Yes, Toni and I have just arrived in Nepal. Last week I was telling you about our hectic trip across India, ending for a break in Goa. If you missed it you can catch up here.

Before Goa, we spent four hectic days in Jaipur, known as the pink city. It's famous for being on the Golden Triangle (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur) tour and has many iconic sites to see. Unfortunately, Toni sacrificed the sites of Jaipur for factory and showroom visits because Jaipur is also a major handicraft and textile hub in India. We have three existing suppliers in this huge busy city and after visiting them set out to uncover some new suppliers...

Last year on holiday in Crete I bought a nice block print shirt in a trendy boutique in Chania. I happened to be wearing it in Jaipur and one supplier told me that the shirt is made in the town, I checked the label and yes it said it was made in India. I'd paid €50 but here wholesale was about 450 Indian rupees. Also in Jaipur are leather products and recycled paper, the latter made from textile cut-offs. Combine the two and you get leather notebooks which have been a solid good seller at AW for a number of years. We went to visit our old suppliers and managed to add one new one.

Jaipur is also famous for Jewellery: gemstones and diamonds. However, whenever we try to buy in that market we get quoted crazy prices and can't seem to get past the wily middlemen to the genuine artisans.  Nice products but crazy prices. It will take time to uncover the artisans build relationships and do business. I'm trying to explain to Toni that sometimes it takes years to find the best suppliers and many trips to an area. 

One guy admitted that there are plenty of Japanese and Americans on Golden Triangle tours who pay top dollar so there is no incentive to be competitive in an export market. 

I think Kathmandu airport might have had a lick of paint since the last time I was here, but it's still an old-school airport. The staff are welcoming and friendly but the processes are needlessly complicated. It can take over an hour to transit to the airport, there is even strangely a hand baggage security check before baggage reclaim. Luggage appeared randomly on any belt and not it seemed the belt on the screen. 

When we finally made it out Mr Padam, our shipping agent and old-school gentleman, was waiting for us and drove us to our hotel, he told us an opposite story to India, business is very good - lots of folks come to buy handicrafts in Nepal and he was jolly busy. A story confirmed by the suppliers we met yesterday (our first day here). 

Last night Coco arrived.. on five and a half-hour flight from Jaipur. I went with the hotel car and a driver called Sanjeev to meet her at the airport. A lovely guy, he bought VIP tickets so we could meet inside the airport on comfortable seats, he had a big sign printed with Coco's Chinese name and while we waited asked me lots of questions about Coco and our life - I showed him pictures.  Around midnight she emerged looking fresh and excited and not at all tired. Sanjeev leaps to his feet.. look she's here, she's here!

More news from the Kingdom of Nepal next week.

Namaste and take care.

David