'Round the World with Sarah and Matt!: Pokhara and around

HI folks--

I have a lot of catching up to do from the last week of adventures (and non-adventures), so bear with me if some of the next few blogs sound rushed.

We had a fantastic few days in Pokhara, Nepal. The city is the staging point for many of the Himalayan treks people undertake; most famously the Annapurna Circuit and Annapurna Base Camp. We didn't do any of these, though we'd like to sometime -- but preferably not during the monsoon/leech season. Instead, we spent 5 wonderful days rambling around the hills and the lake that surrounds Pokhara. We put in quite a few miles each day during our explorations, wandering through beautiful forests up in the hills and through brilliant green rice patties and wetlands along the lakeshore. Pokhara itself was a breath of fresh air -- no traffic, no hassles, great food, a nice room, etc. We were there long enough to establish a routine with our favorite restaurants. We figured out where we could get the best Nepali set meal (dal baat, vegetable curry, curd, salad, pickle (sauce), chapati, and rice), and even found a place that had fantastic Italian food (on par with food I've had in Italy -- including homemade noodles!). My typical drink choices at meals have changed quite a bit in past weeks -- no coffee at breakfast, no Coke at lunch, and no beer at dinner. Just a nice glass of black tea or masala chai. And way cheaper!

She wanted some rupees for this photo... but it was worth it.

Sarah near the International Peace Pagoda above Pokhara, Nepal

One of our hikes took us up the mountainside near town to check out the Peace Pagoda up there. It was quite a sight, but the better views were looking out from it. On clear days, the whole Annapurna massif of the Himalayas stretches out to the north and east, with Mt Machupucarrhe (7000 meters) sticking straight up above the town.We didn't see this, but were treated to views of these mountains through the clouds on our first day in Pokhara, so that's OK. The birding up on the mountainside was fantastic, with such lifers as Red-headed Vulture, Black-lored Tit, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Common Hawk Cuckoo, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Blue-whistling Thrush, Grey Treepie, Greater Yellownape, Great Barbet, Long-tailed Minivet and Grey-hooded Warbler. We wanted to go down the longer route through the forested slopes of the mountain, but visitors are often robbed at gunpoint along this route, so we stuck to the well-travelled paths. Go figure, people get robbed when visiting the Peace Pagoda.... We attempted a route that would take us all the way around the lake below us, but couldn't find the path at one point, so it turned into an interesting side trip to some small, little-visited villages.

climbing to Peace Pagoda

Matt! at Peace Pagoda

Peace Pagoda

view of Pokhara valley

cooling off at the top of the mountain. Gross.

Mt. Machupucarrhe

Another day in town sent us on a long, leisurely ramble along the lake. This walk included a long lunch at a little hole-in-the-wall place that had fantastic views over the lake. While waiting for our meal, I saw an immature (2nd year?) Pallas's Gull, Bronze-winged Jacana, Lesser Whistling Duck, Little Grebe, and several herons in the shallows nearby. The walk continued through rice paddies that were the most magnificent shade of green we've ever seen. Sarah got a lot of nice photos, so I'll try to add a couple here.