For me, it was a great mix of absolute terror and complete elation. I loved it. I wish it had lasted all day (but I don't have the funds for that). There were eagles and vultures flying around with all of us up there, just riding on the thermals. Apparently, the companies who send people up like this sometimes even train birds to seek out the pockets of hot air so that it's easier for the paragliders to find them. But we were up there, riding on the air like waves, and it was amazing. Everytime I looked down, my heart just jumped up to my throat, but as long as I kept looking straight out, it was ok. I'm rather certain that Damu got a kick out of my screaming like a child, and kept doing crazy stuff. Or maybe I just thought it was crazy since we were so bloody HIGH! I told him I was ready for anything, so after gently turning and rising with the warm air, he steered us over to the lake where we spun like mad. It was alot like a roller coaster with loop-di-loops except there was no framework of any kind.
By the time we stopped spiralling, we were not very high above the lake and I could see the landing area. As we approached it, Damu said, "no water, no water, no water.." as if he were saying no whammy. I thought he was teasing for several seconds and then realized we were in fact, quite low. Just as we reached the edge of the lake, we landed in a heap in the mud. As I stood up, a water buffalo walked by with an angry woman following, throwing rocks. I just began to laugh. What a crazy morning.
After that amazing experience and feeling like I had just had a coronary, Matt and I grabbed lunch at our favorite spot before heading to the lake. We rented a strange metal-box-looking paddleboat and headed off to explore. The lake proved to be quite large, and the paddleboat inefficient. We made it almost all the way across before taking a break for a cocktail (Matthew had the foresight for this one). After some lovely sunset mountain pictures, we turned around and headed back in the direction of the dock. When we saw two other white people in a wooden boat, we decided it was no match for our trusty craft, and after all, we ARE pirates. So we paddled as fast as we could straight for their vessel without saying a word. When we got quite close, they were staring, so we stood up and yelled, "Ahoy! Avast ye matey! You've been pirated!" And other such ridiculous phrases.
After a brief explanation, we headed away. Minutes later, they were alongside (as we say in nautical terms...). Surprisingly, instead of being appalled by our behavior, they thought we were amusing (which is good, because we thought we were HILARIOUS) and came over to chat. They,re named Shannon and Andy, and the four of us ended up talked for ages and then meeting up later for dinner. What a great day!
The following morning we got a late start, but after a shower, some breakfast, and a few errands (by this time it's about 3pm, whoops) we headed around the lake to hike up to the World Peace Pagoda. It's on the top of a ridge, overlooking lake Phewa Tal and Pokhara and has a great view of the Himalayas. The stupa (as they call it here) was given as a gift from Japanese monks to promote world peace.
We decided to take the scenic route to the pagoda, so we hiked around to the north side of the lake, and nearby some terraced farms before following the ridge towards the peak. We were moving as fast as we could at the end because the shadow of the ridge we were on was slowly devouring Pokhara and the mountains. We got up to the pagoda just in time to take some quick pictures then practically sprinted down the short side of the hill before all the boats (that row to the other side of the lake, where we're staying) left for the night. When we got back, it was time for a delicious dinner near a fire at Tea Time Bamboostan before bed.
Today, we got up, had brekkie and rented scooters again (sooo much fun). We drove all the way through Pokhara, east towards a lake we had read about. After about 45 minutes (including a brief backtrack), we reached Begnas Tal just at the same time 4 more tourists were pulling in on their mopeds (and we thought we were the only bright ones). We all decided to share the cost of a rowboat and had a great time paddling in circles before reaching a cute spit of land where we relaxed for a bit. There was a family walking around us, washing their clothes and dishes in the lake as we admired all the nearby hills and mountains reflected in the lake's perfectly placid surface.
It was quite soothing to spend those few minutes there soaking up the sun before heading back towards Pokhara on our scooters (or "hogs" as Matt calls them). If you've ever driven on rural roads in a developing country, you know what I'm talking about. It's a chaotic combination of decomposing roads, a lack of traffic rules, rogue livestock, and so many different forms of transportation (pedestrians, bicyclists, giant trucks, little motorcycles, speeding minibuses, etc.) that it all becomes pandemonium. It's quite exhilarating to try to navigate it and Matt and I had a blast.
Following our adventure, we decided to head to the middle of Pokhara to find an authentic Nepali restaurant. We did, and it was great. Those are the places where I love to hang out, and despite the fact that we couldn't converse with each other, this was no exception.
The pictures are: the view from my seat in the air, me and Damu hovering (Matt took that one), the snake charmer who appeared out of nowhere during breakfast, the sunset view of the lake and mountains from the Peace Pagoda, the mirror-like surface of Begnas Tal, and me on my scooter.
Note: I intend to put in video links (that's why some words are red) but the connection here is terrible, so it would be impossible to upload the video now. Please check again in about a week.
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