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Hello all!

Hope all is well. Fab 2 read all the comments and to hear what you are up to. Last time we wrote we were in Pokorah but we decided to get on our way to Kathmandu on wednesday. This was a 7 hour bus journey but was pleasant. Was nice to just relax, reading our books and watching out the window!.
Kathmandu is a great place. Alot cleaner than we expected and with loads of nice restaurants. We often meet with our Californian friend for dinner that we met on the Trek. He has invited us to California to stay with him which sounds awesome! We are already lining up where to go next!
We booked a couple of days white water rafting down the Bhote Kose river which is meant to be one of the best places in the world to go rafting... and OH MY was is good!. The adrenaline sure did get pumping! We were on the trip with a sweedish couple (who were fish trawlers), an Israeli couple (that were constantly stoned) and one really geeky English man who had emigrated to Australia. (who was weird). The first day we drove to our camp (3 hours) and unloaded all our stuff. The camp was amazing!. Swimming pool, beautiful gardens and tents which overlooked the river and a beautiful gorge. As this was the first day the rapids were fairly easy as it was more just a training day. Was still fab... but we all wanted MORE, BIGGER, FASTER rapids. Sure enought this is exactly what we got the next day. It really was edge of your seat stuff, although to Rich is was often 'out of your seat in the rapids
action'!. Most of the rapids were scale 4-5 (the highest you can get is 6). We spent 3 hours careering down the river, often backwards or sideways crashing into huge rocks. Rich actually got stranded on a rock by himself at one point. We were approaching a massive rapid. It was a churniing mess of white water and huge rocks. We basically ended up going head on into a massive boulder. The front of the raft pushed up the rock and we just had to hang on. I was ok until I looked behind and saw that the back of the raft was filling with gushing white water and I saw the look on the guides face "Get to the front... quick" he shouted. It was likethat scene from the titanic where they all end up on the top off teh boat!. The raft was getting more and more vertical and so i decided i was getting out... onto the rock. We all ended up on the slippyest rock ever in the middle of the rapid. The raft was near vertical. The leader manged to pull the raft so it was floating downstream and he held it with a rope. He insisted he could hold it while we all jumped in. The water was pulling the raft so much so Rich ended up holding the rope with him. The 3 girls were in first and i was shoutng " Paddle forward". Think i went into survival mode as i was just picturing the raft breaking away with only us in it and us been washed down the gauntlet. Now everyone aws in the raft except Rich and the Nepalese leader. The couldn't hold us any more. The rope was slipping! and so were they. So they let go of us and away we went in a torrent and carrered into a cliff. The leader had jumped into the rapid and swan after us leaving Rich looking helpless on the rock. We managed to pull the leader in... then Rich jumped!. I was so scared, thought he was going to get sucked under but he was fine in his life jacket. We pulled him into the raft and finally we 'all aboard' once again!

We have a flight booked back to Delhi on the 18th April so a couple more days to spend in Kathmandu. We both want to go rafting again. It was absolutly amazing!

Hope all is well

Love Sho n Rich

Hopefully, this is the entry where finally, Rich pulls his finger out of his proverbial and gets the much awaited photographs from the first three weeks of Indian living online, and available for viewing by the masses!! If however, this does not materialse, as Indian computers appear to be as reliable as their buses, then fear not, Rich IS working hard at resolving the problem as you read. (Probably.....)
In addition to this, I (rich) appear to have sat myself next to possibly the most foul smelling little urchin yet to emerge from our travels. A heady mixture of sweat, booze and manky suncream, creating a noxious stench. So please bear this in mind if the entry abruptly ends - it's more than likely a result of falling, dazed and nauseated from my chair and landing in a semi-comatose state!

Anyway, to the matter in hand: -
Palolem is like nothing we've seen before. Granted, the crescent shaped beach, backed by numerous palm trees is exceptionally picturesque, but the atmosphere here is brilliant. There is a real mix of people, ranging from old time Goan ravers, to cockney wideboys, (of whom there are many), to the ubiquitous eternal traveller, (usually spotted sporting dreadlocks, fishermen trousers and a gormless, somewhat puzzled look on their faces) to groups of girls who look, to me at least, like they are on a two week package holiday. Indeed, I've heard now that Goa is attracting some of the Ibiza crowd, as flights are on a par in terms of cost nowadays apparently! This eclectic mix creates a really nice atmosphere, where everyone is exceptionally laid back. This is probably helped by the fact that just about everybody appears to be stoned!

Yesterday Shonah and I, and also our friends Jayne and James went on a dolphin spotting boat ride in a local style boat. Essentially these are made from mango tree, with a large stabilising hull on the right (or should that be starboard, side), essentially like a catamaran. We were on the boat with a really enthusiastic Indian character, who spoke limited english, but who's happiness at eventualy spotting dolphins was clearly evident, when he almost left his seat, jumping around in presumed ecstacy! In fairness, it was an excelent experience, made all the more special by this guys obvious passion for such creatures. Towards the end of the trip we stopped at a deserted beach, named Honeymoon Beach, for an hour. It was deserted for the majority of the time and was a welcome respite from the mainland!
In the evening, we ate at a seafront restaurant, feasting on Kingfish, Kalamari (Sp?) and kebabs straight from the beach side tandoor! Food was excellent, if a little lacking service, with plates arriving one at a time, with an average gap of 5-8 mins in between!! Ahh well, the views were excellent and the beer tasted even better!

The accommodation we have found is an absolute bargain, at 175 Rs a night (roughly equivalent to 2 pound ish a night). Its essentially a beach hut on stilts, located right on Palolem beach. However, at night it's incredibly quiet and we both fall asleep to the sound of waves crashing only metres away!

Today we have had a lazy day, moving only as my insatiable hunger pangs become too much to bare at around 2pm.

Anyways, to the all important pics. Please see below, to the right, to ther left, above, on another page (I've no idea where theyre going to be located). Here goes...............
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PS, Nan and Max - It's great to see you've managed to set up an account and can post replies to our diaries!! It means a lot when we can see that people are actually reading these things!! Hope all is well and max is still spritely!!
Take care of yourself,

LAnded in Delhi an hour late after a delay at Dubai. Our prearranged pick up was still waiting for us though!Got taken to hotel along the most insane roads we have ever seen (even on tv!) Passed numerous cows, monkeys, rickshaws and even a dead body by the roadside! You had to see it to believe it!
Even leaving the airport was an experience - as we walked through the doors to the "outside world", there were hundreds of men, women and even more kids. Not a single english person - although exactly what we came for! The children we came across looked no older than 6 or 7, but were out with no shoes on and rags for clothes begging with a really forlorn look in their eyes. We didn't know what to do, and as a result didnt give anybody anything!!

Reached hotel and had a sleep. The sound of numerous drums being played and horns being beeped continuously coming through the hole in the wall that had been blocked up with a newspaper!

Ventured into Delhi, with the aid of our bible (lonely planet guide) to an area called Connaught Place. This was marred though by the incredibly persistent touts constantly trying to hoodwink us in to going to their taxi or their 'tourist information'. We were aware of this already though, and are definitely getting better at ignoring them! Sho is especially good at starting up random conversation so as for them to leave us alone!!! Visited the main bazaar afterwards, in an attempt to find the 'real india'. It certainly didnt dissapoint! Narrow backstreets filled with stalls, huge volumes of human traffic, rickshaws, mopeds, cars and cows again!! No english people again!! Had a drink on a rooftop terrace at a place recommended by our bible again!! was bliss to escape the bustle of the streets!
Shonah had the living daylights scared out of her when a little lad pulled a gun out of his bag and pointed it to her head!! Im sure her heart stopped for a few seconds! Turned out to be another plastic toy for sale! She did manage to find two pashminas though for under two pound - the quality seems pretty good too!

On a bit more of a disgusting note, Rich visited the worst public toilet in the whole world (think trainspotting and then a whole lot worse!!!) whilst in the main bazaar! Said hes never smelt anything like it! From what I could see, it was just a wal with a whole at the bottom right in the main street.
Booked our train today - we were very pleased with ourselves having done it at the official foreign tourist bureau, to Jaipur on Fri 23rd. It leaves at 6am, so an early start for us!

Summary of thoughts so far -
The roads are the worst we've ever seen
The toilets are the worst we've ever seen
But, we love it! The expeience is something we definitely wanted and we are realy enjoying soaking up the atmosphere!

Hopefully Jaipur will be a bit quieter and more relaxing. If not, we're hopfooting it to Pushkar - the home of hippy travellers for the last 20 odd years. Apparently many travelers grind to a satisfied halt here!!
Will update hopefully before we leave Delhi.
Love to all,
Rich and Shonah