Me Yannick and Miller (again at the top of the trek to KotDanda)

Sun rise at 'the top'

Me Colm adn Miller and our project supervisor Bal Krishna (again early morning walk to the summit lodge)

View from the four hr trek we went on Thursdayto KotDanda......

Early doors - me n Colm.

Milk coffee at the top of the 'trek' going to try to go every week day untill we leave - now my ribs are feeling better! Views amazing -

Amos at the top.....

This is my only photo of everest (its the pointy one in the middle!)

Worshipping the 'guy' (cow)

On the mountain path - exhausted...................

I can't update any pics today because my camera has just run out of battery but will try to upload some at the weekend when i go to Kathmandu -

So i stuck with it and went Treking Weds, Thurs, Friday and Sunday - We went to Kathmandu on Saturday for our 'free time' booked into the hotel - went to check out getting a tattoo then had a delicious stone baked pizza - was really enjoying myself untill i got a call from our project supervisor telling us that we could not stay the night in Kathmandu as there had been strike called for the following day and it would be too dangerous for us - we were all absolutely gutted as our weekend had been taken away from us.

We got back to the community around 7pm and pretty much had to go straight to bed.......on the Sunday me n Colm got up at 6am and walked up to the summit lodge (going to try to upload some more pics so you can appreciate why we push ourself 45mins up such a steep incline at that time of the morning!!!) Anyways it was well worth it for the Cornflakes with Hot Milk (pure luxury!!), at about 11am we found out that the Strike has infact been arranged for the Monday (so we could of stayed in Kathmandu the night before - was not best pleased.....). We decided we'd head into Kathmandu for the afternoon and went and had lunch there (onion rings, chips, nachos etc - can't you tell how important food is becoming to me!!! I'm obsessed with Snickers too!!).

This week we've been continuing working hard at the school and i've been cracking on with breaking down the steps and removing giant boulders with a sledge hammer and 5ft crow bars!! Dangerous - literally as on Tuesday i fell backwards off one of the boulders with the crow bar in my hands and landed on a pick axe!!! Have really injured my ribs - in agony but still managed a 4 hr up hill trek today - it was excruciating but there was no way i was missing out! Besides it kills when i sit, stand or lie down so figured i may as well crack on and deal with the pain.......

Today has been tough as onbe of me best mates out here, Sean, was sent home. He got into trouble for rule breaking and the project van came this morning to collect him and take him to the airport for his flight to the UK. For any of you following this blog who are wanting to apply to Platform2 let it be a lesson that if you break the rules your ARE going home........
I'm absolutely crushed about the whole thing - just now wishing him a safe journey home and will introduce you to him when i get back as he's only in Wythenshawe......
My family were very sweet to me though and supportive as i was inconsolable - i'm becoming really close with both my brother and his wife and they have begged me not to get into trouble because they are scared i will be sent home!! We have talked alot about me returning to Nepal as often as possible and are adamant that me and my family can stay with them free of charge anytime we like - My brother has asked me to move out here for 12 months or more and stay with the family - i am now officially part of their family.
I forgot to mention actually that we were all given Nepali names by our family's the first week we arrived - mine is Rasmi (which means ray of light), after the first week though my name was extended and now i am Rasmi Rajcumari (Sarah) Kussi (Happy) Gimirie (my family surname).

I'm contemplating getting a tattoo of Sarah but in Nepalese script.......? Will feed back on that one.

So we're away to Kathmandu at the weekend and Sunday is a huge festival in Nepali which is a colours festival to celebrate the end of Winter - all the people trow water and paint at each other - should be interesting - going to but a disposable camera for it so won't be able to show you the pics till i get back but will update you all on how it goes.......

Signing off now as the powers about to go................ xx

Top of the Mountain - Me N Miller (about 6am - I'm only so happy because we're at the top and have ordered our milk coffees!)

On the way down - so much easier than the way up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another pics from the top - check out that view!!!

Happeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! (Just relieved to have made it - look how steep it is!)

Again - the way back down - so much easier than going up (no pics of that - too embarrassing)

Okay - well had a pretty good week up to yet - Have decided i'm going to go trekking everyday till we leave and managed to do Mon / Weds and today and plan to go again tomorrow (only didn;t go Tues cos i was sick in the morning from too many Nepaliv green beans the night b4!) - this basically involves getting up at 5am and walking 40-50 Min's up a very large and steep hill in our village on 'goat paths' through the forest / jungle!! My fitness is improving slightly due to all the manual labour I'm doing during the day but I'm still needing to take rest - hopefully after a couple of weeks I'll be running up there!!!

Its pretty cool though as one of the walks we do is up to a hotel on the top of the 'mountain' and they do milk coffee in MUGS!!! Mugs are very hard to come by in Nepal so its a great incentive to get me up the hill!!

Was quite scared yesterday though as me and miller walked up part the way on our own (usually there's a few of us) - it was 5am so still pitch black and neither of us had a torch!! Worst of all 3 people were attacked the morning before in the next town by a leopard and my friend Colms dog was also attacked by a wild cat the night b4 - we both had sticks for protection and i have reinvented my 'rape alarm' as a tiger alarm - not sure it would work but i certainly felt a little safer with it!!

Trying to upload some photos but having problems again so you might have to wait until next time....................

So - just got back from Nagacot........3 1/2hr drive each way - saw the most amazing views of the valley and the Himalayas. Was an excellent place to see the sunset and we got up at 5am to go to the top of the mountain to see the sun rise (never knew how quickly the sun comes up!!! - it only lasted a few seconds but it was impressive). We could also see Everest in the distance - i have a picture but someone has just borrowed my lead for the camera so he can upload some pics - if i get it back b4 the power goes I'll upload it.
Only had 1 hr sleep as we all stayed up late chatting and listening to music - bad move considering we knew we had to be up at 5am!! It all worked out well though and it was well worth getting up for..........

So what else has been happening then..................
On Friday we all went to the restaurant in our village for chips and proper coffee - anyway I've noticed the live chickens in the back of the restaurant and of course knew why they were there and that they would be killed to serve the customers but i did not expect the crazy chef to burst into the room the way he did on Friday with the live chicken by the neck in one hand and a meat cleaver in the other - i completely freaked out - never expected that i would feel the way i did but i started panicking and shouting at me friends the shut the door and then i tried to climb out of the window - i felt so upset and i wanted to save him but knew there was nothing i could do. Anyways after a little fresh air i felt alot better and came back inside after the 'deed was done' and the chicken was killed (all me mates watched - even the veggie ones!).

So there i am sat twenty minutes later and the same crazy chef came back into the room with the chickens head BBQ'd on the end of a skewer!!! I felt so sick but thought i'd be okay but then i knew that i couldn't hold it in - i bolted for the door but was in such a fluster that i ran straight into the chicken head!!!!!!!!!! I was soooo sick - it was awful!

When i got home i was sick again and my Amma was worried about me thinking i was ill but because of the language barrier i couldn't explain what had happened - so i called one of the project staff and asked him to explain to her what had happened because neither Atma Ram or Prabha were home to translate - anyway this lead to her and my Buwa laughing at me consistently until Atma Ram came home - it turned out that the project staff member hadn't explained properly what had happened and he told her that the chef brought a live chicken into the room at the restaurant and that i am scared of chickens and i threw up with fright!!!!! No wonder they were laughing at me! Once she knew the proper story though she actually felt quite sorry for me (she's a veggie!).

Just about to head off to a new Samosa and Baji shop we've found in Lubhu which actually serves the food hot (which is rare here) and you even get sweet chili sauce with it and all for the mere price of 2Rs a Baji (which is about 1p) and 5Rs for the Samosa - Derie Mito Cha!!!

Oh - BTW the cat is letting me get closer and is no longer trying to gauge me eyes out when i go near it......it still won't let me stroke it though.........

Public transport in Nepal - if the bus is full - get on the roof!! (We saw a goat on the roof of a bus yesterday! Wasn't quick enough to get a picture though).

Views at Nagarkot............

Me Rach and Yannick on the roof watchin the sunset.

Thw whole group - (left to right) Yannick, Louis, Ceri, Rachel, Bal (our project leader) his son Mini Bal (in front of him), Amos, Sarah J, Alex, Colm, Nur and Sean.

Dad this is what was goin on when i was talking on the phone to you...............

Me Ceri and Sarah J.

Sunset at Nagarkot

Sunrise at Nagarkot

Me n Sean at approx 6am this morning at the top of the moutain for the sunrise (had one hr sleep last night!!)

Rachel, Yannick, Me, Amos and Miller on our way to Lubhu to use the internet - what an amazing day that was for amazing views of the mountain (see em in the back ground??)

Day offf................

We got the day off today because of the weather (basically its raining) - this whole place seems to come to a stand still when it rains - people in the community running round the place like it was acid falling from the sky!!! Its pretty good that its rained though because it means everyone's crops get an extra good watering - extra good for us because we get the day off work!

A few us went for a 'wander' round the local area and checked out some of the forest/jungle near where we live - went for a good 2 1/2 hr trek - was really good fun!

We're off to a place called Nagakot this weekend for the sun set and sun rise - really excited as apparently its an amazing place for the views of Everest!!!! With it being valentines day as well should be quite a 'romantic' setting!! Ha Ha.

We're also planning to take to Everest flight in a few weeks which I'm really excited about.

I've really settled in with my family now and can't imagine what it will be like to have to come home............trying really hard not to think about it! Even the prospect of eating with a knife and fork again is quite daunting (wasn't so good at it to start with but after 10 weeks of eating with my hands it could prove really difficult to tackle cutlery!).

The Tigers have been knocking about again and my family heard them 'shouting' (that's what they say but think they mean roaring!) the last 2 nights - I'm not allowed outside on my own now when its dark and they have been washing the dishes in the morning when its light! I'm not that scared but bet i will be if i hear or see one!

Work is getting quite interesting now - we've finished the concrete pillars on the 1st floor of the building and have started building the wall - I'm getting a 'dab hand' at brick laying (thanks to much patience and tuition from Colm and our skilled worker Laxman).

Yesterday we had to cut Bamboo from the forest - strip it then carry it to the school as we're going to use it for scaffolding! Sounds a bit mental but apparently Bamboo is stronger than steel?
Will def post some pics of the scaffolding!

Not much else to tell really - just hope you are all well and I'll try to get some more pics to upload soon as i can xxx

Met this lad in Baktapur - he's eight and was really sweet to me - telling me all about the squares and temples where we were visiting. He came back to me later in the day and asked if i could buy him a Nepali - English dictionary - he led me straight to the shop and pointed to the one he wanted - it only cost me 2 pound fifty but he was chuffed as punch!

Pics from Baktapur - the oldest temple in Nepal is here - we couldn't work out which one it was though!!!

More pics in Baktapur...

Amazing Hindu temple - Baktapur.

Baktapur.

The jungle...............................

Walk to the mountain house - this reminded me of 'house of flying daggers'

Trekin to the mountain house (i'm way behind!)

My bedroom

My bed...............

The view from by back garden...........................

My house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Buwa (Laxmi) - he's pretty well respected in the community and lots of people come to visit us for Buwa to 'make them better' when they are sick. He recites Mantras and does some kinda breathing.....? He's a really nice guy and even though he speaks no English we again manage to communicate via sign language and my limited Nepali.

Praba (my sister) at her 'usual spot' in the kitchen....we're actually gettin quite close, shes comes and chills with me in my room when i finish work and she did my make up the other day......she got a 30 quid eye shadow brush out of it mind you!!!

This my brother (Atma Ram, Prabas husband), he's a teacher at the school where i'm working. Me n him have pretty 'deep' conversations and he's quite philosophical.....given me some really 'sound' advice.