Sarangkot - a sunrise to remember

---

8 Jan - very early wakeup call this morning to leave hotel at 5am. We (half of the group minus Bhup) drive for about half an hour then have a steep uphill walk for about 45 mins, in the pitch dark, to reach the sunrise viewpoint at Sarangkot. Within 10 mins of reaching here, the light starts to change and hit the tops of the Annapurna mountain range. We are at a height of 1592m here and have a breathtaking panoramic view from left to right of Annapurna South, Annapurna I, Macchapuchre (known as the Fish Tail due to it's distinctive shape) at a height of 6977m, Annapurna III, Annapurna IV, Annapurna II and Lamjung Himal. Truly an experience of a lifetime to watch the huge, red sun rise up over the mountains as the colours change constantly the higher it rises...colours and effect were slightly reminiscent of the Cuillins in Skye, for those of you who have been there. I've seen many sunsets during my travels so far but only 2 sunrises...that's what happens when you're not a morning person! Dune 45 in Namibia and now the Himalayas in Nepal. Wow, it really makes you appreciate the beauty of the natural world.

We reluctantly head back down the hillside and stroll leisurely talking to the locals and looking at their colourful handicrafts. I stop with sweets for one cute wee boy who is so excited that while jumping up and down his trousers fall down!!! Memorable snowy mountain and rural scenes make it the perfect way to start the day. There's lots of chunky knit things to buy but most of them are too bulky for the backpack, however I can't resist some colourful stripey booty type slippers 😊

Bhup and I head out for breakfast at 9am...feels like I've been up for hours, oh I have! Find a great local, Newari restaurant (the main tribe of this region) and have an extremely tasty farmers omlette (tomato, red onion and spinach), Tibetan sweet, flatbread and lemon tea - well deserved after all that walking! Rest of the group are doing various activities so it's a free day for us. Bhup hires a motorbike and we explore Pokhara. Great to be on the back of a bike again 😊 We visit Devi Waterfall and the nearby caves - the only caves I've ever visited with a Hindu temple inside...think it was dedicated to Shiva, need to check the trusty Lonely Planet!). Then drive along the banks of Phewa Lake, which is a wee bit like the Lake District. I attempt to drive the bike on a quiet stretch of road but fail miserably so leave it to the expert.

Chillout at the paragliding landing spot for an hour or so drinking beer and enjoying the tranquil scenery and sun. Then we watch out for a few of our group landing and take some photos. As we're about to head back into the main area of Lakeside, we notice the bike has a puncture, oops! Hardly surprising though given the state of the Nepali roads with potholes galore and huge stones everywhere. I end up walking most of the way back while Bhup carefully steers, then pushes the bike to get the puncture repaired. I enjoy the walk back but Bhup is stressing.

Head out for dinner with the majority of the group. Once again, due to Maoist strikes, just about everything is closed, however we find a Chinese and enjoy a great meal. I even persuade Bhup to try some Chinese food which he reluctantly enjoys. Also glad to see I haven't forgotten how to use chopsticks. Pokhara has a great vibe, especially in the peaceful north side of the Lake, so I've a feeling I'll be back...

---

Photos

Yup, this is the wee guy whose trousers fell down
And no, I didn't take an after picture, that's just wrong!