lovely place with a himalayan feel to it, with both volunteers and staff that were working for the organisation I was volunteering with, who do trekking and rafting too.

I was helping at a welfare home with 30 children, most of them have parents who can't afford to look after them because they have had so many children due to lack of birth control, it was very upsetting to hear some of their stories. I would help them get dressed for school (their uniforms were really cute!), I'd help them put their ties on and plait the girls' hair. It was so much fun and a very valuable learning experience for me. I also started giving some of the boys computer lessons where I was staying, it was a wonderful feeling seeing them put into practice what I had taught them. I hope I have helped them in some small way and they go onto lead happy and fulfulling lives. I also went for a picnic with them at Begnas Tal and it was then that I saw a goat being killed, it was a very disturbing experience and has put me off eating meat completely.

I got to know the local people well in Pokhara as I was there for a while and when there were people returning from trekking I would help the staff organise parties for them. One day I decided to make roti's for all the staff and the volunteers, it took me 3-4 hours because there was so many people to feed but I enjoyed every bit of it and luckily everyone loved them! It made a nice change for them from eating rice everyday, twice a day. My cooked skills have definitely improved since being away! hehe

Towards the end of my four weeks in Nepal I went trekking for 4 days with the other volunteers, our trek was the Royal Trek (royal because Prince Charles had completed this same trek in 1980 with over 100 staff with him). It was an amazing experience and I want to go back and trek to Everest Base Camp (when I've trained and am fit enough to do it!). We stayed with local families along the way and it rained most evenings, which was really refreshing...the views were breathtaking and the experience on the whole was unforgettable. We had 1 guide and 2 porters who carried the tents etc. we had so much fun with them and most of our days involved walking for 4-5 hours, stopping halfway for a light lunch and then we'd arrive at our homestay where we'd wait for daal bhat, it had never tasted so good! By the end of the trek we were calling ourselves the Daal Bhat Power team (DBP team) and had patches made when we returned to Pokhara! hehe We didn't shower for the entire trek and all we carried were small daypacks with our essentials (one of them being a headtorch to go to the toilet in the middle of the night!). If anything, this experience taught me just how simply you can live life and still be happy. We were welcomed back with a party and had a yummy chocolate cake waiting for us with the icing reading 'Happy Nice Royal Trek' (needless to say we all had second helpings!).

It was really sad to say goodbye to everyone and I spent a day or two in Kathmandu reflecting on my time in Nepal...I also visited a centre where children with diabilities are looked after (my friend Roshan volunteered here a few years ago and I was keen to visit), all I can say is that the people working there are truly amazing, they spend all day and night with the children, feed them, bath them, teach them etc. The children were really playful and enjoyed having their photos taken, they gave me a big hug when I left...I was sad to be leaving! I would like to go back and spend more time there in the future.

Then I flew to Thailand for my next adventure! I spent a few days in Bangkok enjoying shopping and indulging in fresh fruit, especially mangos! I've been in Laos for almost 6 days now, I'll be moving onto Vietnam, Cambodia and then Thailand where I'll be spending a week volunteering at an elephant orphanage in Chaing Mai. This is something I have always wanted to do and I'm really excited about it because I love elephants, I'll get to feed them and bath them!

I have had such an amazing time so far, it has been 3 months and I wonder what new experiences the next 3 months will bring...I have met some truly wonderful people who have taught me so much, there are no words to describe how much I have learnt and at this moment in time I feel on top of the world!:o)

Anyway I think that will do for now, I know how busy you all are...
I hope you're well and enjoying the sunshine I'm sending your way

I'll be writing another blog when I'm back in Thailand so stay tuned
Take care and keep in touch
Love Poonam

P.S. I'm missing you all very much!