Pokhara, Nepal
on Raquel @ VSO (Guyana), 03/Apr/2012 10:38, 34 days ago
the Pokharan sky is tumbling down right now. true tropical downpour.the last time I felt this earthly smell I was living in the Amazonian jungle. My feet would always be red as it rained every day and the ground was red like fire. that’s where the painted toe nails came from, so despite being muddy most of the time, my feet would always have gloriously colourful toe nails. I still haven’t abandoned the habit of painting my toenails.the white dust is now being washed off the surfaces, highlighting the vibrant colours that cote each and every object in this country. not that I know the entire country. i spent some days in Kathmandu, having borrowed a rikshaw and taken the“driver” for a ride between Thamel and Kathmandu Durbar Square. At first he was scared, hopping off the rikshaw every time I rode close to a bicycle, motorbike, cow, passer-by, van or taxi. As you can imagine, the road was hectic and very busy, with moving people and objects in every possible direction, so the man eventually calmed down and I think he actually enjoyed the ride.Anyhow, Nepal is not Kathmandu, so I moved east on a local tourist bus. Headed to beautiful Pokhara and went on a 3 day road trip with Johnny, a real star-boi. If I was a sensible person, I would not have gone, as both him and his best friend told me it was a trip they loved doing, but it was seriously hard core, due to the roads/trails. but sensible is not who I am, rather sensitive to great opportunities and therefore I had to seize the moment and hop onto the bike!It was my first trip on a bike and wow, how impressive! The sceneries were fascinating at every turn. The time coincided with a big Hindu festival in Muktinath, so the road was quite busy with buses, jeeps and motorbikes, not to mention the poor trekkers. Two days later, I still have a bit of a cough, from all the dust; I cannot imagine what it feels like to be walking up a steep hill while you eat dust… I was literally chewing dust even though I had a scarf tightly wrapped around my head and a helmet too.but then the view is so awe inspiring, one can only smile at it and be amazed at the power of nature.at the end of the first night we stopped in Lete and bathed in the hot springs. not as picturesque as I would have imagined it, as the natural springs have now been surrounded by grey cement and stone, but really felt great on the tired body. I also loved the fact that most of the people using the baths were local. They are holy springs, by the way.And with holy thoughts I leave you, in search of some veggie momos for lunch!Here's a random bunch of photos. More when I get home.One love