Adventure Over

Returned home one week ago and what a busy week it has been catching up with everyone.

Arrived at Manchester Airport on Sunday morning (29th April 2007), standing in the baggage hall waiting, 20 of us (Sue and Jessica had flown home to Heathrow), nothing arrived, we waited and waited and wondered if they were still in Kathmandu or whether they were in Doha. Check-in at Kathmandu had been different - all 42 bags had been weighed and then put into a pile and then labelled but not with our own names, think Jayne's name had gone on the lot and she lives on the Isle of Man.

Eventually baggage attendant found that the lot had been sent to the Cargo Bay and had to be retreived, we waited and eventually they arrived with a big cheer from us. All I could think of was what Jayne would do if they had been late and forwarded onto her!

In the arrival hall family and friends of those who lived near Manchester were waiting, I still had a drive north to complete with Mary, Lorranie and also Suzie, Liz and Anne who were driving back together. Was nice to have a cuddle from Helen's daughters to keep me going.

Hire car was nice, Peugeot, 407, 6 gears, very comfortable and we just managed to get all the bags in without requiring Lorraine to have one on her lap the whole journey. Straight onto Tebay where Anne had also made a stop, then onto Kincardine to drop off Mary and Lorraine. Met Graeme, so nice to be together again and we drove to Edinburgh Airport to drop off the hire car.

Lovely welcome back at the house, Rona, Cameron and Hannah had made welcome home posters, had converted one of Graeme's old climbing ropes into a prayer flag - and with it went all my scraps of material. Mum, Dad, Jeanette, - Heather, Derek, Emily, Finlay, Macy - Laura, Kit and Mia - Stuart Wendy, Eilidh and Kathryn were all there. Having travelled through the night and lost 6 hours along the way, pretty shattered but managed to talk non stop of the adventure. Don't think I'll stop talking about it - sorry folks, but trip of a lifetime and what an impact such an experience has on your life, and then there is the stone I've lost in weight - yahoo!

Received a disc of Helen's pictures during the week and I'm so glad she had her camera out all the time.