Blogs from Pokhara, Nepal, Asia - page 5

NEPAL After traveling around south east Asia for six months the intensity of the countries start to waver and what was fascinating soon becomes normal. I do not regret a single penny or wish I had done something differently, each country has a unique trait that you can love. Nepal is by far the best destination yet. From a mental city of Kathmandu to lake side heavens in Pokhara. I wish we had more time to explore this country but we need to leave some thing for our return visit. Dal Baht power every 3 hour gave me a terrific diet boost and I see why the locals love this twice a day every day, it makes you take on the world with ease. Getting about from the airport is a bit of a pain with ... read more

I was half asleep when I heard a rustling and a clicking of all the light switches then BOOM! On came the light. The conversation followed: Pearl, what are you doing?! My camera wasn't charging so I'm plugging it back in here. Turn the light off! For gods sake, you are so selfish! Just put your blinders (eyemask) on! She'd bloody done it this time. I looked at my phone-0457. I laid there and tried to get back to sleep, but it didn't come. I looked at the clock again 0542. We were meeting for breakfast at 0715, so thought I may as well get up. I got out of bed and found the light switch by me-boom, on came the light. I found the light switch by Molly Brown, Boom on came that one too. ... read more

The story really has to start with Yoro. Yoro was Mansiri's Father-in-law. He is one hundred years old and the poor chap had recently lost his second wife, Mansiri's Mother-in-law, to cancer. Mansiri had come to Nepal to celebrate his birthday and this was now postponed to next year. Despite his age Yoro was still spritely with a gleam in his eye. He had been a Gurkha, had fought in WWII and had spent six months in a prisoner of war camp in Italy before being liberated by the Americans. He had been discharged after being shot in the buttock! He was happy to respond to my questions via Mansiri. As Mansiri commented it was quite a weird conversation. I spoke in English. She then spoke to him in the local Gurung language with other family ... read more

"We have a saying in Nepal", said Mansiri. "Treat guests as Gods". Thanks to Mansiri and her family we now know how gods feel. We arrived at Kathmandu airport from Delhi and were taken under Mansiri's wing from when we stepped from the airport door. We got an all too brief meeting with her husband, Yam, who flew back to England that evening to go back to work. We have been chaperoned by Mansiri and her extended family ever since and can not thank them enough. Many of Mansiri's family live in Pokhara (pronounced more like 'Pokra') Nepal's second city 5 hours drive West of Katmandu. The next day we headed there ("I try and stay as little time as possible in Kathamdu", Mansiri commented) after the briefest glimpse of the tourist ghetto of Thamel ('Tamel'). ... read more

Geo: 28.2191, 83.9581... read more