Sri lankas splendours: •the countryside- it's so green and unbuilt-up! Plus so varied; it's undeniably an incredibly beautiful country. • it feels very safe; bikes are left everywhere, hostels are left open and I haven't heard of anyone getting robbed. • public transport is well established and relatively easy to navigate, plus cheap! • the food!! So many fresh fruits and great curry dishes! Plus cheap! • most people are pretty helpful and friendly...

Monday: got picked up at 7.30 as arranged and we went to pick up my trekking partners- I had no idea who they were going to be, but it turned out to be a Dutch family. The dad, an artist, was in his 60s and the mum, a TV documentary director, in her 50s with a kid of 11. We had an hour or so drive to the starting point and luckily it was dry and sunny. We walked about 13km in total, a slower pace and more breaks than I'm used to, but it was a very beautiful walk ...

The flight took 3.5 hours and I finished the alchemist- it's only 160 pages but I read it in one day, so I guess it was more engrossing than the last book. It was thought provoking and raised some good philosophical points, but why do these books always have to bring god into it?! I watched '12 years a slave' on the flight, which was harrowing and again reveals how mankind are capable of such awful things. We must be one of the only animals on the planet who need...

Tuesday evening: I got a decent meal in the main town- Manali is divided into old town and main town, I'm staying in old town which is also the hippy area, but at £2.40 a night?! We are surrounded by very lush and green mountains here, so it's a pretty town although full of Israelis! Wednesday: I decided on Sri Lanka, so was busy booking the flight and arranging the visa and first hostel, etc. I walked to a famous temple, which was just like the other 10,000 I'...

Monday night: the hospital was amazing, i'd taken a book and water expecting to wait hours. But I paid 6p and joined 3 others sat waiting- you could see the doctor having the consultation only 2m away and so hear everything (although I couldn't understand as it was the local language). She saw the next 3 within 10 minutes and then me; her English was good! She said to continue the antibiotics for 5 days and try some antibiotic, steroid cream, which she wrote a pr...