Trekking in Nepal #24: Tuesday 14th November – Nepal

Tuesday 14th November
At 5 a.m. I woke up but turned over and went back to sleep. Three hours later I got up. After a nice long hot shower I felt much better. Perhaps it was the pizza I had back in Kathmandu after all.

It was off to the Boomerang Restaurant to eat breakfast in the garden by the lake. A ‘Trekkers breakfast’ was ordered. A very refreshing muesli curd was the starter. This was followed by a cooked breakfast of potatoes, fried tomatoes, fried eggs and toast. I ate it all without a second thought. My appetite is back. Thank goodness! Yesterday evening I could not even contemplate the thought of food.

A few little jobs needed to be done, such as confirming my bus journey back to Kathmandu on Thursday, and buying a replacement lens cap for my camera. This kept me occupied all morning.

Pokhara is the most popular destination in Nepal after Kathmandu. Its fame rests on the natural beauty of its lakeside location and its proximity to the mountains. The climate here is warm; incredible snow-capped mountains are reflected in a sheltered lake. Cool Western music drifts from every restaurant; hotel rooms are clean and open onto sunny gardens; there’s very little traffic; village life persists, but everyone speaks English; and it is very relaxed. It is an ideal place to recuperate after the rigours of the Everest trek with its relaxed and peaceful atmosphere, a stark contrast to the hectic bustle of Kathmandu.

Nirula’s, a fast food outlet, seemed as good a place as any to have lunch. I had a tasty feast of chicken burger with fries followed by pistachio nut ice cream. Next on the agenda was the walk up to Sarangkot, but first my daypack had to be packed and the hotel bill settled. Before leaving, a room was booked for my return tomorrow.

The most popular short excursion from Pokhara is the pleasant walk up to Sarangkot at 1592m. I got a taxi to Binde Basini Temple in Pokhara Bazaar where the walk starts. There is a road for most of the way up to the top of the mountain. It was a relatively gentle ascent. The views of the mountains and the lake improved the higher I went. En route, some children seemed curious about where I was going and wanted to act as my guide. I politely declined only knowing too well that they would expect payment afterwards.

At the end of the road there was a steep paved staircase leading up to Sarangkot. The remains of a fort and its remains can be seen at the apex of the ridge above Sarangkot. It took one and a half hours to climb from the temple to the old fort. There is a lookout point inside the old fort walls and from here the views of the Annapurnas to the north are superb.

The wonderful Annapurna panorama forms a superb backdrop to Pokhara. You can see the mountains in their full glory from here. The incredible Annapurna Massif includes mountains like Lamjung Himal, Hiunchuli, Varahashikhar, Khangsar Kang, Tarke Kang and Gangapurna. But it’s the five Annapurna peaks, Annapurna I to IV plus Annapurna South and the magnificent Machhapuchhare that are best known. Machhapuchhare means ‘fish tail’. It stands out not only because of its prominent shape and lonely position, but because it is closer to Pokhara than the other peaks. Remarkably it has never been successfully climbed.

After briefly taking in the panoramic views it was time to find a bed for the night at one of the lodges, several hundred feet down the hill. A nice cool drink of Fanta took precedence on the way down. While quenching my thirst I talked to a Scottish guy who pointed out that where we were standing was higher than Ben Nevis.

A bed for 25 rupees was obtained at the View Top Lodge that has prime views over the lake. Hian, from Singapore, was sharing a room with me. He was friendly enough. Sunset was approaching so I returned to the viewing point at the top of the hill. By now it was 4 p.m. and at the top I met a middle-aged couple from Detroit, USA. They asked me to take a photo of them with the Annapurnas in the background. I happily obliged and they returned the favour.

For about an hour I sat in silence and watched the mountains in their full splendour. It was a serene setting; hardly anyone was about and only the chirruping of insects could be heard. It does not come any better than this. Bit by bit, the magical sunset unfolded before my eyes. The sky adopted a pinkish hue before turning purple. It certainly was a spectacular sight and I went snapshot crazy.

After the sun had gone down, I went back to the lodge and had dinner. For starters there was vegetable soup. The main course followed – egg, onion and tomato fried rice. For the remainder of the evening I chatted to Hian and several Australian young ladies from Townsville and Sydney. The Aussies have just travelled through China and Tibet where they had a great time. I wrote the rest of my postcards before turning in at 8.30 p.m.

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