This afternoon, I’m taking a train to Heathrow Airport to catch a flight to Doha.

Once I land, I’ve got 45 minutes to jump onto a connecting flight to Nepal, then a transfer by hot air balloon to a small town called Solukhumbu.

Then I travel by yak to a monastery high above the clouds in the Nepalese mountains.

In case you’re wondering what I’m getting up to:

I’m going to be spending 3 months living with the monks who run the monastery. 

I’ll be learning their rituals, immersing myself in all their sacred traditions and meditating & studying with them for 16 hours a day.

One of their most noted traditions is chanting backwards during meditation.  

Another is a tea ceremony where the monks pour tea by levitating teapots with the power of their mind alone.

The monks also perform a llama serenade each evening, singing their favourite lullabies to nearby llamas to ensure peaceful dreams.

They call this serenade “The Dalai Llamas”.

Life in the monastery isn’t all rituals and traditions though.  The monks know how to have some fun too.

Once a week, the monks get out their karaoke machine and enjoy a three hour “silent karaoke” session.

I can’t wait to crack out some silent Dizzee Rascal in the monastery.  Those monks haven’t heard nothing yet!

Anyway, as you might’ve gathered, all this chanting backwards and serenading llamas doesn’t leave much time for writing a daily email.

That’s the bad news.

But the good news is this:

I’m sure I’ll have lots of entertaining stories to share when I’m back.

So keep your eyes peeled.

Until then, take care.

To the mountains!

 - Tom