Guess who is here?

Storm over Pokhara with the Himalayas behind

I am starting to think that my mother has sent me an undercover bodyguard........Once again, and for the third time, I bumped into Roberto, the red haired Italian builder who I met in Laos and Thailand. It is funny how life throws these things in your path. I hadn't intended to go to Pokhara and I didn't think that our paths would cross again, especially as I had lost his email address.

So it was a great surprise to see his big red afro coming out of the travelller's inn. We went drinking in my guest house and had a laugh.......but he is still with his girlfriend so no plans to marry me (yet).

That is some frakking big afro

Pokhara is famous for its lake and the views - behind the town stands the great Annapurna mountain range with some peaks over 8000 meters. Sadly, however, at this time of the year, visibility is reduced by the smog and dust. Everyone is waiting for the monsoon to clear the air and bring back the lush green colours that normally cover the land at this height.

I left Consuelo, who was terribly hungover, and Ignasi at the guest house and went rowing and trekking with Roberto and some French Canadians he had met. As we got to the top of the mountain behind the lake, to visit the peace stoopa, a huge storm enveloped us.

It was nice to see Roberto. He reminds me, personality wise, of the better side of myself, of a young me. I even told him that....lol.....He heads back to Italy at the end of this month so I doubt we will meet again.

Drunken pic very late at night

We are now heading back to India but have had to cancel our plans to go to Darjeeling. The strikes in Nepal have meant that buses are not running from there and train tickets in India to get there have sold out as a result.