It was nothing like I had ever seen before. The poverty, the way of life, it was like I had stepped into a film set, it was so surreal. There were children running around the streets, dogs lying in the roads and don’t even get me started on the traffic. It was so incredibly busy, every second a different car horn sounded, you’d think they’d lose interest when everyone’s horns are constant, but no, it seems not.

When we arrived at the hotel, tired and drained from around 10 hrs travelling, we couldn’t rest. Maj Blackwood had a meal planned, which turned out for the best, as it was a restaurant called the ‘Funky Buddha’ and because there were so many of us, we had to take our shoes off and sit on the floor on cushions in front of multiple tables that had been pushed together. It was crazy, but a brilliant experience, after which we returned to the hotel tired out after a hectic first day.

The next day we were up bright and early for breakfast at the hotel, which was a lot yummier than I expected. After which we set off for the day sightseeing around the World Heritage sights in the Kathmandu Valley. First we went to the ‘All seeing eye’ - a large white statue, with a square bottom, and a dome on top with a tiny metal statue above, which came to a point. From this tumbled unbelievable amounts of prayer flags of all colours and sizes - it was so beautiful. The statue was situated in the centre of a small square lined with quirky Tibetan shops and stalls, which we wandered round and bought lots of souvenirs.

Then we went to a small area that had temples for all different purposes. They were so ornate and detailed it was fantastic. After lunch we visited the monkey temple, where the monkeys are free to roam.

On the Sunday we were scheduled to fly to Lukla, but the flight was delayed for 2 hours, in what was probably one of the most basic departure lounges ever. Anyway, when we finally got on the plane, it was tiny, and it was a terrifying yet incredible journey!

The trek wasn’t too bad, and we all got along really well, and our spirits were high until we reached base camp. It was utter elation when we finally reached our goal. After all the hard work and 8 days of constant walking, we’d made it. Then, as we began our walk back to the lodge at Gorak Shep, everyone began to realise the extent of their exhaustion. However, it improved over the next 3 days as we began our descent back to Lukla via Namche Bazaar.

On the final day, we went on the early morning Mountain Flight: it was amazing, as we flew all around the Himalayas and took some incredible photographs as memories. It was a perfect end to an almost perfect trip, if you ignore the flight delays, and the frozen accommodation!

I’m so happy that I’ve been given this opportunity to explore a part of the world which is the opposite of my own, and I will treasure these memories for always, as a wonderful chapter of the life.