Martin

Hi all,

Happy New Year !!!!!

We’re looking forward to a weekend away this Friday down at the seaside in Saundersfoot. West Wales has got some massive, beautiful beaches especially on the Gower peninsula (near Swansea), at Pendine, Saundersfoot and Tenby further west and then even further west at Newgale and many other places on the way to St.Davids.

We love to spend weekends in Saundersfoot village and this’ll be our first trip of the year. It’ll also be the first time we’ll take our dog Polly down to West Wales. I’ll post some more pics next week but here’s a peek at the beach and the harbour.

2006 is going to be a great year – I’d dearly love to go back to Nepal again but instead the plan is…..

Boston USA in Feb (Andrew’s christening)
New York on the same trip.
Prague in May (stag weekend)
Roadtrip in Alberta, Canada in May
Cologne in June for the World Cup
St.Andrews for Golf Tour X in September
Sydney in Oct

I’m determined to squeeze in another list somewhere…

Scotland in the warm month(s) for a long weekend based way up north in Inverness (maybe try to get up Ben Nevis).
London for a couple of weekends to go to the Science museum and the Natural History Museum with Kath & Megan.
At least one celtic home game (with a trip to see Scott in Perth).
A weekend in North Wales to go up Snowdon and see Laura’s new house.
A weekend at Larry’s place in the Pyrenees.

And on top of the above there’s the list that would be lovely but…….

A skiing trip with Louis and Kate.
Trip to Barcelona-Chelsea with Bien in March.

And some possible business trips…..

Rome in Jan
Salt Lake City, US in Jan or Feb.

Let me know where you’re going in 2006 and how it goes.

Love and hugs

Martin

This was a truly fantastic trip. I would recommend a trek in Nepal to anyone – you’ll come back feeling invigorated and you’ll be helping the Nepali people who have gone through a shitty few years and who deserve some help.

In particular:

1. Don’t worry too much about the Maoist “threat“. There was no threat and we were dealt with politely when we came across them on the trek. Just be sensible.

2. Don’t worry about fitness. Provided you’re basically healthy and you take sensible precautions, you’ll come back from this kind of trip 10 – 15 pounds lighter, as fit and strong as you’ve been for a long time and maybe, like me, with a slightly changed view of the world. Have a look at the range of treks available with the UK firm I used (www.himalayankingdoms.com). 

3. In Pokhara I’d recommend the Snowland hotel, a full-body massage, and the Boomerang restaurant on Lakeside.

4. In Kathmandu you have got to go to the Thamel House Restaurant (pictured below) and order the 10-course set meal. It is wonderful. We also ate out at the more famous Rum Doodle and at Tom & Jerry’s, but both of these I could take or leave.

5. I’ll be back at some point and next time I’ll get across Thorung La. The trip on an organised trek is quite expensive at around GBP 2000 incl insurance etc, but I reckon it would be easily possible to do a month-long trek for half that price by going straight to Kathmandu and booking everything there. Next time I think I’ll do it that way, although for some reason the brochure price for next year has dropped from £1850 to £1650.

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