it took two days to get here from dehradun: the overnight train east to gorakhpur was great; the jeep north to sunauli was jam packed with 13 sweating people; the cycle rickshaw over the border was precarious in amongst the lorries; the overnight bus to kathmandu was painful for the long-limbed; and the taxi to the hotel was daylight robbery!

i made some friends on the train and passed the time playing them indian and nepali tunes on the flute and violin, which made me very popular. but then i lost my new friends crossing the border and continued north alone. as a single white [very tired] female i guess i was easy prey and got ripped off by some dodgy geezer when i arrived in the big city at dawn. nepal is apparently the second poorest country in the world after somalia, so i hope this guy enjoys the bit of cash he got from me.

everybody else in kathmandu is incredibly friendly and polite and i've spent the last few days lazily loafing around, taking advantage of hotel room service and hammocks, international food and, best of all, high roof terrace views. at first sight, the city is a tourist heaven, with funky cafes and gift shops, stunning temples and prayer flags fluttering in the breeze. but three days of wandering from one eatery to the next is enough.

it's impossible to ignore the stark contrast in living standards between the [numerous] western tourists and the local people; the bright appealing shopping areas for us moneyed folk and the chaotic grimy bazaars where the nepalis shop; the exclusive roof-top restaurants where i sip my cappuccinos while reading my novels and the squalid corners where street kids stuff crumbs into their mouths. when will my charming nepali waiter get to head off on holiday, and lounge around in london bars, writing his latest thoughts on life in his personal diary?

this is the first time that i have been a proper tourist - in south india i was hosted by jaise and in the north i was working and felt more like a resident than a visitor - so i'm grateful that my pestalozzi colleagues have now arrived from dehradun and i will be engaged for the next few days in helping them with the selection of nepali children to join next year. i'm really looking forward to getting involved with the locals again, assisting with the children's tests tomorrow and then making home visits to the successful families - an exciting opportunity to see behind the scenes!