After a hectic, sweaty month in India, followed by two weeks trekking in rudimentary conditions in Nepal, I was really in need of some relaxation by the time we arrived in Pokhara, and luckily for me, Pokhara was the perfect spot.
At the foot of the Annapurna mountain range, with possibly the best panoramic view on Earth, it's hard not to feel at ease in Pokhara. We found ourselves a really nice hotel with a balcony in the touristy, "Lakeside" neighborhood, just 5 minutes walk from Lake Fewa. Although a undeniable tourist trap (no culture here), Lakeside had top restaurants, chilled out bars and 5 hour-long happy hours, plus all the shops a girl could ever need. After two weeks of eating basic mountain food (carbs, carbs, carbs), we went all out and ate like kings; steaks, Thai food, pizzas, lush salads and kebabs all round!
One night, after a huge meal and a couple of 2-for-1 cocktails, we were heading home for an early night when we noticed some commotion going on at the back of our hotel. It turned out to be a staff party for one of the lad's 22nd birthday. They welcomed us to join them and plied us with alcohol for the rest of the night.
When we weren't too busy reading in a deck chair, or playing cards over a frozen lemon mint juice, we did manage to get out of the area and explore a bit. We hired bikes and cycled around the lake through numerous little villages until the lake became a river. Finding a secluded spot, we locked up the bikes and went in for a dip. The water was cool and refreshing but our secluded swim didn't stay secluded for long; no less than ten local villagers came to have a look at the strange tourists swimming in their river, sitting on the bank intently, and making me all too aware that I was swimming in my knickers!!
We also hired a rowing boat early one morning and went out on the lake to admire the snowy peaks that frame the skyline. As we were there at the end of the monsoon, the mountains were covered in cloud most of the day, but first thing in the morning before the clouds settled, we got some good glimpses of the peaks.
Further indulging our relaxation, we treated ourselves to a Thai massage. With our muscles still aching from the hike, the masseuse was brutally rough with us, pummeling our tender flesh so hard I had tears in my eyes - far from relaxing!
At the end of our week in Pokhara we left the busy tourist area and went to stay at the end of the town at Freedom Cafe, where we had our own little hut right on the Lake. Spending most of our mornings slung in our hammocks in front of the hut, reading, was bliss. Even when the weather took a turn for the worse, and our hut proved not to be waterproof, it didn't bother us. We sat under our veranda and watched the storm roll in across the lake.
We spent six days idling away the time and enjoying the pleasant weather. I even got a filling done at a very questionable dentist-cum-pharmacy. The cut-price dental work didn't last long though, and two weeks on I'm once again in need of a dentist!
Our time in Pokhara felt like a holiday away from the "stresses" of travelling. It was a very relaxing, indulgent week and it's definitely up there among my top favourite places in the world. None the less, six days of doing nothing was enough, and we were happy to get on our way to Kathmandu, and then on to India for round two of cows, traffic and mayhem.
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| View over Lakeside Pokhara, from the World Peace Pagoda |
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| STEAK!!! |
One night, after a huge meal and a couple of 2-for-1 cocktails, we were heading home for an early night when we noticed some commotion going on at the back of our hotel. It turned out to be a staff party for one of the lad's 22nd birthday. They welcomed us to join them and plied us with alcohol for the rest of the night.
When we weren't too busy reading in a deck chair, or playing cards over a frozen lemon mint juice, we did manage to get out of the area and explore a bit. We hired bikes and cycled around the lake through numerous little villages until the lake became a river. Finding a secluded spot, we locked up the bikes and went in for a dip. The water was cool and refreshing but our secluded swim didn't stay secluded for long; no less than ten local villagers came to have a look at the strange tourists swimming in their river, sitting on the bank intently, and making me all too aware that I was swimming in my knickers!!
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| Bike ride. |
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| Captain Ric. |
Further indulging our relaxation, we treated ourselves to a Thai massage. With our muscles still aching from the hike, the masseuse was brutally rough with us, pummeling our tender flesh so hard I had tears in my eyes - far from relaxing!
At the end of our week in Pokhara we left the busy tourist area and went to stay at the end of the town at Freedom Cafe, where we had our own little hut right on the Lake. Spending most of our mornings slung in our hammocks in front of the hut, reading, was bliss. Even when the weather took a turn for the worse, and our hut proved not to be waterproof, it didn't bother us. We sat under our veranda and watched the storm roll in across the lake.
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| Chilling outside our hut at Freedom Cafe. |
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| Stormy sunset over Lake Fewa. |
Our time in Pokhara felt like a holiday away from the "stresses" of travelling. It was a very relaxing, indulgent week and it's definitely up there among my top favourite places in the world. None the less, six days of doing nothing was enough, and we were happy to get on our way to Kathmandu, and then on to India for round two of cows, traffic and mayhem.
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| Local fishermen on the lake. |
