We then realised that you have to drive back along the same road for a couple of hours before forking off left to go to Pokhara. Once we arrived there was a swarm of touts that surrounded the bus desperate to convince the bus passengers to stay at their hotel. We got noticeably stressed as they blocked our way so that we couldn’t even get our bags! Jess sought refuge on the bus and asked the driver where exactly in Pokhara we were who seemed as clueless as we were! Armelle was then tapped on the shoulder by a guy who was miraculously from the hotel we had actually booked at even though he didn’t realise as he hadn’t checked his emails- the relief! The hotel was lovely and spacious and for 1 pound fifty a night we both felt very pleaded with ourselves. Our window faced the Annapurna Himalayan range which was truly breathtaking. We then headed for a late lunch at Club Amsterdam (!) which had a clear view of Phewa Tal- the central lake of Pokhara. After a lengthy nap we headed to the shops, excited about rumours that they were hassle free compared to those of Thamel, Kathmandu, which was indeed true. Dinner then followed which was accompanied by a cultural show. We generally aren’t that enthusiastic about cultural show things but this was actually really good with crowd participation (after temple dancing, we declined all offers to appear on stage!) and the dancers looked generally pleased to be there.
During breakfast the next morning, we asked the waiter if it was safe to walk to the World Peace Pagoda. (In the lonely planet it mentions that a few people have been mugged on a quest to reach the summit so we thought it was best to be sure). Our friendly little (literally) waiter Assis insisted that it was safe but that he and a friend could guide us to the top once traversing the lake on a rowing boat. So at 1.30 we headed back to the restaurant to meet the eager pair! After some dubious rowing by Jess who wasn’t too clear on where we were headed, we reach the other side of Phewa Tal and quickly climbed the hill/mountain to much panting and sweating from the both of us! As usual, many photos were taken from the top, taking full advantage of the breeze before commencing the descent.
We then clambered back onto our rowing boat to slowly head back to lakeside (the area in Pokhara where we were staying). Suddenly, a rush of boats brimming full of half dressed men seemed to appear on the lake as we drifted across which we both found amusing, especially when they started to holler in Mexican wave style to each other!
Late afternoon, while typing away on the Internet we were greeted by a pleasant surprise- Wibeke and Richard, a couple who were part of our Intrepid group, had spotted us! We knew that we would all be in Pokhara at the same time but we didn’t think it would be likely that we would bump into each other. We all then headed to Caffe Concerto for pizza and a good catch up.
The next day we got up at 4.45 am to head up to Sarangkot to view the Annapurna Himalayan Range at sunrise. We were picked up in a taxi by Assiss and drove to our starting point. After an unexpectedly steep uphill 30 minute climb, followed closely by a mass of jabbering Japanese tourists who annoyed sleepy Armelle greatly, we reached the view point. The sunrise was gorgeous even though there was slightly more cloud than we would have preferred. The size of the mountains was breathtaking and again made you stand in awe.
After a naughty nap, we spent the rest of the day lounging, eating yummy Tibetan food, and shopping interrupted by Armelle needing to frequently dash to the toilet- we drank many cups of cheap tea that day so that Armelle could use the toilet! For our last evening in Pokhara, we went to the Lemon Tree restaurant with Wibeke and Richard, and Jess elegantly finished the meal with an Irish coffee that she concocted herself as the waiter wasn’t too familiar with the concept!
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