Sun 28 Sep
After seeing friends in Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire I stopped off at a service area near Stanstead Airport. I was feeling sorry for myself, guilty for leaving and not a little bit scared of what was to come.
However, one of the great joys in travelling is the people you meet a long the way and the good fortune that these encounters can bring.
Clair and her son had seen AshaBlue and started to talk to me. It turned out that her father had been the Bursar at Budlilikanta School in Kathmandu, and had known Crown Prince Dipendra who went on to kill his mother and father, and bring down the Shah royal dynasty in Nepal.
We got on like a house on fire and talked about mutual friends and about Kathmandu and Nepal.
I stayed far too long. I wanted to get to Dover; book a ferry ticket and find a hotel for the night.
I was going to try the Channel Tunnel first and if I could not get on to the train there go on to Dover.
On arrival I asked the lady at the entrance who told me that it would be £80 and the last train of the day is due to leave in 30 minutes. I thought it would be too much and thanked and I would go on to Dover.
I stopped outside the gates to think through my options. Cheryl a security guard came up to me and asked if I was in any trouble and if she could give me any help. I told her my dilemma. She suggested that it would be cheaper for me to get on the train and find a cheap hotel in Calais.
So that is what I did. And before I knew I was in France.
I met Hans and Heidi on the train who told me they would take me to the Formule 1 hotel in Calais. They did and they made sure I had a room for the night before they left.
It is those happy coincidences of meeting Clair and Cheryl which can make life so wonderful.
G2K...Glasgow to Kathmandu 
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