2024-11-22 Pokhara, Nepal

The 150 km drive takes 7 hours, half of which is through construction zones. Once the road is expanded to four lanes, the journey will likely only take three hours. We stop twice for meals and once for refueling. At the bus station, a man is advertising for his hotel, Santana. It is exactly the hotel I booked. A taxi takes me there for three euros, saving me the three kilometers with my heavy backpack. I get a bright corner room. I believe I will be comfortable here for a good five nights. From the rooftop terrace, you can also see the lake. After a short break, I head into town, look for bicycles, and buy a large piece of chocolate crumble that I enjoy by the lake near the pier. Two boys from a school class come up to me and want to take a photo right away. With the sunset, I go to the eastern shore, passing the amusement strip. The atmosphere is quite different here, offering both entertainment and the tranquility of the lake. On the way back, I grab some momos from a small snack stall and strike up a conversation with an Israeli and an Indian. I check several shops for candies to suck on, but I can't find any. However, I take my evening beer back to my room.

22.11.24 Pokhara, hike to the Peace Pagoda and Hindu temple, 13 km on foot, 680 m elevation. At 5:30 AM, I wake up again but stay in bed until 8:30 AM. I even take time for my literal games today. Unfortunately, there is no breakfast at the hotel, so I look around in the town. I meet a woman with a thermos container and eat beans and chickpeas with thin flatbreads from her. I finally find candies in a shop. I immediately buy three bags, which I will enjoy today. At the boat rental in front of the small island, Taal Barahi, a lot is already happening. However, there is no ferry. I can only rent boats with or without a driver. So I decide to walk over the bridge. Before the climb through the forest, someone offers to be my guide, saying I would not find the way otherwise. Indeed, I stray off the path and follow a group that soon loses its guide. Shortly afterward, the guide returns and gathers his group, and I find my way back to the main path. At the steep sections, I need to slow my pace and still break a sweat. At the pagoda, silence is expected; there are also several attendants who reprimand loud visitors. The pagoda shines in radiant white under the sun, with its golden Buddha figures in four niches. The view over the lake and Pokhara is obscured by haze. Unfortunately, the tall mountains behind can't be seen at all. I take a break and then decide to walk to the Hindu temple. For the remaining 300 meters of elevation, I need another 45 minutes. I pass a beautifully grown large tree and then steep steps up. Around the blue Siddhartha is much more hustle and bustle. Most visitors have three white stripes on their foreheads and one red. The fountain in front is being worked on with an electric hammer, making it impossible to think of silence. I start my descent and manage to stop a bus on the road. It’s a tour group from Nepal. They take me all the way to Lakeside. It is now just after 4 PM, and the sun is already disappearing behind the mountains. In my room, I call the sick Ulla and Berni before heading to the lakeside restaurant for dinner, where I have a large portion of mixed rice with chicken. With your small video conference, I reach Johanna and Linda. I watch a few more videos about Sri Lanka and fall asleep at 9:30 PM.