Pokhara and Sarangkot

Pokhara

After one month of volunteering, two weeks of non stop work with the children and correcting the new CPCS book in the evening and even during the night, Dashain and Dashain games, we well deserve some rest. Pokhara is situated about five hours drive from Kathmandu. It has a lake and lies at the feet of the Himalaya Mountain range, the tallest mountains in the world. We choose a “luxury hotel” of 6 Euros per person a night which has a nice balcony and free but slow WIFI. Lakeside is probably the Nepalese version of the Riviera, with less tourists though. The atmosphere is laid back and street artists perform their shows with the snowy peaks in the background…

On our first day we decide to climb up to Peace Pagoda. To reach the other side of the lake we take a boat across Fehwa Lake. The price only includes one lifevest! Then we start the ascension, joining a group of tourists from Bangladesh with whom we share the pain and the relief of reaching the top. After several pictures sessions, we decide to descend on the other side, where Devi’s fall is. There is a shortcut through a village and we meet many schoolchildren returning from school and two girls from the Netherlands going to see the waterfall as well. I’m afraid the cascade will be disappointing, but it is rather interesting actually. The water pours into a hole in the ground, into the center of the earth… The air coming out from this hole is humid and hot, producing steam when you look at it from a distance. We return to our hotel by local buses.

photos Pokhara

Sarangkot

Climbing up to Sarangkot is our plan. From our hotel it is supposed to take around three hours. Mutti and I set out with our small backpacks and a lot of courage on the road to the top, hoping for some beautiful mountain views… We have chosen the long way, through the city, then following the road up in the mountain. The air gets purer; paragliders compete with hawks for space in the sky and we reach the bottom of a Nepalese version of Stolzekleiven… When we arrive on the top, we are dripping with sweat and very happy to reach our hotel: Superview! The view is breathtaking. On one side the Himalayas reach for the sky, on the other side, deep down, we see the Fewha Lake.

Yam is a freelance trek organizer, and he explains us about all the possible treks you can do in Nepal and many other things about Nepal as well. He is very professional. I feel my feet are longing to walk on all the tracks he describes and when I come back to Nepal I will definitely join him on one or more adventures. Anyone cares to join me?

The viewpoint on the mountains is only a few minutes away from our hotel, good, then we can go there for sunset and sunrise. The sun colours the mountains in pink, we stay until the last ray of light disappears from the snowy tops in the evening, and watch the reversed phenomenon in the morning, until the Annapurna range again is bathed in sunlight.

M. Morita, a Japanese photographer, is Yam’s client. They travel in the mountains where M. Morita takes pictures he is going to present in Switzerland beginning of next year. They are going to this secret place at 5 in the morning and invite us to join them. Unfortunately there is too must mist and a boat blurring the reflection of the mountains in the lake. At least I saw how a professional photographer works!

photos Sarangkot

Chetana Women development (weaving)

Lisa is back in Pokhara after her trek, we decide to go and find her! Easy said, easy done, we find her in the street. We decide to do some shopping and on our way we see a shop with women weaving in the back. Chetana is a pure women organisation, created by a woman to help other women with no skills. The women are trained in weaving, usually they stay with Chetana for a while, then they go back to their village and start a weaving business there. One of the main reasons children end up in the street is because the family is so poor it can not support a child’s education. This initiative helps prevent this.

Our stay in Pokhara comes to and end, but not without a last meal of Chilli momos at David’s place, the best Chilli momos I’ve tasted in Nepal!