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Published: November 7th 2006
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After the trek (and eventually working out how to put pictures on this site) we felt that we deserved a really relaxing few days. So, we checked into a really nice guest house (we stretched to 3 pounds a night) which had ensuite bathroom, towels and even bed sheets! We ended up staying for 4 days in Pokhara just wandering around the town and trying to catch a few early morning views before the clouds rolled in.
Then, after the really relaxed 4 days came what was probably the most exciting 4 days so far..... we signed up for a beginners kayaking course!
We started with a day on the local lake. During in the day we were meant to learn how to paddle the kayak straight (somehting everyone but especially soph really struggled with!) and crucially how to self-rescue when the kayak flips (we were told we had no chance of rolling it back the right way up when on the river!). This basically involved ripping off the spray deck and getting out of the kayak as soon as possible! So after a very cold day on the lake we were deemed ready to take on the mighty
rapids of the Seti river!
We got up early and had a one hour bus ride to the river... After loading all the stuff on to the saftey boat and having a few last minute tips (something about the eddies) we set off! The first day we thought would have to be gentle as it was a beginners course - but we worked out that it wasn't going to be quite like we thought when on the first bend someone went the wrong way and ended up in some pretty serious rapids with all the instructors chasing her down.... we eventually all found her about 30 minutes later!
So without going into all the detail of the rapids the 3 days involved over ten self-rescues for me and around five for soph (she was definitely one of the best!). This however didnt stop a lot of worrying and dreaming about the rapids that were to come the next day on Soph's (and my) part!
The final rapid was the biggest and toughest one we were to go down. Soph decided to take the safety boat along with the girl who took the wrong turn on the first
The mighty Seti river
We camped on this beach.... both just delighted to be on dry land! morning - she never quite recovered - but I decided to the detriment of my pants to give it a go..... I actually made it down most of the way but flipped at the last minute - to be honest I was just pleased to get down alive and avoid the 'very dangerous rock'!
The whole trip however was amazing - really cool people, camping on a beach for two nights with a camp fire and some really good tasty food. We decided that kayaking was worth putting up with for the journey!
After the final lunch (which even included baked beans) on the river we got on a bus (quite literally since we rode on the roof) to Kathmandu. The bus ride was absolutely incredible, the stunning mountains rising out of the Trusili river and blazing sun. It was a bit of a shock arriving in the smog filled Kathmandu valley but luckily for our lungs we had been forced to get inside the bus by now.
Kathmandu was a pretty interesting place. We stayed in the main tourist area of Thamel which is just full of restaurants trying western food, climbing shops selling all manner
of fake North Face gear, postcard and silk shops. It even had a supermarket where you could pick up Marmite! So we quickly worked out that to really experience the city we'd have to head out of this area. We spent time in the Kathmandu and Patan Durbur Squares which have a really strange mix of Buddhist and Hindu religions and watched the sunset at the monkey temple over the valley.
The highlight of the stay was due to be the mountain flight that I signed up for, but couldn't quite convince Soph to join me. This was due to be a flight to within 5 miles of Everest at around the same height as the peak. We'd see 4 of the worlds 5 highest peaks and the Tibetan plateau. SO sitting on the plain at 6.30am I was stunned with excitement.... and then the bad news came.... The mountains were all caked in cloud and the flight was cancelled - I was gutted! We decided later that day though that it just wasn't meant to be and it gave us a well good excuse to come back to Nepal again!
We left Kathmandu with a 14 hour bus ride aahead of us, but needless to say the 14 hours turned out to be way longer than that.....
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Nick Summers
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I'm sooooooo jealous
So, I'm sitting here at work in a nice modern building in America, on my nice comfy chair surrounded by phones and flat screens. I got here in my nice modern car, having slept in a my nice warm house after eating a nice evening meal and watching the results of the US elections (unlucky George!). It all sounds OK...even "nice". And yet I'd MUCH rather be where you two are.....even with the dodgy food and simple accomodation. The things you're doing sound fantastic, and I am deeply jealous. I'll just have to keep reading your blog and look forward to early retirement! Keep the notes coming and take care. Nick.