Back to Pokhara

We were supposed to be starting our trek but Carol was not very well overnight. Mukti gave us (F'n'S) the option of starting and S'n'C catching us up using a shortcut the next day. We decided that we wouldn't start without Carol so we returned to Pokhara to stay the night there (easier for Carol than a tent) and Sylvia and I would go to the World Peace Pagoda on top of the hill that overlooks Lake Fewa and Pokhara.

The climb to the top was quite steep so Mukti organised for Kedar (another friend of his) to drive us (close) to the top in his taxi and we would walk down. The taxi was a small Suzuki and is the favoured vehicle for taxi drivers in Nepal. In fact, it is rare to see any other car on the road as most people can't afford one and use the plentiful and cheap (and continually tooting) taxis to get around.

The road to the top was paved most of the way. Paved is a generous description as it is fair to say that paved roads in Nepal are more appropriately described as potholes with tarmac around the edges. The road eventually turned to dirt and involved much skilled driving by Kedar to get us to the top. At one stage I turned to Sylvia and said "you wouldn't even let me drive on this road in the Prado" to which she agreed. After much wheel slipping and shouts of "hang on" we got to the top.

The Peace Pagoda was built by the Japanese as part of an international program to promote peace throughout the world. Before you get to the Pagoda there was a small building with a monk beating a drum and chanting in that low, deep voice they have. We went into the building to discover mats that we could sit on (without our toes pointing at the Buddha!) and join in the chant. We each picked up a small "table tennis style" drum and a small drumstick. The monk pointed out the words (sounds?) for the chant to be sung in time with the drums. After leading us off with a small drum to get our timing and rhythm correct he went back to the big drum while we chanted with him. Quite good fun and moved Sylvia to say that "Carol would have enjoyed that". We were then lead around the three levels of the Pagoda in a clockwise direction (of course).

From there it was around an hours walk downhill. The track is well formed as it has been there for around 50 years and is paved in places with pieces of (occasionally slippery) slate. When you get to the bottom you are actually across the lake from Pokhara and have to catch a "water taxi" back. Because it was some sort of festival day (these appear to be a regular occurrence in Nepal) there were no boats where they normally wait to take people back. We walked around the edge of the lake for another 20 minutes or so until we came to a little tea house with boats ready to go. We recharged with some lemon soda and hopped in our boat to be paddled back to Pokhara - and to see how Carol was going.

Oh...and it bucketed down for 5 or 6 hours! The locals reckon the monsoon is arriving early...