Nepal . . .

Well, I would like to say that I'm glad to be back, but in reality, you can never be TOO happy to be back in freezing Melbourne after 2 months of blissful heat and contrasting scenery.
Let me start off with 3 weeks in Nepal.
Landing in Kathmandu for the first time, and seeing Mt Everest poking up above the clouds was inspirational breathtaking. Never had I imagined I would witness such a world wonder right in front of my eyes.
The culture, food, history, people and most of all the SHOPPING was beyond dreams.
True hippy heaven with all the tie dyed dresses, hemp woven skirts and colourful jackets. Not to mention the jewellery and home decor.
I truly had never seen a place like it before and completely underestimated how spiritual and just plain 'cool' the place was.

After a short shopping stint in Kathmandu, we spent a few days down in the jungles of Chitwan, where we frolicked with painted elephants, ran away from charging rhinos, almost capsized our canoe into a river of alligators and almost got attacked by a tiger. Not to mention the never ending swarm of giant mosquito's!

Another 7 hour hot bus ride and we found ourselves in Pokhara. The most chilled out hippy lakeside town I've been to. The bars, the cafes, the shopping and the scenery was definitely one I can go back to for another holiday. Absolutely beautiful.

From Pokhara, we took and hour and half drive to Nayapool where we embarked on our 5 day trek through the Himalayas/Annapurna.
I would highly recommend EVERYONE to take the chance and do any form of trekking through the Himalayas. No words can describe what you witness.

Although it was extremely difficult, and such a huge challenge for someone as unfit as myself, the feeling of reaching the 'top' at 3500m was of pure achievement.

The first day we walked UPHILL for 5 hours, had an hour lunch break and then started 4 hours up about 4000 steps. The second day was quite similar, another 2000 steps and a further 4 hours uphill, and again, on the third day, another 2000 steps and so many hours uphill.
The next 2 days were spent going a little up and then mostly downhill which surprisingly I found harder. The strain it put on your calve muscles having to hold yourself up while going down rough terrain but let me tell you, my legs are so much more toned now than ever before. 
After feeling extremely healthy and fit, it was time to pass out for 2 days back in Pokhara and relax.

In Pokhara, Jono and I found a homeless 5 year old sleeping in the gutter of the street and although its very common for there to be so many kids on the street, we could NOT with all our heart walk past.
We asked everyone if he had a home, no one seemed to know. We carried him back to our hotel, showered him, washed his clothes gave him food and water and put a cartoon on for him. I have a feeling that that might have been the very first time he slept in a proper clean bed too.
The next morning, we took him out to buy a new tshirt and new thongs, BUT I had never seen a bigger smile on a child than when we bought him a chocolate milkshake. The smaller things in life that make less fortunate people happy really makes you appreciate little things back home.
Later that day we found out he had an uncle in a close by village. Unfortunately and unrealistically we were not able to just take him home with us.. so I dropped him back and it was extremely hard knowing that he would most likely end up back on the street again that night but at least for then I knew he was safe at home with family.

Then again, a 7 hour bus journey back to Kathmandu for more shopping and finally meeting the 32 orphan children I have not stopped hearing about for the last 5 years.
My mother met these children during her first trip to Nepal, fell in love with them and has not stopped looking after them ever since.

They were ecstatic to meet me as well and it was all a little overwhelming to begin with that I almost cried. The smiles and the happiness in these kids personalities when we first walked through the gate was nothing like I'd seen before in any child.
We spent the day with them, walking around the village, eating Dahl Baht around the 'family' dinner table and then the next day walking through Bhaktapur Durba Square.

To cut it short, I was sad when I had to leave Nepal because I have honestly never seen a country like it. Everyones attitudes are so caring kind hearted. Of course you have the street sellers in your face every second trying to entice you into their shop, but there was not one person I met that I didn't like or that didn't have a heartbreaking, heartwarming or interesting story to tell.

Nepal is on my 'TO DO' list again. I will most definitely be back there again to see the kids, to fill up my wardrobe or to buy incredible decor for my future house. And I would highly HIGHLY recommend ANYONE to see Nepal at least once in their life. Its a shame I couldn't trek the Mt Everest base camp but lets be honest, I'm no way near fit enough for that yet. But there's always next time!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH MY TREKKING VIDEO

CLICK HERE TO WATCH MY 'MEET THE KIDS' VIDEO