Pokhara, Nepal, part 2

The path down to the lake.

A typical Nepali restaurant.

Bree enjoying the rowboat ride.

Matt introspective on the rowboat.

Rowboats on Phewa Lake.

The main street in lakeside Pokhara.

Street in the outskirts of Pokhara.

Water buffalo in the front yard.

Pokhara at night.

Full moon over Pokhara. 

After sequestering ourselves on a mountain top for a few days we were ready to venture into town. From Raniban Retreat to the road is 500 steep rocky steps. After a short hike along the Peace Pagoda ridge we started down another 45 minutes of the same. We arrived at the bottom jelly-kneed, and took a row boat across the lake to town. The sales people spotted us as we approached and were ready for our disembarkment with their "hello lady, just look, nice things". I hate to use words like "vulture" when referring to people, I know they are just trying to make a living, but you do start to feel like a piece of meat (with a money belt). We were warned that when your bus arrives in Pokhara you will be met by hotel touts trying to take you to the wrong hotel. Despite that, I was not ready for the '28 days later' horde chasing our bus to its stopping point. I also feel bad because, yes, I do realize that the bracelet is $0.90 and I could buy 10, but we don't need it. After jettisoning unnecessary clothing in Beijing, donating our winter clothes to the porter clothing bank, and mailing our accumulated souvenirs home, we are down to one bag each. Matt's 50L is 85% camera gear, my 45L is 50% food, meds, first aid (more on what is still with us later). We don't have room for anything we don't need right now, no matter how much of a bargin it is.

- Bree

Pokhara, Nepal, Part 1: Merry Christmas!

Bree and I in front of the a few of the peaks of the Himalayas. From left to right: Annapurna IV (7525m), Annapurna II (7937m) and Lamjung Himal (6986m).

The World Peace Pagoda in Pokhara with wild poinsettias in the foreground.

We stayed on a hill overlooking the city of Pokhara. You can see it in the top lefthand corner.

Pretty nice view when you wake up in the morning.

And pretty nice view during breakfast.

Terraced fields around Pokhara.

Nepali girl waits for her water container to fill.

Machhapuchhre (fish tail) at sunset.

Annapurna IV, II and Lamjung Himal at sunset.

Bree and I treated ourselves for Christmas. We stayed in an amazing little hotel, Raniban Retreat, located on a hill overlooking the town of Pokhara. It also overlooks a breathtaking view of the Himalayas. After Kathmandu, and it's frenzied streets, it was the change of pace we needed. We did little more than enjoy the view for a few days, making a point to wake at sunrise to see, and time lapse the spectacle of that. 

The team at Raniban made the extra effort to make it feel very festive. They had decorations, a Christmas tree, special holiday meals, big bonfires, and even a visit by a Nepali Santa Claus. There were a few families there with young children, so it was very fun. 

We met some very cool people during our short stay. John, the general manager of Raniban was here with his wife and son Spike. They only recently moved to Kathmandu from the Isle of Wright, UK. Then there was Chong, a classical pianist from Malasia who was travelling alone, so we asked him to join us for dinner on Christmas Eve. And Romain and Virginie, a French couple just returned from a 6 day trek in the Annapurnas. Romain recently abandoned a production company he had started with a friend to look for some more excitement in the world. His travel plans are even more flexible than ours. He was offered the opportunity to teach English to children of a Nepali village while on the trek, so he'll be in Nepal for a while. If you'd like, you can check out his adventure here. 

Merry Christmas everyone!

- Matt