All is well here in the Morris household at the end of another week. Time is flying by, and it is sometimes difficult to remember what we do each day, but we're keeping busy. As ever, Evie is on great form, and gets more confident with her walking each day, although she came back from school with a big shiner after taking a tumble – first of many I'm guessing!

Life in the office is hectic as budgets are prepared for the new financial year, which starts mid July here in Nepal. Overall, INF looks in good shape, with most of its' projects fully funded, and with donors showing an interest in supporting new work which is planned in several of INF's programmes. A lot of INF's work is with treating and rehabilitating people who have suffered from leprosy and TB. These still cause huge suffering here in Nepal, but are beginning to fall off the radar of many donors, as these diseases have been all but eradicated in most parts of the world and it is a challenge to keep people interested. This picture shows INF Nepals head office in Pokhara.

We are taking the coming week as holiday, and plan to trek up to Annapurna base camp. This will be our first trip into the mountains and we're really looking forward to it. We were supposed to have left today, but a strike was called and the roads were all closed. Todays 'bandh' was a relaxed, good natured affair, with people playing football and cricket on what are usually busy roads (this causes new dangers on the roads, as I was hit by a cricket ball as I cycled in to work this morning!) but hides the frustration that people feel at not being able to get on with their lives.


This chap had a good way of keeping cool as he cycled on the deserted roads in Pokhara this morning.


Apparently they can predict the arrival of the monsoon with some accuracy, and it is arriving a week early this year – June 6th. We should still be walking then, so it could be fun...