This is the birthplace of Buddha, and only a few miles from the Indian border. It was a little disappointing at first as much of it is a construction site. Many countries have been building temples here since the 1970's, but many are still incomplete and are not open. However, there is still enough to pass an interesting day here, seeing all the different styles of temple together. Having moved down to the plains of Terai, it's hotter and more humid now, so I have my first taste of the climate that I'll find in India. I will probably be keeping mid-day activities to a minimum.

To retrace the steps of the last ten days, the first three were the descent from the Sanctuary. This went as smoothly as expected, and I left my second piece of litter of the entire hike behind. I never bought a single bottle (plastic or otherwise) on the trek, opting to purify my own water from streams and village standpipes, and carried out what minimal litter I accumulated. But on two occasions I had to leave behind a sticking plaster on the finger of the women working in the rice terraces. There is a cry of "Medicine! Medicine!", and a woman holding up a cut finger and a sickle in the other hand. The locals see us as walking drug cabinets, but with all the stuff I had to carry this time, they are not wrong. So I applied a plaster, dished out a couple of aspirin, and went on my way.

The few days I was in Pokhara were spent updating this blog, selling finished-with books to book shops, doing my laundry, repairing damaged clothing, researching my onward travel plans, and half a day rowing around the lake. From the boat I saw a large group of monkeys leaping through trees and dangling upside down above the water taking a drink.

I then moved to Tansen (also known as Palpa) to get off the beaten track for a couple of nights. I had finally come down with the cold that seemed to have bitten many of the other trekkers, so it was only a matter of time, and this was a good place to recover. The weather had been fairly overcast since coming back from trekking, so the hillside treks around Tansen didn't appeal as much as they should. But it was great to be in a town less touched by tourists where locals were not trying to sell you trekking gear all the time.

And from there I came to Lumbini, my last stop in Nepal. And before I leave, one thing I have to say is that for a third world country where many of us travellers have come to expect hassle and corruption, Nepal is different. The people here are friendly, honest and on the whole very, very genuine. They are very keen to bring change to their country and get themselves into the modern world, but feel stuck between two emerging super powers that are leaving them behind. I hope they find the answers.

I will sign off with a slogan I have seen on many a guest house wall, and probably decorating a few colourful trucks too…

"Never Ending Peace And Love"