Hello! I'm still in Kathmandu and itching to start my trek! Its a beautiful city, lots of temples and things to see, but i feel like i've seen what i wanted to. I've also got into the back streets which was amazing, probably the best part. Out of the tourist spots. Now though i am feeling ready to get into the mountains...the pollution in town is pretty terrible too. If you look at the horizon there is a big thick wall of dirty looking cloud and you can just see the mountains through the haze. For those of you who i know are planning to come here in 2008, best to go with my hostel or a hotel to start with. I walked past a hostel i was planning on booking from home and i'm glad i didn't...the building was hanging on by a thread. So in a couple of days i'll start my trek, after that i'm going to go to Chitwan National Park, then Lumbini (birthplace of Buddha, its also Buddahs birthday when i'll be there!) then onto Pokhara hopefully and back to Kathmandu.

I was travelling with a guy from Sweden the other day and we took a rickshaw...i actually felt really bad doing so too. It was hard work for the guy and it made me feel really lazy, so i don't think i'll go on one again. Anyway, my point being, this guy i was travelling with kept pointing out things like 'oh, he hasn't oiled the chain on this', or 'they don't have proper brooms do they?'. Seriously, it drove me mad. Plus he wouldn't pay for entrance into some places, it got me in a pretty bad mood. I just couldn't believe it, what does he expect? And seriously, who goes to a country knowing NOTHING about the place and being completely ignorant. And he seemed abit shocked that i was here for the culture. ok ok calm.

So i guess my next blog will be after the trek! I hope all is well at home and wish me luck for getting up the mountain!

Love Katie

Hello From LA. (Katie and I are setting you some seriously updated reading...how long will it last i wonder...)
Since i last posted i went to Rodeo Drive and Beverly Hills which was something well worth seeing. The change in scenery is nothing short of dramatic; from closed down shops, mexican style street vendors and bums calling you mother****** to a Giant silver Rolls Royce, Astin Martins, Dolce & Gabbana. We even boarded a better metro bus to get into the area. Nontheless i felt much safer in these areas and the people weren't too snooty.

Today though has been the best. I went to Amoeba Records; a giant, giant warehouse of a store that would literally have a million records, books and dvds i.e. heaven. I bought a book i had been looking for called 'The Psyschic Soviet'; i will pass it around when i get home, its essays by this guy that relates rock n roll to politics.

In relation to photos and taking photos with my camera i haven't got a whole lot yet just because of the safety factor; not easy to whip out and whip back in my bag. But as soon as i can upload some i will.

This has been a rambling post.

Love David

p.s. I walked past a famous guy today in a bookstore and In-N-Out Burger (where Ms. Paris Hilton goes) but i can't think where he is from. Guy with glasses from comedy movies, usually plays the dumb guy. Looks a bit like the guy with glasses from the American The Office. I'll think of it...

Hello again! So i thought i'd let everyone know that i'm in Nepal and loving it. A little tired from the two different culture shocks in two days, but nonetheless feeling very happy and excited! I got in this afternoon and found the hardest part being getting a taxi from the airport to town as you get hassled like you wouldn't believe. i quickly introduced myself to a couple of American guys though and they caught a taxi with me to my hostel so that was fine...apart from my door flying open a couple of times on corners! that was interesting, but the Nepalese really are very relaxed, the taxi driver stopped in the middle of the road to fix my door, backed traffic up but instead of them getting agitated and honking horns they just turned off the engine and waited, more interested than anything! So thats all my news really, internet shops are everywhere here so i will beable to email etc.Just about to go and look for some food now! Love you all; mum, Geoff i hope your relaxing at least a bit and Lacey isn't running you too ragged. Have fun on the bus trip!
Love Katie

Well I'm here! I arrived in Thailand last night and haggled my way with taxis (taking Elise's advice of meter only) getting to my hostel at about midnight. The trip was fine, the only slightly worrying part being my taxi driver's love for speed and lack of indicators. All is fine though, I'm sitting here in i don't know what heat but feeling like ten showers won't help!
Haven't done too much since getting here...just had a sleep and a wander around. My hostel, it turns out is a fair way from the main 'attrations' of Bangkok (of which i've been told there aren't many) so i just wandered around this area...and my gosh the smells of food are just amazing, there's stall after stall! Although i still feel like i'm dreaming being over here i'm feeling very excited and happy!
As Dave said i did manage to embarrass myself infront of half my plane on the way here, spilling tea everywhere and looking like i'd had a very bad accident! Note to self: take spare clothes next time!
So tomorrow i fly to Nepal early and start the next part of my adventure. So until then, hope you are all well. Thanks again to everyone for coming to the airport to see me off!

Love Katie!

So I made it! I am in LA on Hollywood Blvd overlooking the Kodak Theatre, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, a crazy guy drumming on buckets and a giant Gap store glowing through the hostel common room; the lights are never on in here, the neons from outside light it up all night.

The first day i was buggered as hell due to pratically no sleep on the plane and then i stayed up to about midnight that night; that's about 20 hours or something without sleep, if not more.

I met up with some British blokes that night (from Kent and Somerset) and they nicely befriended me then they not so nicely took me to the Hooters across the street. For some beers of course, nothing more. "Oh she is fit, do you have to be fit to work here?..." Etc, etc. It was really perverted but pretty funny at the same time. most of the customers were with wives or young families; strange americans.

Today i went to Universal Studios to have a tour of the backlots and rides and the like. It was pretty good, more of a family thing with kind of gimmicky robotic dinosaurs etc, but worth a look.

Tomorrow i think i'm going to stop spending money constantly and go to the Museums or Venice Beach/Muscle Beach/Santa Monica.

Anyway best be off, thanks again to Siggie and Christian (and Katie and Mum and Dad of course) for coming to the airport for that tearful farewell; muchly appreciated. I hope everyone else is fine and if you sent me a message just before i left sorry i didn't respond i didn't have any credit.

Love you all...

Love David

P.s. Katie is good in Thailand (even though she spilt her tea on her pants on the plane making her look like she wet herself). She goes to Nepal today/soon/time zones??????