Bistari, bistari 2.0 - A second trip to Nepal

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Goodbyes- check

Mary- check

Check in- check

Luggage- check. We actually get to check in our bags (pretty light this year at 12kg for the entire trip- in an effort to be more minimalistic than last year) as well as 2 overly large extra ones bound for a hospital/ orphanage/ midwifery centre supported by The Healing Tree in Perth (an initiative set up by a Perth doctor). Thai Airways have been generous enough to accommodate the extra stuff because it's going to a charitable organisation.

Day pack- check. Got my travel docs, my money- all 4 currencies, my camera, my ipod, my iphone, blah, blah, blah

Voting- check. Polling booths have been set up for absentee voting in the Western Australian state election scheduled for March 9, 2013 (Liberal landslide as it turns out). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Australian_state_election,_2013

Duty Free Shops- check. There is a promotion going on where they give you fortune cookies containing your awesome discount - the discount promotion ends today so they are giving away fists full of cookies. Apply moisturiser, anti-aging cream, eye gel, body lotion- this practice is commonly known as preloading!!!! it's going to be ruthlessly dry in Nepal. Dont buy anything- who needs perfume or duty free Baileys trekking?

Coffee- check. As it turns out we are sooooooo early that we fit in two coffees and about a dozen fortune cookies (offering lots of discounted mens cologne and watches) and read the paper and do the crossword and ....

Delay- check

Get on plane- check

Dinner. In-flight magazine. Seat back in-flight entertainment unit (SBIFEU)- check. I am SET!!!- 6.5 hrs featuring

Alex Cross http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1712170/ (5/10)

The Candidate http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1790886/ (4/10)

Bear Grylls - I now know how to make a diving mask to allow me to catch conch shells, how to use white water to make progress in evil terrain rather than walking, and how to drink water out of muddy rock pools- the trick being to find the natural spring water bubbling out from the naturally filtering limestone rock concealed below the surface. Easy...(on the eye, that is). 10/10.

Reality http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/reality_2013/ I fell asleep so can't rate this one.

Arrive- check

Bus to terminal, bus to Mariya Hotel - boutiqueified (is this a word), close by, decent price. Sleep, up v early, back to terminal, back on bus, back on a plane - the real bit starts now...

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Photos

Perth Airport
Getting every possible step in- training, training, training

Artistic step shot
Well I think so

So much to do
coffee, papers, cookies

Gate 5
We are ready... what do you mean there's a delay?

At last
I am excited

Lift off
Bye Perth

To do list
Eat

To do list
Watch

To do list
Watch more Bear

To do list
...conch shell diving, no worries- thanks Bear

Mariya Hotel
203

Down we go
nearly on the KTM flight