8 Days in Nepal

It was a lazy Saturday afternoon, when my customary afternoon siesta was interrupted by a phone call from my friend. Struggling to shrug away the sleep from my eyes, I picked up the phone. I was soon jolted to full consciousness when I heard his words: ”I am planning a trip to Nepal. Want to join in?”
Nepal? Of all the places, Nepal? – I thought to myself. I was planning on a vacation, but Nepal was the last holiday destination I would have thought of – given my idea of vacation usually is lying around in some exotic location engulfing myself in luxury. What the heck – I thought; I would never see Nepal in my life if I don’t go now. I agreed. The plan was on. I was going to Nepal!

With just one month to go, the plans were made in haste. Druk Air (Bhutan air) took us to Nepal. The sight of Himalayan incisors peeping above the clouds is goose-bumps material, and you are suddenly filled with a sense of anticipation, humility and various other feelings that can’t be described. Coming face-to-face with the most formidable mountain range is sure to evoke emotions in you that you’ve never had.

After touching down at Kathmandu, we drove straight to Nagarkot – a hill top resort village that offers stunning sun rise views – and checked into Club Himalaya. We explored the surroundings a bit that day and had coffee at Berghouse cafe. The next day we hiked to Changu Narayan temple – a very refreshing 4 hour walk from our hotel cutting across various communities settled along the valley. The following morning, we checked out of Club Himalaya to catch a flight to Pokhara.

Pokhara greeted us with a slight drizzle that we were not equipped to handle. Extremely scenic, this place is situated between a very calm ‘Phewa Tal’ lake and the snowcapped Mt. Machhapuchhare (a Himalayan Peak – shaped like a Fish tail, and hence the name). Fish tail lodge would be our home for the next 2 days. Getting to fish tail lodge was itself an experience – a rope drawn pontoon ferried people across the lake to this beatiful cottage hotel.

After Pokhara, Kathmandu was like getting back to reality – the hustle and bustle, the mad rush to catch up with a crazy life, the dust et al. It was a mixed experience for us here – a mix of spirituality and pleasures of modern life. While visits to Swayambunath, Pasupathinath and Bodhnath brought us peace, shopping at Thamel and visits to casinos reminded us that we still are pretty ordinary humans going after material pleasures of life.