Pokhara is a tourist’s dream; so many things to do, so many activities to undertake, so many people to get to know.
We didn’t do that.
Instead, we took on Pokhara as an outdoor delight, getting up and doing dawn walks (thank you, jetlag!), hiking up a mountain (wherever you are, that’s the adventure you’re having), hiding out in cafes getting work done (deadlines are a thing!).
We even captured some of that in pictures! First, we had two scenic hotels, both brilliantly beautiful. The first (Vagabond Guest House) looked in on a bird-filled courtyard; the second (Hotel Forest Lake Backpackers’ Hostel) had a view of the lake:
Skies and landscapes were wonderful any time of day:
Hiking uphill has a lot to recommend it. To be honest, we only went halfway up, but that was a couple of serious hours of “up,” and a joyous hike of discovery, with fabulous vistas as the payoff:
Sunset deserves a chapter all its own, and we spent one relaxing evening eating dinner by the lake, watching both the sunset and the sociable strolling scene. Ssssssplendid!
Scenery was a recurring theme; the rice paddies and the home-thatched roofs reminded us how hard people work.
We did take the cable car up the hill to Sarangkot, and got a great view of the valley – but as you can see, the clouds rolled in shortly thereafter and that was it for the big vista. Glad we did scenery before lunch!
We did do a little bit of hiding out and getting the to-do list under control. There are some mighty fine cafes to choose from, and the WiFi is bettter than what I have at home. (Ah, US rural internet, what I don’t miss about you!)
In all, I’d recommend Pokhara as a destination -- for its beauty, for its serenity, and for the chance to operate at the tempo of the clouds.
