HERE RIGHT BACK WHERE WE STARTED FROM . . .

Got into Kathmandu around 8PM on 2/3 after logging in most driving kilometers ever in one day (500+!). Hauling our gear from truck to Holy Lodge through narrow rickshaw-filled streets equaled deja vu to nth degree but for fact that bags were even heavier this time around (yeah, I know, that's hard to believe) and no one could look into our shower from hotel stairwell.

How was that last Drago day, you ask? Well, as frightenenly normal, morning drivetime was spent sleeping off hangover from previous night's bush camp, wherein we pretty successfully tried to get through all alcohol remaining on truck. Final count:

• Beer - Drank all but seven bottles of not-so-nice Royal Challenge.
• Vodka - Gone but for small slugs of vanilla vodka, which Annie & Darren polished off upon arrival in Kathmandu.
• Gin - Unknown, but certainly a valiant effort.
• Dark Rum - Guzzled two of three remaining bottles. Victory marred by fact that local kids stole Bottle #3. Quasi-victory less sweet due to having to drink punch composed of rum, Sprite and ancient mixed fruit juice since no one remembered to buy Coke until it was too late.

Above bush camp was eventful in that:

• It was the last one. BOO:-(
• We arrived at lovely river-side campsite in the afternoon, cooked/ate/organized all food bins while it was still light out and continued to be pissed off at the laziest person in the world's continued laziness despite pointblank requsts to please do something.
• Raz got heavily mired in lovely river-side campsite's soft, soft sand and had to be dug/sand-matted out by a combo of Adam, Steve, Darren & the locals.
• Lots of good photo ops of above, including Adam in ever-popular wife-beater garb.
• Roaring fire, around which we discussed bands/musicians we loved/hated, merits of G n' R vs. KISS vs. Morrissey, possible revisions to "who is your one-nighter, three-monther, lifer?" lists and other assorted topics such as giving up smoking vs. drinking, what constituted your perfect man/woman and who might/might not be/was sick due to quest to consume vast quantities of booze.
• I lost my truck keys after three months on the road and we all neglected to make sure Raz was locked before we stumbled to our tents.
• Possibly as a result of above and in addition to already-mentioned rum, local kids stole poop shovel, bread, crackers and assorted cutlery. Sigh . . .

Beautiful drive to Kathmandu, complete with some scary wheels-virtually-over-edge-of-deep-certain-death chasms and massive traffic jam action. Big beef burgers (water buffalo?) at New Orleans retaurant upon arrival. Never has a burger tasted so good.

In fact, the food in Kathmandu is FABULOUS and we have been eating our way through various Thamel-area restaurants in between DECORATING OUR APARTMENT (yes, Nic & I have moved into a cosy home at the Arcadia Apartments, in the heart of Thamel), working around the twice-daily+ power outages, lingering over happy hours/post-dinner drinks (often AT our apartment) and saying sad, sad, did I say SAD goodbyes to Annie, Victoria & Darren.

Can't believe the trip is officially over . . . I leave for Bangkok on 2/11, head for Hong Kong on 2/15, then to Oregon for a couple weeks starting 2/19. It's been the greatest experience and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world, even the Orissa vortex or the Gangtok experience in which:

• We drove to/from Lachung Valley. In jeeps that had no heat, defroster, snow tires, snow chains, 4-wheel drive or strong headlights. On roads that featured mudslides and horrifying high-elevation drops with wholly inadequate (if any) guardrails. In weather that ranged from snow to icy sleet to rain to fog so dense it was like cotten. On roads and in weather that made Adam occasionally hold onto the doorlatch so that he could make a quick escape if we tumbled into a crevass. With miracle driver who nevertheless had to occasionally resort to hanging head out window in order to see road in front of us, especially when it got dark and we had no taillights to follow. With miracle driver who occasionally appeared to fall asleep while driving. With miracle driver who played cassette tapes featuring many musical gems from past, including Maxi Priest.
• When in Lachung Valley, we stayed in a heatless, fireless hotel. So cold that pipes were frozen and toilets could not be flushed. So cold that there were hysterical meltdowns. So cold that we all went to bed around 6:30PM because it was the only way to stay warm. So cold that when we had to get back up for dinner, we sniffled and hunched over our food and drank hot water and did not talk. So cold that every breath was a big cloud and we curled around hot water bottles and we wished that someone would miraculously appear in our beds to keep us warm.
• When in Lachung Valley, we awoke to even more massive amounts of snow, clear skies and HEAVENLY views of the mountains. Snowfall so deep that there were avalanches and we could not trek up to hot springs. Instead had snowball fights and trekked 6 km back to hotel, passing wild yaks, locals in flip-flops and stranded busses, and singing various Yeti songs (I've got Yeti under my skin, Yeti and the Jets, I can't help falling in love with Yeti . . .)
• Took bets on when we would a) eat lunch, b) start drive back to Gangtok and c) Survive drive back to Gangtok. See first bullet.
• It was awesome (and proves - once again - that the vortex is always with us).

Miss you all and can't wait to catch up in person . . .