Nepal 2007: Pokhara - A gateway to the Annapurna Circuit...

"The tragedy in life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach..." - Benjamin Mays

30 April 2007
Day-4 : Sunset and Moondance at Phewa Lake

Pokhara was only 200 km from Kathmandu but we have to drive along a winding mountain road which took us 6 hours to reach the resort city. Pokhara is one of the tourist hub of Nepal, one of the happening places, where you can find almost everything. We stayed in Barahi Hotel a minute walk from Lake Phewa. Barahi Mandir is a tiny temple island on Phewa Lake, has an exceptional view of the Annapurna Range as the backdrop.

(Sunset reflections on the Phewa Lake)

01 May 2007
Day-5 : Breathtaking view of Sarangkot

(The spectacular Anapurna Range)

Sarangkot, 1600 m high hill situated at the Northern shore of Phewa Lake where we could view the Pokhara valley and the spectacular view of the Anapurna range. To the south we could view the Phewa Lake and its tributaries. Sarangkot is also famous for paragliding.

(A paragliding site with a scenic view)

02 May 2007
Day-6 : Off the beaten trail

(Very clear water of Begnas Lake)

10 km east of Pokhara, we trekked along less frequented trail up to a vantage point where it offers lovely views of two lakes with a breathtaking mountain-scape. On one side we could see the Begnas lake and the other side the Rupa Lake. We rented three boats to transport us to the other side of the Begnas Lake.

(An open Mountain Museum)

The beautiful Fishtail Mountain dominates the northern horizon of Pokhara and its name derives from its twin peaks. On the hill overlooking the lake from the South is the World Peace Stupa. That evening the sunset was magnificent. We met the rest at Moondance restaurant for a sumptuous dinner of local fish delicacies.

(Flowers blooming everywhere)

On the way back we visited the International Mountain Museum and later stopped at the Tibetan Refugee camp to observe carpet hand-weaving.

(Underground waterfalls in Gupteswar Cave)

We went to Devi’s fall and explored the Gupteswar Cave. The water comes from the Phewa Lake and thunders into a hole and disappears only to reappear underneath Gupteswar Cave. At some part of the cave, the walkway is too narrow that we need to crawl. But it was worth the effort as there is impressive underground scenery of Devi’s fall. I have not seen anything like this before.

03 May 2007
Day-8 : Long and winding road

The trip back to Kathmandu was eventful, the scenery beautiful. We stopped to experience crossing the hanging bridge across the river. There were so many mountains and rivers, with their tributaries created deep gorges and impressive canyons. The road was narrow, winding and bumpy.  When we took a sharp corner, everyone held their breath. A roller coaster ride will never be fun any more after this. We even had the opportunity to pick cannabis along the route.

(Caves and underground rivers)

04 May 2007
Day-9 : Mt. Everest mountain flight

This morning we went for a mountain flight on Buddha Air which cost us USD200/pax. The 20-seater plane circled the mountain range twice and we had the opportunity to take pictures of the magnificent Himalaya range and Mt. Everest from all angles. It was an hour of breathtaking views from around 25,000 feet.

(Chartering a private plane)

Although this morning the weather is a little cloudy, we enjoyed an endless chain of snow capped peaks, over glaciers and lakes, rivers and gorges.

(A painting of the Everest)

Today, I didn't climb Mt Everest, but I touched it with my heart....

Namaste!

👈 2007: Chittagong, Bangladesh

2007: Katmandu, Nepal 👉