Pokhara - before and after trekking
After our wonderful four days in Chitwan we bussed to Pokhara to prepare ourselves for our trek. Ram, our guide was waiting for us at the bus stop. It was a complete surprise to see his happy, smiling face as we had not expected to see him for another two days. He had hired a push bike to peddle out to greet us on our arrival and it was really nice to see him there. He had come early as he had a short trek starting the next day.
I don't know how we manage it but often when we are travelling we find ourselves in accommodation that is in the middle of renovations. Pokhara was no different. Hotel Viewpoint had all hands on deck to do a complete overhaul of just about everything before the tourist season started, a huge call considering that the tourist season was just three weeks away. There was a fair amount of noise and dust everywhere but our room was away from the bustle and cosy once inside.
The tourist strip in Pokhara is on the banks of the gorgeous Phewa Tal (lake). We arrived pre-season so the first three days were very quiet and very peaceful. The lake is picture postcard perfect. And of course there are many postcards available of it. It is surrounded by forests and guarded by the towering snowy peaks of the Himalayas in the distance behind the tourist strip. In the right conditions the mountains are reflected on the mirror like surface of the lake's waters in the early morning. There was no chance of reflections when we first arrived as the fog and rain clouds never lifted enough to see the mountains at all. Although the days were mostly clear the rains descended late afternoon and, more often than not, continued into the night.
On our return to Pokhara the rains had mostly cleared, however, not without a struggle. We still had a few downpours around dinner time. Heavy enough to have all the courtyard diners running for cover and for the footpaths to be streams of water. With the season changing we could now see the beautiful ranges in the mornings from our room and from almost anywhere in Pokhara. By mid-day the clouds would do their thing yet again and roll across and block tall mountain vistas.
Pokhara is a perfect place to relax. Quality restaurants and a good choice of them are just a stroll away. It is not busy with traffic and honking horns and is relatively dust free. When you do choose to walk it does not need to be strenuous to reach beautiful views. They are right there on the lakeshore - just start walking and look around!
On our return we vegged out completely for two days. Our bodies deserved a complete rest and they got it. I used the time to catch up on our blog. Once the muscles stopped screaming at us we were off again, walking around and discovering the town of Pokhara.
Our jaunt to the International Mountain Museum turned out to be s slightly longer walk than I had anticipated but was an interesting walk none the less. Neil opted for a taxi on our return - can't understand why! The museum is devoted to the mountains of Nepal and the mountaineers who conquered them. One of the displays that I particularly enjoyed was a photographic display comparing photos of European Mountain dwellers 50 years ago with modern photos of Nepali mountain people.
Another beautiful walk while there was to and from the World Peace Pagoda. We cheated on the walk there by getting a taxi to take us 2/3s of the way - the old legs did not feel like a long hike up a steep hill just yet. The Pagoda is high on a ridge overlooking Phewa Tal and offers spectacular views over the lake, city and to the mountains. Unfortunately there was a bit of cloud around that day and the mountains were not clear but the views were still spectacular. Our walk back was along the ridge and down through the forest to the dam side then along the lake .
Once our recuperation was complete we farewelled Pokhara and bussed back to Kathmandu. Our stay in Pokara had been a very pleasant one. It is a very easy place to stay in. The locals are very friendly, the weather was good and the lake ambiance very peaceful.
After our wonderful four days in Chitwan we bussed to Pokhara to prepare ourselves for our trek. Ram, our guide was waiting for us at the bus stop. It was a complete surprise to see his happy, smiling face as we had not expected to see him for another two days. He had hired a push bike to peddle out to greet us on our arrival and it was really nice to see him there. He had come early as he had a short trek starting the next day.
I don't know how we manage it but often when we are travelling we find ourselves in accommodation that is in the middle of renovations. Pokhara was no different. Hotel Viewpoint had all hands on deck to do a complete overhaul of just about everything before the tourist season started, a huge call considering that the tourist season was just three weeks away. There was a fair amount of noise and dust everywhere but our room was away from the bustle and cosy once inside.
The tourist strip in Pokhara is on the banks of the gorgeous Phewa Tal (lake). We arrived pre-season so the first three days were very quiet and very peaceful. The lake is picture postcard perfect. And of course there are many postcards available of it. It is surrounded by forests and guarded by the towering snowy peaks of the Himalayas in the distance behind the tourist strip. In the right conditions the mountains are reflected on the mirror like surface of the lake's waters in the early morning. There was no chance of reflections when we first arrived as the fog and rain clouds never lifted enough to see the mountains at all. Although the days were mostly clear the rains descended late afternoon and, more often than not, continued into the night.
Phewa Tal
Looking across to Varahi Mandir, Pokhara's most famous Hindu Temple, hidden by trees on the small island.
The swimming area - must have been high tide, the path to the diving platform was under water!
A lake view from our roof-top
On our return to Pokhara the rains had mostly cleared, however, not without a struggle. We still had a few downpours around dinner time. Heavy enough to have all the courtyard diners running for cover and for the footpaths to be streams of water. With the season changing we could now see the beautiful ranges in the mornings from our room and from almost anywhere in Pokhara. By mid-day the clouds would do their thing yet again and roll across and block tall mountain vistas.
Pokhara is a perfect place to relax. Quality restaurants and a good choice of them are just a stroll away. It is not busy with traffic and honking horns and is relatively dust free. When you do choose to walk it does not need to be strenuous to reach beautiful views. They are right there on the lakeshore - just start walking and look around!
On our return we vegged out completely for two days. Our bodies deserved a complete rest and they got it. I used the time to catch up on our blog. Once the muscles stopped screaming at us we were off again, walking around and discovering the town of Pokhara.
Our jaunt to the International Mountain Museum turned out to be s slightly longer walk than I had anticipated but was an interesting walk none the less. Neil opted for a taxi on our return - can't understand why! The museum is devoted to the mountains of Nepal and the mountaineers who conquered them. One of the displays that I particularly enjoyed was a photographic display comparing photos of European Mountain dwellers 50 years ago with modern photos of Nepali mountain people.
We went looking for one of these on the mountains. No luck!
Another beautiful walk while there was to and from the World Peace Pagoda. We cheated on the walk there by getting a taxi to take us 2/3s of the way - the old legs did not feel like a long hike up a steep hill just yet. The Pagoda is high on a ridge overlooking Phewa Tal and offers spectacular views over the lake, city and to the mountains. Unfortunately there was a bit of cloud around that day and the mountains were not clear but the views were still spectacular. Our walk back was along the ridge and down through the forest to the dam side then along the lake .
The World Peace Pagoda from our roof-top
The mountains just peeking above the clouds - you can easily imagine the wonderful vista they would make towering above the lake on a clear day
Looking over Pokhara Valley
Once our recuperation was complete we farewelled Pokhara and bussed back to Kathmandu. Our stay in Pokara had been a very pleasant one. It is a very easy place to stay in. The locals are very friendly, the weather was good and the lake ambiance very peaceful.
Local life - washing day.
The broom, dustpan, mop and bucket sales rep.
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