Thrill Seeking

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Am still here, in Pokhara, and am finding it quite hard to leave really. Since I returned from the trek, I have settled into the place - well to Lakeside, which is unsurprisingly the section of town that lines the side of the lake, and home of touristland, and stayed within that 2 mile square. The trek seems like a distant memory now, I just reread my blog to remind myself.

The first few days when I returned I amused myself by one day hiring a bike and cycling out of town to the International Mountain Museum which is excellent - one of the best museums I have ever been to - and me and Anneka (my cycling partner) were the only people there. The next day I signed up for a 40 minute tandem paragliding trip - ie you and an experienced pilot do it together. This was pretty pricey by Nepali standards - about 45 quid - but it was absolutely brilliant. There were six of us signed up to do it, and the format is that a jeep takes you to the top of the hill (Sarangot) which overlooks the lake, and you are assigned a pilot each. The canapes are then spread out, harnesses attached, and one by one, when the wind conditions are suitable - we ran off the side of the mountain. I was 4th to do it out of the 6, which was good as not sure I could've done it first. But it was just enough scaryness to give you that adrenalin rush, without making you want to crap it and bow out at the last minute. As you run and keep running until the ground is no longer there - the canape inflates with air and lifts you both up (pilot is behind) and before you know it you are airborne. The flight itself was just lovely - really gentle, just kind of floating around taking in the view. as we came down to land near the lakeside my pilot (very French and handsome sporty type) gave me a shot at steering - which is very easy. Pull right cord to go right, pull left cord to go left. The expertise is in recognising the wind patterns and finding "thermals" to keep flying up high. I had a great time and was on a high for the rest of the day.

Then a lingering cold/cough set in for a few days which was fine, but just irritating really - so I continued with nights out around Pokhara, eating well (too well) and drinking the odd beer and having a very relaxed time.

Over the weekend I signed up for a 4 day meditation retreat - not that far away actually - just about 1 mile from centre of Lakeside. I didnt really know what the format was - but it was cheap, included all food and accomodation, and was a pretty setting. I went with two friends that I met when I first arrived here, who are also finding it hard to leave Pokhara, and we were joined by Marcus - german solo traveller, fresh out of a yoga retreat. I got the impression he was definitely searching for that little something more from life.

The next 3-4 days passed with a pretty tight schedule of meditations, teachings, hatha yoga, food breaks, then enforced silence from 8pm til 6:30am when we started it all again. I found the meditation hard - it really is hard to try to focus and not drift away with your thoughts. Really hard. Sometimes I managed for about 20 seconds with no thoughts, but then inevitably thoughts would come that I couldnt push away and before I knew it I had been daydreaming for 5 minutes. This was pretty frustrating - but I kept trying. The teachings were interesting too, but I am definitely not an out and out buddhist - but some things, like karma, I can believe in. The whole reincarnation idea I struggle with... but it was only a 3-4 day course, it was interesting listening to it, and the focus was in meditation - for me anyway.

As it came to the end (it passed really quickly) I didnt want to leave. The thought of noise and traffic and allsorts was a bit weird. Some kind of god must have been listening because the heavens really did open and a huge storm blew up - which was really heavy, almost monsoon like rains, and then a hailstorm which had the biggest hailstones I had ever seen - like the size of gobstoppers (golf balls would be stretching the truth). It was brilliant to watch, but noisey - as the roof of most the buildings in the retreat were made out of the usual corrugated iron, held down with boulders.

The storm did pass though, was more likely to be March weather as opposed to god intervening, and we all headed on the short journey back to town. It was weird to be back - nothing had changed, some people asked where I had been! (always a sign you have been somewhere too long if people recognise you are missing), but we all agreed that we felt as if we were moving, and talking almost in slow motion. There was definite level of calm that I hadnt particularly noticed in the retreat, but was so obvious when you were back amongst everyone else. It was a really nice feeling. I found myself smiling at a man in a cafe and not turning my gaze away. I felt as if I was sitting there smiling like a relaxed, calm, centered being. He looked at me as if I was nuts and couldnt get away quick enough. Not sharing my inner joy it seemed. As it came into night-time though, and then the next day and then the next, the feeling diminshed really - and although I am still feeling really relaxed and happy, that saintly glow seems to have gone.. ha ha. Oh well. Just shows you though...

And that is really all I want to do in Pokhara. The weather has improved so I have been reading by the lake, taking walks, meeting people at night for drinks. But mentally I am getting ready to leave and brave Kathmandu again, before flying off to Thailand next week.

It's been a weird time in Nepal. I have veered from loathing Kathmandu, to loving Pokhara, having religous experiences up mountains, flying over lakes and losing myself to meditation all within 4 weeks. It has been great - but very much like one thrill seeking adventure after another. India seems like so long ago, and Thailand seems like a weird concept. But my mind is almost there. I have been googling pictures of palm lined beaches, I re-read The Beach (not exactly hoping to replicate his experience), and cannot wait to get there and assume the life of a beach bum for a few weeks.

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