So Long, & Thanks For All The Rice

It's the end of my trip, and time to go home. I can't quite believe it.

So, how has it been for me? In short, bloody fantastic. I've met some of the greatest people of my life, both Nepali and otherwise. There have been some major challenges and ups and downs, and at times it's been really tough. But it's been absolutely worth it and I've had a great time.

To summarise, here are some top things I definitely won't miss: -

8) Honking horns and barking dogs. Honestly, dogs bark SO much here, and the locals don't seem to mind. But sometimes it makes sleeping virtually impossible.

7) Classes of 45 screaming kids driving me insane. Enough said.

6) Transportation problems: I've had some very interesting experiences with travel here, from taxis with no suspension along some of the worst roads I've ever seen (outside my school for example) to holding children in my lap and being used as a public leaning post on a bus. Of particular interest was my drive back from the village trek. Not on a road, as would seem sensible, but lurching precariously down a dry river bed, threatening to fall over any second.

However, this pales into comparison compared to LangTang, where I was squashed on the back row as the bus threatened to topple over the cliff edge and I struggled to avoid the smelly sick of the vomiting woman in front of me. Then there was the occasion of the window glass shattering all over me on the way to Lumbini, and of course endless strikes. We complain about the British transportation system, but trust me - in comparison it's marvelous!

5) Eating difficulties - especially rice everyday, twice a day ...and I particularly won't miss jack fruit. Now, don't get me wrong - I really like curry. And I quite like rice. I even like Dal. But everyday, several times a day? Once a day I could deal with, twice a day was a bit much, three times a day was just freaking ridiculous. There were points when I didn't think I could carry on shoving the stuff down my neck and the thought of another meal with people staring at me just made me want to puke.

It's not that the food isn't nice, it's the repetition. Just think of your favourite meal, and seriously consider whether you could actually eat if three times a day. Trust me, it would soon lose it's novelty. And of course, there's the fact that sometimes the food makes people very ill - not pleasant, especially when combined with the next item on my list...

4) Stinky squat toilets. Now, the theory is that squat toilets are healthier for you - squatting is supposedly a better position to be in than sitting. This may be true, if the toilet isn't so rank that you can't breathe, your eyes water, your mind boggles at the sight and you might pass out in a heap of someone else's dodos.

Special mention must go to Tibet on this subject. My trusty LP says China's toilets are particularly bad, but that Tibetan loos are in a league of their own. I'm hoping anywhere else I go in the world will now seem luxurious in comparison.

3) Cold showers. Yeah, I know, maybe you think this makes me a bit of a wimp. But I'm not just talking cold showers - I'm talking freezing showers. However, this beats the times when there hasn't been any water...which is fairly often.

2) Random health issues. As well as the obvious Delhi belly issues that afflict most travellers to these parts at some points, I've had a number of strange ailments - from bizarre allergies to glass cuts all over my legs. My feet appear to have dandruff, they are so wrecked. My top illnesses have been the ridiculously bad cough I got in Tibet, and my allergy to my school.

I'm not talking a psychological allergy here... I went to the (nice but very expensive) doctors in Kathmandu. The doc took a look inside my nose and said "Your nose is so swollen I'm surprised you can still breathe...where are you living?". I told him. He said this was probably the worst place I could live, and could I go somewhere else for a bit for the benefit of my heath. I was like, "Well, I'm volunteering so it's a bit difficult". He said, "You should really try and bathe in hot water at least three times a day". I said, "I don't have hot water... sometimes I don't even have water..." you get the picture.

1) Pollution, kids crapping outside my bedroom and so on. This has seriously been one of the most distressing aspects of living in Nepal - especially the seeming reluctance of anyone (government or individual) to take responsibility or do anything about it.

And my top things I will definitely miss: -

8) The sense of freedom and not having to work. Need I say more?!

7) The peace and tranquility of places like Boudhanath, one of my favourite places, where the Buddhist stupa is.

6) The cheapness..."What do you mean a beer will set me back three quid in London?! Outrageous! I can feed a family on rice and Dal for a week with that!

5) The weather...the monsoon has actually caused virtually no problems for me, and I'm not looking forward to getting back to the cold, the rain and the wind. I am usually cold, except in Nepal!

4) The entertainment gained from Engrish and from the (sometimes blindingly obvious) cultural differences. Often things just don't seem to make sense. Why is it ritually polluting for a woman to enter the kitchen when menstruating?! Do you want to go 'treeking'? Some of my recent favourites (from Tibet) include the 'Pesteraunt' and 'Sheep Guset House'.

3) The ability to experience something totally different everyday. One day I'm playing 'Amrita Says' and singing Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes, the next I'm visiting some amazing monastery in the hills, the next I'm trekking through the mountains or jungle. Yesterday, I had an ayurvedic massage for the first time, which was fun - a lady massaged my boobs, popped all my joints, clapped a lot and karate chopped my head!

2) The landscape... nothing quite compares to the Himalayas and having mountains all around you. The scenery in both Nepal and Tibet is awe-inspiring.

1) The people - both the locals who've been endlessly entertaining and generous (often despite having so little), and the other travellers I've met, and shared some amazing experiences with. And o course, I will miss the kids and their endless enthusiasm, funny questions and humour.

Speaking of people, I now have to go and say my goodbyes, which will be really sad. But hopefully I'll be back before too long. It may well be Never Ending Peace And Love for me...Looking forward to seeing everyone soon xox