A proper shower, what a treat, one of the nicest things when you get home from a trip, is a proper shower. Guaranteed hot water, not having to run around trying to find a drip or two, you can actually have one without clamping your mouth shut so as to avoid swallowing any. Just a joy. I am so glad to be home again.

I have to say that this trip for the SAVE meeting has been full of rotten luck for me. We arrived in India on the 17^th with an extremely scary landing with Air India not to be repeated I hope!  We then flew on to Kathmandu, however the plane which was supposed to get us there by about 9.30 was delayed so we did not arrive at the hotel until the afternoon. By the following day I had already lost my alarm clock. The first day of the meeting went well, I was glad I had remembered to take a jersey as it was pretty cold in the evenings and we ate every meal out in the garden as the dining room was not large enough for all the people. Late that evening I found my alarm clock inside the pillow case! I had to chair a number of the sessions, which went well until the mid-morning when the whole room tremored and I experienced my first earthquake. Everyone moved swiftly out of the room and within minutes one of them had discovered that the measurement of the earth quake was 5.2. After several minutes we all went back into the room and carried on as if nothing has happened!

At the end of the second day of meetings, including the Board meeting we all broke up and then went

 

I had to fly down to Chitwan where the Nepalese conservation breeding season to check that things were going OK there early that morning. So I left at 8.30 minus coat and wallet, hoping that it might be found. Chris sent an email to home to tell them to stop my card, which unfortunately went to the wrong email and never got seen. It was useful to see the vulture centre and as the various questions needed. Because India is boycotting Nepal for some reason I do not understand, and not allowing any fuel in, moving round in cars is tricky so I got from the hotel to the centre on the back of a motorbike. I have not ridden a motorbike for donkey’s years, and never without a helmet, it was an experience. On the way there we could go through the woods which was interesting and somewhat bumpy but the evening we had to go on the road through the village because of tigers. The road as well as being longer was also a great deal rougher. Luckily the hotel would accept being paid in Kathmandu by one of the NGO’s in the vulture programme as I had no funds apart from what I had been lent by friends as the meeting. I flew back to Kathmandu the following day, only to discover that I had left my alarm clock at the hotel in Chitwan!! I hope to get it back next time I come over. (did I see this Elephant - no!! But I thought you might like the photo)

There had been no sign of my belongings, although the hotel was very apologetic, so it had been stolen. I finally managed to get hold of the Centre at home, but only by phoning a friend as I had had no replies to emails or five phone calls, by which time I was somewhat stressed and my card was stopped. 

The following day we left at 6.00am to get to the airport and fly to Delhi and then on to Chandigar, the second plane was delayed by two hours so we finally got to the hotel in Pinjore at 7.30pm, a long day.

I woke the following day with a cold! We completed various meetings, had a look at the release aviary and on the second day there was actually an adult wild Oriental White-backed Vulture sitting on the top of it which bodes well.

Rhys and I left at 5.45am the next morning for Chandigar Airport and then Delhi Airport. We got to Heathrow late so I missed the train I had hoped to get but got there just in time for the next one. The Heathrow Shuttle people were really kind and gave me a card to let me on without paying again, which was a good thing as I did not have enough funds anyway! No one asked to see my tickets on the train thank goodness. Holly and Adam picked me up. 

Things have been hard during my absence with various things going wrong. I was going to go up and see my sister Anna in December, but have changed that to January when all the staff will have had 10 days off and should be rested and ready to start the year again.

And now I am going to go and have a bacon and egg bap!! Hooray!