Pokhara

Nepal continues to impress. After our quality time with the Rhino, Athanasia and I headed to Pokhara, the second largest town on the Nepali map located about 6 hours west of Kathmandu. Pokhara is smaller and quieter than Kathmandu. We stayed in Lakeside, adjacent to lake Phewa Tal, the second largest lake in Nepal surrounded by small mountains with the snow capped Himalayas towering behind. Outside of going into the Himalayas, it is one of the best places in Nepal to get a view of the mountains.

We took a wooden doonga (rowboat) out on the lake to admire the scenery. Except for the Nepali insect making a continuous a noise like a fire alarm, it is a fantastic way to enjoy the native monkeys and beautiful white egrets against the hillside backdrop. We visited Devi's Falls, a small series of waterfalls marking where the Pardi Khola stream goes underground. The falls were named after a Swiss visitor's girlfriend who was pulled to her death by her boyfriend when he tumbled into the waterfall. Chivalry is obviously dead in Switzerland.

Hiking up to the World Peace Pagoda, given to the Nepalese by Japanese Buddhists to symbolize world peace (if the beauty pagent contestants of the world could see this kind gesture they might think their dreams have been realized), was good preparation for my upcoming 9-day trek through the Himalayas. We chose to take the easy route up. Per 'the bible', you can take a bus to Kalamati and from there walk about 20 minutes to the Pagoda. After one short bus ride and about 30 minutes we figured out there might be a bus to the town, but it only runs every 4 hours. Instead of spending the day on the side of the road, asking every passing bus if they were going to Kalamati, we got a cab. After an hour and a half walk in the blazing sun, we realized the cab driver stopped short of our anticipated destination.

Saving the best for last, we went paragliding! In tandem with an instructor, you run and hurl yourself off the edge of a cliff with a parasail attached.

Save the minor turbulence encountered on the edge of a thermal, it is amazing to fly around above the lake.

The view of the hillside villages and padi fields continues to be an amazing scenic backdrop. However, if I would have known before I went that these guys were packing the sails, I might have been a little more nervous.

I extended my visa today for a couple of weeks to accommodate my upcoming trek. It is easier to get a visa extension then a phone card. Athanasia went back to Kathmandu and I intend on spending the next few days getting ready for my trek.