Zhiyu Chua was a veterinary technician that supported our dog sterilisation and canine distemper study in the Himalaya. This was her first visit to Nepal and the Himalaya, and shares this delightful and intimate story of her experience. We begin our journey in Besisahar. We stopped over for a day before our transition into the mountains. I had my first taste of Nepal's famous momos (above, right), which are handmade dumplings served with a homemade tomato and chilli chutney.

Many urban communities in Nepal live on the edge of forests that are home to wild carnivores like leopards and jackal. The Himalayan Mutt Project joined researchers from the Center for Molecular Disease Dynamics (CMDN) to snoop around poop in the suburbs of Bhaktapur. We learn about their efforts to investigate the strain of canine distemper virus (CDV) that is infecting domestic dogs in this urban landscape. Above: Adarsh Man Sherchan collects a faecal sample along a road on