After a failed attempt (due to landslides and huge boulders) to reach Pokhara by bus, spent all day (12hrs) on a bus before reaching Katmandu again! I got a plane ticket and left the following day to the majestic city of Pokhara. Arrived and was treated to a welcome lunch by a Couchsurfer (International travel network) friend Liliam. Made plans for a trek and had to cancel the Tibet part due to insufficient time and complications.
Still, Pokhara is like Berkeley, CA on a lake as it's very laid back with plenty of backpackers in town to do trekking, rafting, hang-gliding, etc. I signed up for a 10day trek to ABC (Annapurna Base Camp), a vantage point to view sunrise in the Himalayas. From my hotel room, I could see the lake and surrounding mtns. When it was clear in the morning, I could even see Macchupuchre (one of the Himalayan snow-covered peaks)
On my 2nd day in Pokhara, I took a rowboat across the lake and hiked up to the Peace Pagoda (a tribute Stupa to friendship between Asian countries). It was an exhausting vertical climb. I later found out that I'd hiked up 3,800 stairs!!! It took an hour and bucket of sweat but the views were stunning. The whole of Pokhara, the lake, mtns and the huge Golden Buddha.
I allowed a local youngster to show me a 'short cut' down the back of the hill so I could visit 'Devil's Fall' and he literally took me over the rivers, thru the woods, and down the backside of the mtn. All I can say is, next time, i'm taking the long way.
Enjoy the photos in Pokhara
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