Nepal, the second attempt (Pokhara)

We were craving for water, cooling down and a bit of a bohemian feeling. After wonderful days in Kathmandu and Chitwan, the five of us took a rickety bus to Pokhara. Unfortunately, our friend Ralf had to leave us, as his beloved work in Berlin was calling his name.

The journey was long, and along the way, we saw long queues at petrol stations. There was still no fuel coming from India, and the whole of Nepal had been dry for weeks! It's a shame to think about the reason behind the embargo: India doesn't like Nepal's self-determination and disagrees with parts of the Nepalese constitution! It's scary to see how a small country becomes a pawn in a game.

That day, we also fell victim to the embargo. After no taxi was willing to take us to our hotel, which was about 2.5 km away and we had to carry our heavy backpacks (including winter gear from Tibet) along the main road of Pokhara. When we finally arrived at the Silver Oaks Inn, we were even more thirsty for water - but from a bottle, not from the lake.

Oh well, Pokhara, much talked about and popular in bohemian and hippie circles, in my opinion, completely overrated. It must have been a gem at some point, but now the place is ruined by too many cheap hostels, bad restaurants, tour operators, and souvenir shops - basically a Thamel without culture, but with a bottle-green lake and a breathtaking mountain panorama - when you can actually see the mountains. When we were there, it was too hot, and the mountains disappeared in the haze.

The location by the lake is nice!

We stayed in Lakeside, like 90% of all tourists. Our little hotel was a highlight, even though there was a new building being constructed next door, which will probably leave half of the hotel rooms without windows. Asia has some strange building regulations; I'm always amazed at houses with perfect rooms but no windows!

Damnside, the other part of Pokhara (separated by the lake), is a bit quieter and more peaceful overall - although I wouldn't necessarily want to live there either.

Damnside

We spent our days on and by the lake. While it's generally not recommended to swim in the green water, it didn't harm us, or at least the after-effects haven't shown yet. We followed the Nepalese people's lead and jumped from the tree boat into the water. We skipped the little island in the middle, including the Hindu temple.

Main means of transportation on the lake

Evening vibes in Lakeside

The promenade

The kids took it as calmly as we did, even though the water was certainly not clean.

The highlights of our three days were our hike to the World Peace Pagoda, searching for decent food, and finding beautiful spots by the lake (unfortunately, there are no designated picnic areas).

Let's start with the Peace Pagoda. It was donated by Buddhist Japanese and is located high up on a mountain opposite the town. The hike there is not easy. First, there are warnings of robberies, then the trail is not well-marked, leeches make the journey unpleasant, and finally, there are hundreds of steps to descend on the way back. To get back to Lakeside, you can rent a boat with a rower.

Well, we didn't get robbed, although we saw some obscure creatures lurking along the way. However, we got lost twice and only by pure chance found our way back to the main trail. Leeches will never be my favorite creatures; the bloody Crocs were an unpleasant experience. Our mobile phones also lost reception, so if something had happened, we would have been in trouble. But the view of Pokhara was a dream, and we even caught a glimpse of a mountain.

View of Pokhara, mostly hotels

And for a brief moment, we could enjoy the view of

Machapuchare

Boats to get back to Pokhara

Tired after the hike

The fact that we had to search for good food is a sad reality that Pokhara shares with many other holiday resorts. Just so everyone can enjoy their vegetarian, vegan, macrobiotic meals, every Italian can get their pizza, the Spanish can have their paella, and the Germans can have their schnitzel, the Nepalese food culture has completely vanished. Finding a decent Dal Bhat was almost impossible - we even ended up in a vegan cafe, even though none of us were vegan. When we did find a generic Nepalese restaurant, the food was mediocre at best. It can't be compared to the days in Kathmandu or Chitwan. Even my memories of the trekking tour in the Khumbu Himalayas to Everest included great food.

A typical Dal Bhat

In short, after three days of shopping, vegan burgers, and Nepalese massages, we left Pokhara without feeling sad. I will remember the town with the beautiful lake fondly, and I would recommend anyone to take a few days of relaxation in Pokhara after a trekking tour. Just don't have high expectations. Of course, there are still some bohemians who have stayed behind. Yoga is offered on every corner, and there is no shortage of bars, cafes, and restaurants. The so-called (international) Y Generation had their fun and partied until the early morning hours with heavy clouds consisting of everything you can smoke. Unfortunately, Nepalese culture has completely disappeared from Pokhara; the town is interchangeable like Patong in Phuket.

Garden restaurant in Pokhara, cozy atmosphere

On the day of our departure, Pokhara bid farewell with its stunning mountain panorama - it was getting cooler in Nepal... after all, it was already October.