'which ones everest dame?' 'dunno mate'

we're back. alive and just about kicking. it was the hardest 10 days we've ever spent in our lives.

in our first 8 days going up mountains and down valleys we battled: high altitude headaches, severe breathing difficulties, aching shoulders from our backpacks, blisters, chaffing on our thighs, trekking when its too hot, sleeping when its too cold, sunburn on our faces (we look like unwashed pandas), smelly feet, smelly armpits, greasy hair (the water was too freezing to wash with - though damian tried once and never again), a poor diet of biscuits and hard dry noodles (noodles eaten straight from the pack), uncontrallable bouts of mad laughter (mainly from me - imagine steve buscemi in armagedon), and of course massive physical exertion and fatigue.

was it worth it? of course it bleedin was. when we reached the optimal peak of the trek (called kala pattar) we celebrated by eating biscuits and dry noodles and busting out the ipod. 'thats entertainment' indeed. we were also fortunate enough to be invited to the bass camp tent of the indian everest excurtion team - called borders security force. we enjoyed tea and biscuits with them! we also met some other really nice trekkers who helped us two debutants, and we certainly wouldnt have had as much fun without them. barry and shelby - absolute massive thanks, a pair of 'namche bazaars' (thats cockney nepal rhyming slang for 'stars').

anyway it took us only 2 days to trek back where we started. and now we're both still recovering from our everest adventure in katmandu. we planned to leave nepal by coach back into india but with the strikes it seems the only way out of here is by plane. so we are currently at a crosswords as to whether to wait till the strikes over (somebody told us it will be over when they get democracy - which could be anytime!) or fly to either india, pakistan or china.

so, thats about it for this week, things are hotting up in dan browns deception point and villereal look odds on to knock 'the arse' of the big eared cup. better ring my mum now.

garl xox

ps. finally got my police report for my stolen bag, phew...

pss. pics later, patience boys and girls...