Eventually we dragged ourselves from the comforts of Kathmandu, and rode through lush rice paddies, on terraces extending up the hills. Traffic was distinctly Asian - the principal rule of the road is that the biggest vehicle has right of way. The poverty of Nepal was quite striking. We encountered children with no shoes and barely any clothes. People generally life a self-sufficient lifestyle, growing enough rice and vegetables to sustain their families. Nepal's average income is just US$0.70 per person per day.

From what we saw, the education is seriously limited. Children were much more interested in chasing us, shouting "bye-bye" and grabbing the back of our bikes. Whenever we rode past a school, it would erupt into shouts as all the kids ran to the windows to watch us. Those children that do attend school learn a brand of English presumably left behind by the British. People eat "tiffin" and bid "ta-ta" when parting.

In Pokhara, we found hoteliers desperate for business - the double-blow of a massacred royal family, and the Afghan war had resulted in 70% of hotel bookings being cancelled. We relished in a luxurious room with bath tub for 2 pounds a night.

We gave our bikes a rest and rented packs and walking boots to hike the Annapurna Circuit trail. During the 12 days walking, the trail passed through very varied terrain, starting in the hot, humid jungle, through cooler forest and eventually high mountains and barren landscapes. The highlight of the trip was crossing the Thorung La pass, at 5400m. At this altitude, there is no vegetation and the lack of oxygen slows walking to a crawl. It is an effort just to breathe enough air. The views were beautiful and it was a great sense of achievement. Accommodation along the trail was in simple lodges, though the standards had gone up since Jules did a trek 9 years ago. There were now showers, and the excellent food included apple pie, veggie burgers and cheese-bean burritos, as well as the Nepalese staple Dal Bhat, veg. curry, lentils and rice with free refills! In the mountains, there is a larger Tibetan influence, with more Buddhist monuments than on the Hindu-dominated plains.

We broke our bottoms back in cycling west along the flat, subtropical Terai, another poor subsistence farming area. Some Nepalese students were keen to practice English with us and we were invited to stay with one family, who despite being "well-off" local politicians, still had no bathroom and an outdoor toilet.

At Bardia National Park, we stayed in a traditional daub-and-thatch jungle cottage. We went elephant riding and rafting through the jungle - beautiful birds but unfortunately no big game spotted. It felt like we were back in the Raj when a retired Major and elderly companion arrived, with a jeep-load of leather trunks and picnic hampers. We enviously watched as they tucked into aperitifs, bottles of wine, French cheese etc at every meal.