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Nepal trekking: Dal bhat power, 24 hour!

So first of all, it’s back into a 4WD for the drive from Kathmandu to Syabru Bensi before our trekking begins – this time it’s an old Mahindra rather than a Toyota; much more basic and fairly clapped out, but it gets the job done. After we turn off the main highway the drive getsContinue reading “Nepal trekking: Dal bhat power, 24 hour!”

Kathmandu: Buddhist Diwali!

Having navigated Kathmandu airport, we are met by our guide and host for the next month, Karma. Even though he comes strongly recommended by our great friends Heather & Toby, I’m a bit apprehensive meeting a stranger who I know we’re going to be spending most of our waking hours with for the next month.Continue reading “Kathmandu: Buddhist Diwali!”

Nepal 1 – Festival of Light in Kathmandu

Karma’s daughters, Jemima and Millie set to work on decorating the entrance to their house Divali in Kathmandu We had been introduced to Karma Lama by Toby and Heather, our most intrepid/mountain climbing friends who have kids the same age as ours. We called them up in New Zealand in May to ask their adviceContinue reading “Nepal 1 – Festival of Light in Kathmandu”

Reflections on India

It was inevitable that with us only having 4 weeks here and India being such a vast country that we were only ever going to be able to scratch the surface. That said, we’ve seen a great variety of landscapes and had plenty of memorable experiences – we’ve loved it. Fi came to India 30Continue reading “Reflections on India”

It’s time for tea… and a little medical tourism

From Masinagudi it’s a short taxi ride, up 36 hairpin bends to the British hill station of Coonoor in the Nilgiris hills. It’s technically in the same area of jungle as Masinagudi – just over the hill to the south – but at 1,850m altitude it feels like worlds away. There are no tigers here,Continue reading “It’s time for tea… and a little medical tourism”

India 8- Coonoor to Chennai

Prompted by Jemima having a toothache, we check out a recommended local dentist in Coonoor, and on discovering how cheap the prices are, we take full advantage, and within half half an hour of meeting Titus and his partner wife Ruby, Mark is also sitting in the dentist’s chair, and initial work starts on aContinue reading “India 8- Coonoor to Chennai”

India 7 – Tea and Cakes in Snooty Ooty

Tea, tea and tea Onwards to Coonoor, which is a 2-hour drive straight up 32 hair pin bends, away from the wild jungle, elephant, tiger landscape till you reach the top of what feels like a massive precipice, And suddenly we are in sweetie land – all the houses are pastel coloured, soft pinks, sicklyContinue reading “India 7 – Tea and Cakes in Snooty Ooty”

Nighttime stories and homemade dinners

We arrived in Wild Acres Farm House and I made a cup of tea for mum and dad. We found an embroidery craft shop, which had everything to do with crafting, it was a really nice shop filled with wools and needles. I bought an embroidery set and some wools and some knitting wool andContinue reading “Nighttime stories and homemade dinners”

Lushes green tea leaves

One week we went to see a tea plantation. We saw a them picking the tea and loading it into cloth bags so that the tea didn’t go mouldy. Step 2 – then we saw them put the bags on their heads and load them onto a machine with a hook, then it went ontoContinue reading “Lushes green tea leaves”

Wild Haven well I think it’s heaven

In the morning we drove off to a basic school, it was basic but they had everything they needed for school. We went in to a year 1 class and we saw shoes lined up outside by the classroom. Here are the children outside at playtime. I taught them how to sing and clap ”Continue reading “Wild Haven well I think it’s heaven”