Nepal- Part 3: Pokhara/mountains

 Pictures once again in reverse order... 

Back to the airport we go, for one last flight to Katmandu again. While at the airport, Brian was studying the map of the Annapurna valley already planning his return trip for trekking to base camp someday!

Brian went to the spa, and found me taking a nap in the hotel garden!

Can't get enough of our hotel!

Our fantastic guide

Looking out over the valley- with my new cashmere wrap!

One of the women dressed up Brian and Tate in traditional hats and scarves that they had made

We watched the sunrise from the womens co-op shop.

Our final day we went to watch the sun rise- Sarangkot is a small village that lies on the outskirts of Pokhara. It is known for offering breathtakingly beautiful views of the Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and Manaslu mountain ranges and the Pokhara Valley. Located at an elevation of 1600 meters above sea level,

Got a bike? Genius way to roast some corn!

Back at the hotel...

Our hike was AMAZING! The terrain changed so often- from forest to village to rice fields- I wanted to just sit and take it all in. 

Women in the field planting rice yelled at Brian for taking this picture- but how could he not capture this beautiful shot of daily life?

I really wanted to talk with this lady, who was barefoot and looked to be about a century old

This kid was so chatty, trying to talk with me in English

There is a womens co-op in Pokara that helps women to learn the textile trade- using mostly Yak hair and cashmere- and helps them sell their products. As we walked through a village, we saw one woman making her shawls on her front porch

The positive part of hiking during rainy season is that there were no other tourists! But the negative was that the sky was full of clouds, so we didn't get to take in the epic views that the area is known for, I was in awe with what I saw around every corner, so I can just imagine how great it can be!

The trails were simply amazing. My mind was blown by how amazing the hiking paths were. 

Australian Camp was actually found by a group of Austrian- not Australian- hikers. They liked it so much that they stayed and said it reminded them of Austria. However Nepalese people over time changed the name to Australian camp because it was easier to say!

Made it!

We were walking in a cloud!

Most of the villages along the way have no access to roads. So when they need supplies- they must go to town by foot. Along our hike, we encountered this man who was resting after his shopping trip.

Off we go!

It was a tough drive to get to the start of our hike. It was amazing to see life there in these remote places- whether shopkeepers or the local children going to school. 

Those are not all clouds!

Another great pull off spot- and a good capture of the horrific roads!

Our guide knew a great place for us to get out to see the mountain- just across this grassy soccer field!

Our second day we went hiking- not trekking. I learned quickly that hiking is what you do for the day, trekking involves an overnight stay. Hiking we will go! 

We were headed off to hike to Australian Camp, which is the first night stay on the trek to Annapurna Base Camp. 

Again, the snowy mountain peaks were showing off for us this morning!

Soooo much cool gear in every shop we went to. Hard to resist!

Local Gorkha beer was giant

At the temple, we all received bindi marks on our forehead as a blessing. It was such a hot day that Brian had sweat his off 

Tate & Brian both helped the boat operator out. It was very hot!

I'd mentioned to our guide that Macy had wanted to get a henna tattoo, but we didn't know where to go. She called her 16 yr old daughter and she came along on the boat ride to the island and gave Macy, and me, tattoos! She was so sweet and her English was excellent. In Nepalese culture, the mother will tattoo the daughter until she becomes a teen and learns how to do it herself. This just happened for them days before, so she was delighted to be able to work on us too!

Phewa Lake

Phewa Lake is the second largest lake in Nepal and is very popular among tourists coming to Pokhara. It is a semi-natural freshwater lake that is surrounded by Rani Ban. Here, one can see the stunning reflection of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountain ranges in the crystal clear water of the lake. Hiring a traditional boat called a doonga and sailing through the lake is definitely the best way to admire the natural beauty of this place.

Another nearby attraction for people visiting this lake is the Tal Barahi Temple. Also known as the Lake Temple or Barahi Temple, this is one of the most important religious places for Hindus in Nepal. Built in 1864 by Kaskeli King Kulmandan Singh, this temple is dedicated to the goddess Durga (known as goddess Varahi in Nepal).

Gupteshwar Mahadev is a cave temple located near Davis Falls. This is the place where the Seti River emerges from the ground. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple was found sometime around the 16th century, and in present times, it is one of the most popular places for sightseeing in Pokhara. Here, one can see the self-emerging Shivaling in the condition it was originally found in, and the cave housing this Shivaling is approximately 3 km long.

We stopped to get snacks at a German bakery

Forget street cats and street dogs- how about street cows? Cows are sacred in the Hindu religion, so when a cow does not produce milk anymore, it will not be killed, but set free. They are often seen roaming the streets, laying in parking lots.

Davis/Devis Falls

 stunning waterfall is one of the best places to visit in Pokhara. In the Nepalese language, this waterfall is known as ‘Patale Chango’ which translates to ‘underground waterfall’. One extraordinary thing about this waterfall is that it creates a 500-feet-long underground tunnel as it reaches its bottom. This means that the water from this waterfall does not flow to a river or lagoon but into a mysterious dark hole that eventually disappears in the caves.

Shree Bindhyabasini Temple

This is one of the oldest temples in the city of Pokhara. This temple is dedicated to Goddess Bindhyabasini, the incarnation of Kali, and enthrals a large number of visitors. Dating back to the late 18th century, this temple is believed to have been built by King Prithvi Narayan Shah. In today’s times, this temple holds great religious significance

We dropped our bags and headed out on a tour of Pokhara. 

And the rooftop pool was too good to be true!

Our hotel view was amazing

We arrived on a very clear day and could see a snowy mountain peak right in teh airport parking lot!

Pokhara, the city of lakes, is the second-largest city of Nepal after Kathmandu. Three 26,000-foot peaks (Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Manaslu) can be seen from the city. The Machhapuchchhre (Fishtail) with an elevation of 22,943 feet is the closest to the city.

We left our jungle resort in Chitwan and took a 17 minute flight to Pokhara, a small city in the Himalayan foothills.