Through The Mountains Back To The City.

I have what is probably my latest night of the trip so far and I finally go to bed at around 22:00.  Most nights I have been going to sleep between 20:00-21:00.  I wake up a little earlier than needed regardless of this and decide to spend a bit of time packing my gear away.  I have really enjoyed the last few day's adventures but I am looking forward to clean clothes a comfortable bed and a loo you can sit on.

In the Jeep is the driver, myself, Swiss guy, Austrian Lady and our Sherpa's.  Austrian lady has two, one for lugging and one for guiding. Tammie and her guide are catching the bus back as it would appear all the people who came out for Losar, the 6:30 bus is already full by the time they try to get tickets and so they have to wait another hour for the next can on wheels turns up, I hope they don't get back too late and that unlike my journey out their bus isn't owned by 'The Red Hand Gang'.

I get to ride shotgun due to owning the longest legs.  Not only do I have legroom but I also have a seatbelt, untill that is we hit the first of many very bumpy bits of road and the belt pings out of it lock proving itself to be as functional as a chocolate teapot.  The journey back is fairly uneventful and I listen to my ipod as we hurtle down the hills, there is nothing like listening to David Yow yelp "Maybe, were never going to make it" whilst hurtling round blind corners on a small mountain road.

Just outside of Syabrubensi there are many men working on the side of the roads, either breaking rocks with sledgehammers or digging dirt with shovels.  Their bright orange safety helmets glisten in the sun the rest of them is covered in dust.  This becomes an even more ridiculous sight when you realize that all of them with no exceptions are wearing sandals.  We also get held up by a gritting lorry, the lorry does not disperse the grit itself.  This is done by young ladies in pollution masks carrying silver trays that are loaded up with grit that they then scatter on the hot tarmac it is a slow and hard process.  A bit further along we see more and more children working by the roads.  They are doing hard physical labour. It is a sad sight to behold.

The ride itself lasts a mere six hours and I am back at my hotel just after 13:00.  I say my goodbye's to Geljin and give him a healthy tip, he has been absolutely brilliant the past week, before heading to my room to unpack.

I have been allocated a new room, it has a double bed and doesn't face out onto the street, which means less light but also less noise.  There is also a telly which has sports channels as well as HBO and BBC world service.  Result!