I am still alive, although this blog hasn't been for a while. I wish I could claim writing blockage or something prestigious like that - but in my case it was sheer laziness.
So I left on the high way waiting for the bus to Pokhara.
We didn't have a ticket, but that turned out not to be a problem, as there were lots of busses - with and withiout schedule.At first we were placed in a mini-bus, but then the driver decided that six persons were not enough, however our decison was that we were not in the mood to wait any more. So we looked for another bus and there were plenty with immediate departure. First there was a leneittlr fight, as another driver thought we should drive with him instead, but then we departed.
Again it was nice to see a new part of Nepal, although the scenary was no longer so stunning; to compensate the road was at places extremely bad. Again it was remarkable how many people survive by selling things, be it salted cucumber, cooled water or fresh apples. I guess, this is merely an illusion of the authentic Nepal. The situation right and left of the highway is probably not comparable to the life as it would be in the villages.
After some hours we arrived in Pokhara.
First step to find accomodation. Lake Phewa is, of course, the magnet for tourists. I was carefully hidden, so that the price stayed reasonable. At first a taxi driver recommended cabins, which, indeed, were close to the Lake, but then it was decided that we would prefer accomodation at another place. Indeed we found a place that had a view to the Lake at one side. Mount "Fishtail" was also visible -- a Room with a View!
So the exploring started. The hotel was at guest house level, the bath tub looked like a mess, toilet looked like a very delicate structure and warm water would be available on demand. Let it be - I don't want to have a place with astericks.
The main road is filled with diverse shops and restaurants. I liked to taste the world - pizza I can find everywhere and don't need it here. So Tibetan food got a chance, like the kitchen of the Gurung people.
The next day a tourist guide would lead us around, altogether it were, eight places.
They included a temple (WITHOUT the admonition that non-Hindus should keep out!). Then there were different caves. One had bats hanging on the wall, another one an idol with application of tikka and another one located a temple. However access to the deepest part of that cave was barred. All caves were awfully dark (and slippery).
Two sites were dedicated to water - an impressive waterfall and a gauge.
And there were two museums. Being a peaceful guy, I left out the museums of Gurkhas. It could have been nice to see how the museum was arranged, but the money they demand from foreigners was just too much for my tiny bit of interest for this particular subject. We did, however, visit the local museum which contained a blend of anthropology and ethnology, thus information how people live. Unfortunately the arrangement was not very good, in spite of some nice attempts.
This day ended with boating on the lake. We arrived the temple on the island inside just before closing time and we could enjoy the sunset on the water.
This is like a summary, yeah - I could give a more detailed account on the basis of all the pics which still are on my laptopp.
Next day was dedicated to biking. But there were some initial start-up difficulties. First we lost each other. then one bike broke down, then another one and yhen we started to mount Nagarkot. The map says that it is about 1500 meters high. This doesn't sound like much, but when you start from about 100 above zero, the slope is still impressive. This is the place for paragliders - it might even be their paradise. On top of the mountain it was very peaceful - the absence of traffic makes a difference. I wasn't prepared for the sun and by now I was about to be grilled - from rare to well-done.
I felt that in the afternoon when we were at another lake in the afternoon, bigger in size but with fewer attractiions. The sun seemed to come from everywhere -- and I am not complaining about the sun, just making a statement.
The next morning,, Wednesday, we took an early bus back to Kathmandu, where we were greeted by rain. That's why I enjoy the sun as long as it lasts. For me it's almost always a peripheral phenomenon.
So I left on the high way waiting for the bus to Pokhara.
We didn't have a ticket, but that turned out not to be a problem, as there were lots of busses - with and withiout schedule.At first we were placed in a mini-bus, but then the driver decided that six persons were not enough, however our decison was that we were not in the mood to wait any more. So we looked for another bus and there were plenty with immediate departure. First there was a leneittlr fight, as another driver thought we should drive with him instead, but then we departed.
Again it was nice to see a new part of Nepal, although the scenary was no longer so stunning; to compensate the road was at places extremely bad. Again it was remarkable how many people survive by selling things, be it salted cucumber, cooled water or fresh apples. I guess, this is merely an illusion of the authentic Nepal. The situation right and left of the highway is probably not comparable to the life as it would be in the villages.
After some hours we arrived in Pokhara.
First step to find accomodation. Lake Phewa is, of course, the magnet for tourists. I was carefully hidden, so that the price stayed reasonable. At first a taxi driver recommended cabins, which, indeed, were close to the Lake, but then it was decided that we would prefer accomodation at another place. Indeed we found a place that had a view to the Lake at one side. Mount "Fishtail" was also visible -- a Room with a View!
So the exploring started. The hotel was at guest house level, the bath tub looked like a mess, toilet looked like a very delicate structure and warm water would be available on demand. Let it be - I don't want to have a place with astericks.
The main road is filled with diverse shops and restaurants. I liked to taste the world - pizza I can find everywhere and don't need it here. So Tibetan food got a chance, like the kitchen of the Gurung people.
The next day a tourist guide would lead us around, altogether it were, eight places.
They included a temple (WITHOUT the admonition that non-Hindus should keep out!). Then there were different caves. One had bats hanging on the wall, another one an idol with application of tikka and another one located a temple. However access to the deepest part of that cave was barred. All caves were awfully dark (and slippery).
Two sites were dedicated to water - an impressive waterfall and a gauge.
And there were two museums. Being a peaceful guy, I left out the museums of Gurkhas. It could have been nice to see how the museum was arranged, but the money they demand from foreigners was just too much for my tiny bit of interest for this particular subject. We did, however, visit the local museum which contained a blend of anthropology and ethnology, thus information how people live. Unfortunately the arrangement was not very good, in spite of some nice attempts.
This day ended with boating on the lake. We arrived the temple on the island inside just before closing time and we could enjoy the sunset on the water.
This is like a summary, yeah - I could give a more detailed account on the basis of all the pics which still are on my laptopp.
Next day was dedicated to biking. But there were some initial start-up difficulties. First we lost each other. then one bike broke down, then another one and yhen we started to mount Nagarkot. The map says that it is about 1500 meters high. This doesn't sound like much, but when you start from about 100 above zero, the slope is still impressive. This is the place for paragliders - it might even be their paradise. On top of the mountain it was very peaceful - the absence of traffic makes a difference. I wasn't prepared for the sun and by now I was about to be grilled - from rare to well-done.
I felt that in the afternoon when we were at another lake in the afternoon, bigger in size but with fewer attractiions. The sun seemed to come from everywhere -- and I am not complaining about the sun, just making a statement.
The next morning,, Wednesday, we took an early bus back to Kathmandu, where we were greeted by rain. That's why I enjoy the sun as long as it lasts. For me it's almost always a peripheral phenomenon.
