Internet at last!

Hey all,

Just a quick note as it's extortionate here. Left Kathmandu desperately hungover after staying up drinking til 4am and then getting up on two hours sleep to finish an article I got commissioned to write for Diva magazine. When am I going to turn into a proper grownup?

I'm now two weeks into trekking the Annapurna Circuit. It's been absolutely fantastic. Amazing scenery - hidden valleys emerging out of the mist that look like they contain the lost cities of gold, snowcapped mountains, mysterious looking rivers, lush forests lower down, weird desert mountains eroded into bizzarre shapes... Total changes of scenery all the time. We've gone from about 500m altitude at the start to the day before yesterday crossing a pass at 5,500m. That was a total bastard - it's incredibly difficult to walk up a steep slope when you can't get enough breath even at rest.

I'm trekking with a lovely young man called Chris who was the only person who replied to my advert but fortunately has turned out to be the ideal trekking companion. He even thinks my Lord of the Rings jokes are funny (Abi will know what I'm talking about).

Also, I seem to have lost about a stone in weight and now have legs made of steel girders - results all round.

Love you all lots but would happily climb Nepalese mountains forever. Also, I'm afraid I have no idea what's going on here politically - today is the first time we've seen the internet or newspapers less than two weeks old. We're in Jomsom which has a tiny airstrip. Most places we've stayed haven't had electricity. In fact after the Thorong La pass we're considering oxygen a delightful luxury.

Much love to all, will be back in land of communications in a week or so.