Amrit and Anjali, Pokhara, Nepal, January 18th 2014.

Two local kids - Amrit and Anjali...

So, it's a wet Saturday in Pokhara thus no stomping the streets today, just taking time over breakfast, sipping tea, more tea and, well just for a change, coffee. A kid there hovering around looking on with interest, especially at my IPad. A girl appears from behind a curtain as if by magic, hovers also. Yes, I give in eventually, giving up any thoughts of writing the blog, for now anyway.

 Introducing Amrit, a boy of 10 years old and Anjali, a girl of 12 years old. They are son and daughter of the cafe owners and well,  let's hear from them in their own words...

Amrit....

My. School  name. Is l.a  higher. Secondary school.

Luxmi aavashiya. Is full form of. L.a.

My favorite subject is Nepali and social .

we learn from Nepali subject is writing, reading and some poems.

I like London city.

I live in pokhara'6 lakeside.

I eat rice pudding  very much.

My favorite subject is English .

My favorite game is aeroplane,angry bird and football etc

I want to be a nepali actor

Anjali...

I like London city.

I live in pokhara valley.

My favorite food is chicken chilly.

My  favorite game is port ball. (similar to netball).

I want to be a dancer.

My favorite food is dal beat and chapatti with chicken chilly.

I can speak in Hindi, nepali and English .

As you can see they have a good command of English, not perfect but at the age of just 10 and 12 still more to learn. And somehow I've talked myself into the school tomorrow, Sunday. Yes, School for these two runs Sunday to Friday and they seem pretty keen for me to ride to bus and see their school.

A lull in the rain sees a mad rush towards the lake, Just in time to see the sun setting as the clouds begin to clear. The boat owners are doing brisk business again and the locals take the opportunity to do their laundry from the waters edge. An eerie mist developing across the stillness of Fewa lake away from the central area. Crows roosting while the hawkes float on the air waiting for that ultimate prize - a big juicy fish.

Amrit

Anjali

Wet Saturday, Pokhara, Nepal, January 18th 2014.

A wet Saturday...

Saturday is dawning cold and wet with that persistent drizzle the British are so familiar with on a frequent basis. low clouds and mist obscuring any views and hiking can wait - a day for catching up with the blog, well I would if there were some electricity. Power cuts are frequent here with an outage listing  for several hours on each day I've been here so far. Oddly enough though the Internet remains connected! Hot water is at a premium of course although I have spotted solar panels on the roof - quite useless today though.

Time to forage for some breakfast and a warm drink, if only to defrost. Plenty of offerings from the tourists joints - all western tastes catered for in abundance, but since I've spent heaps of cash getting out of the west, lets go for  local! That road leading to the lake looks local enough, reasonable prices too, although still quite pricey for the average Nepalese.

That persistent drizzle is now a steady flow of rain, much needed I suspect given the amount of dust everywhere and when it's done the air will be crisp and clear according to the locals here. Oh, and the electricity around here is rationed being available for 4 hours, sometimes 6 hours at seemingly random times! But at least the IPad is fully charged, so with little else to do time to write the blog. However, an IPad seen on a little street in a relatively poor neighbourhood attracts attention and today is no exception as the cafe owners kids hover, eager to have a go at Angry Birds!

So, let's meet Amrit and Anjali....

Fewa Lake, Pokhara, Nepal, January 17th 2014,

The Lake...

Today, an early morning walk down to the lake to get some photos with reflections of those mountain peaks and of course explore the place and see where the paths take me. So, stomping back down to main street falling into potholes and tripping on rubble, It's all pretty quiet at 7am, like a ghost town - even the taxi mafias are only just stirring. Misty and hazy, not a particularly good view from here in central Lakeside so that iconic Pokhara souvenir photo will have to wait.

Right then next left - 'way to lake' according to an obscure little sign hidden amongst the plethora of ads for lodges and trekking agencies. The same street as yesterday actually and in pretty good order i should add. Seems more of a locals street, and looks an ideal spot to escape the Western hullabaloo.

The place is peaceful apart from  birds twittering like there's no tomorrow and then those crows chime in to interrupt their  melodious morning chorus. Following the path to what I hope might be better views of those mountains. Well, after some  not so strenuous hiking along a local road running alongside the lake the scene is very rural, with holiday street way behind. Buffalos and goats in plentiful supply around here, just a few cows meandering between the chickens - and it's all free range!

A cobbled path here leading up, up to Sarangkot according to the sign. I'll see how far I can get since I did read somewhere that it's a long and arduous hike. Quite pleasant with little farmsteads interspersed with the odd guesthouse and lodge - pretty and a off the beaten track kind of place to stay, although options for a good feed look limited - although those buffalo's seem to be doing all right! Some nice photos of rural life on the edge of Pokhara as I look back along the track, but that hike to Sarangkot is indeed becoming strenuous -I'll settle for a cup of that delicious milk tea from a lodge I passed a few steps back.

Lakeside, Pokhara, January 16th 2014.

So this is lakeside Pokhara...

Time to take a look around the place before sunset. Main street crammed with bars, cafes, restaurants, travel agencies, bars, cafes, travel agencies, convenience stores and endless souvenir shops, oh and more bars, those of the boozing and dancing variety I mean. Yes, Western vices have well and truly arrived here and look pretty well established, plenty of pandering and pampering - just one thing missing,  little Tesco's!

Could be called 'The strip' or just as easily and probably more accurately 'Holiday Street'. A hotspot of debauchery and mayhem in the full tourist season, but right now the place relatively quiet. Western style coffee shops are plentiful, at least 2 every 50 yards or so. The Olive Cafe selling illy coffee looks like a pleasant enough place. A bean coffee for 130 rupees, about 70p and Wifi thrown in, and this is just about as Western as I intend to get - although finding localised Nepali at Nepali prices might prove challenging around here!

The lane opposite should lead down to the lake hopefully as I don't really want to be pound these streets for too long as the sun looks about to set. Lakeside 6 is the only street identification I can glean from a sign board attached to Pokhara Dreamland Restaurant - full points for trying, but certainly not dreamland with just 2 old tables with 3 plastic chairs!

A quick looks at the lake on which Pokhara is famed and the reason this is a holiday hotspot. Plenty of activity with the boat hirer's doing a brisk trade, even at the extortionate prices posted on the board. More later, but for now a few photos as the sun sets and an eeri mist forms creating some pretty nice photos.

A plethora of lanes leading off Holiday Street and actually there seems to be plenty of localised food joints with quite decent prices - about ￡1.60 for a Nepalese Thakali.

Reaching Pokhara, Nepal, January 16th 2014.

Rough...But not that rough

2.30 in the afternoon and here we are coming into the city of Pokhara, said to be Nepal's second largest and on first impressions just as rough as Kathmandu. Strewn garbage here and there as is normal for any developing Asian nation, a few bamboo and tin structures dotted along the main road but in general Pokhara seems not to be as crammed with high-rises as Kathmandu. Plenty of traffic but not the mayhem of Kathmandu and dust levels look to be considerably less too.

Left into an obscure street then right at the airport and the area around here looks a little smarter. Garbage levels reduced and smart villas around. Less rubble to trip over - now that has to please the insurance industry! 3pm and this trip from Kathmandu comes to a happy ending, the roads not nearly as bad as portrayed on British TV by the likes of Mr. Clarkson and others!

The usual mob of taxi drivers there to greet tourists as the bus rolls into a dust bowl they call a 'tourist bus park'. It could be a picket line - placards with hotel and guesthouse names plentiful. As always the trick is to quickly grab bags and walk away until the deal gets better and better. Funnily enough it's just me that walks away whilst the other Western tourists are being hounded and I suspect the deals are pretty expensive - 1 would say $8 per night is expensive.

$2 taxi ride to Lakeside and a plethora of hotels - huge, big and small! Nepali Cottage, a small family run guesthouse on an obscure rough track, $5 per night, hot water and Wifi, well, that's what they tell me anyway. Whether it all works is another matter, but for about ￡3.30 per night I can go without a few home comforts - after all I'm not there to spend any time sitting in a room!

The $8 bus to Pokhara, Nepal, January 16th, 2014

On The Road to Pokhara...

Anywhere between $8 and $18 is the price of a bus ride to Pokhara, about 6 hours west of Kathmandu. $18 gets air conditioning with lunch provided and $8 doesn't. Another option is by local bus for around $3 but that could mean riding on the roof, or at least the luggage would and that leads to potential tampering and of course theft.

An early start but thankfully the bus stand is just a 10 minute hike away. Down to the Kanti Path then while the rest of Thamel and indeed Kathmandu is only just beginning to stir at 06.30. A long line of buses on the road side, about 30 and I have to pick out Global Travels from that lot! Brainwave, start at bus number, hold up my ticket and walk on down slowly. This is the bus, I am told and with backpack safely in the stowage area just time to grab a cup of that masala tea widely drunk by locals and available on every street corner and at every bus stand!

It's pretty slow going in Kathmandu. Police seem to be everywhere, stopping vehicles, looking at papers and writing tickets, 10 minutes of going nowhere. At last, the journey begins winding away from Suburbia and into the hills. Quite a reasonable road I suppose, bumpy in places and reduced to a dirt track at times, with two way traffic coming to a halt as lorries inch past. Plenty of scenery along the way with valleys below and those white mountain peaks poking through the clouds occasionally.

The first stop and it's only 08.30, just a quick toilet stop here. A chance to grab a few photos of the surrounding hills and valleys. Oh, better take a leak since the next stop might be sometime away. I should think this place hasn't been cleaned in several years as the stench is somewhat overpowering. The concept of public toilet hygiene and cleanliness is not something the Nepalese have grasped, well, not around here anyway. Onwards to Pokhara then, 5 hours to go. At least the bus is comfy and the sun is beginning to warm things up a little.

Next stop, breakfast at 10.30 and in a town that looks pretty lively. The bus pulls alongside a restaurant, presumably with tourists in mind. Interesting to see the natives cross over to, well, let's just say a non tourist cafe. All the whites, everyone of them head into the tourist restaurant, except me! I follow the natives, taking their lead and consume a breakfast of 8 potato patties with dhal and pinut curry, easily the tastiest meal thus far, freshly cooked as I watch the process. 70p with tea, bargain.

Next stop, Lunch and another tourist cafe with a queue of buses outside and a pretty long queue inside. Once again I follow the natives, crossing the road into a small food stand and end up with a nice local, freshly cooked Nepalese lunch for just under a quid. I did check out that tourist cafe and unsurprisingly the prices were pretty steep, food produced en-mass and , well the place was just pandemonium. Next stop, Pokhara, should be there around 3pm.

On the Buses, Kathmandu, Nepal, 13th January, 2014.

On the buses.....Not for the unadventurous! 

Back on firm terrain as this 30 minute flight from Lukla comes to a stop, pleased to have survived 2 Nepalese flights now. Onto that dilapidated bus, but not to the terminal building, instead it's a shelter next to the street where those with bags can collect them from the tables and those without (like me) can continue on their merry way at 12.30pm, some 5 hours later than planned!

Well, plenty of time to spare today, so let's try and get to Thamel by local bus, and if that fails, taxis are a good back up option being quite reasonably priced, even for tourists. But before embarking on such a mission I need to eat, having missed breakfast, inpart due to anxiety about flying from the worlds most dangerous airport once again. As luck would have it here is a cafe, right next to the international terminal, a place for staff and taxi drivers to escape to I would think. A clean place, good menu and well I think it was a good curry, didn't notice as I gobbled it down rather quickly. 

Fumes, dust and rubble all in large quantities as I make tracks for the nearest bus stand where I should be able to gauge quite quickly if this mission will succeed or not! A 10 minute hike to the public road outside - under the airport arch and into mayhem, where crossing this road is decidedly dodgy, but with a degree of care and good luck, quite possible - infact the best idea is to tag behind a local who seems quite savvy in this department.

Well, this looks like a failure already, nothing in English to indicate bus route or direction, just boys yelling from the window - in Nepali of course. It's not easy trying to listen out for what might remotely sound like Thamel amongs the continual beeping of horns, but this one sounds more like Thamel than that offered so far on I jump then.

Through the Kathmandu suburbs avoiding more rubble, cyclists, taxis and vegetable carts all trying to fit onto the same narrow space. Looks like this bus is heading north, somewhere towards the monkey temple I should think. So, here I am, standing room only on an old knackered bus in Kathmandu being peered at by the natives - must be a novelty to them that a tourist should be riding their bus rather than a taxi. Finally, between the money boy and bus driver we figure out this isn't the right bus, so on some obscure street corner they kick me out, take 25 of my rupees and point over to a collection of minibuses. So, an hour an 20p down I head on to these so called micro buses.

Thamel anyone, "yes yes, come come", shouts a money boy as the minibus starts to pull away. Finally, a street I recognise, north Thamel, the route towards Monkey Temple a few days ago. Just 10 minutes and 15 rupees later back to familiar territory and the Pilgrims guesthouse.

So, maybe I took the long way round, but it only cost me 30p as opposed to ￡4 in a taxi and I got to a level of cultural immersion that was actually in the end quite a pleasant experience.

Flying Back to Kathmandu, Nepal, January 13th, 2014..

Like a ski jump...

Well, that's pretty much it with Lukla. Today is the flight back to a hectic, dusty Kathmandu, but not before a cup of mummas milk tea to warm the cockles. Another blue sky day with brilliant white snowy peaks making for another majestic scene. Somehow the little town, it's people and their lives seem insignificant in comparison, but of course that's far from the truth. On the whole I found the folks around here friendly enough, especially those connected directly with tourism, but others away from the town seemed rather shy, particularly the Sherpas. To my surprise Lukla is a well developed town with an adequate sewerage system and buildings are well constructed. It's not a hotchpotch of temporary bamboo and tarpaulin shacks one might imagine of a town in a developing nation but a peaceful, clean and a place where folk need to be resourceful - plenty of rocks, boulders and wood around.

The 5 minute hike up to the airport is hard work in the thin, cold air. Plane leaves at 7.30 and I'm on flight number 2 - that's all I know! Plenty of folk milling around - tourists mainly eager to get to Kathmandu and their intercontinental flights out. A quick check in at this most basic of terminals, freezing cold, no heating - no wonder the hot drinks counter is doing a roaring trade at 100 rupees a throw! No announcements, no screens infact nothing whatsoever to say there is fog in Kathmandu, just a rumour mill  in operation, the place has been closed for the next 2 hours apparently - more trade for the hot drinks counter!

finally at 11am a chance to defrost as passengers for our flight are lead out to the sun drenched tarmac to a waiting plane. And more waiting, infact it's going to be another 20 minutes because this crew are out of hours! Well, that's ok since I'm not in a hurry and it's another chance to grab some unique photos.

I suppose it's like a ski jump as the engines of this small Twin Otter plane are revved to maximum and the brakes released. Thankfully and with great relief the plane is airborne, climbing away out of the valley and into that clear blue sky. A good view of the snowy Himalayas too as the aircraft sets course towards Kathmandu.

Album - from Lukla with.. Himalayas, Nepal, 2014

Album - Mountains and Valleys, Lukla, Himalayas, Nepal, 12th January 2014

A look at life among the mountains and valleys...

Blue Sky and Mountains, Lukla, Nepal, 12th January 2014

Towering peaks...

Surprisingly, a good nights sleep considering that there isn't any central heating around here and the night temperature outside hovering around -17 according to the Lukla weather website anyway. An amazing scene as I draw the curtains. A bright blue sky, not a single cloud to be seen and yes, a panorama of towering snow capped mountains which are Mumma doesn't speak a great deal of English but she knows the word porridge - so porridge for breakfast it is then.

Eager to get out and photograph the mountainous scenes before those clouds reappear. So, back out into the icy cold, just as the sun rises and lights the snow topped peaks - a brilliant white set against the deep blue sky, pretty nice.

Today, a small trek to the next village along the path that leads into that week long hike to Everest. Its a reasonably good path, generally leading downwards towards the valley and getting quite warm as the sun is pretty high. It's quite tranquil, with only the sound of cow bells and squealing kids with an occasional barking dog in the distance echoing across the valley. No cars, no scooters and definitely no taxis or buses. Cows, donkeys, goats, Sherpas and villagers are the only inhabitants to occupy the pathways around here. The nearest next town is a 6 day hike with a donkey in tow, or slightly quicker without, then it's a bus ride to Kathmandu for those that don't like flying.

Taking a slow trek then to the next village observing local life along the way. Plenty of bird life up here too, but as always to quick to photograph! Better get back to Lukla and find the Tara Airlines office as I need to confirm my seat for tomorrows flight back to Kathmandu - failure to do so may mean a long, long, walk.

Album - Mountains, Lukla, Himalayas, Nepal, 2014

As the sun rises into a cloudless sky creating these majestic mountain views...

Morning tea

As the sun rises

Sun rays

Snowy

Only one way in and one way out!

This is Lukla

Album - The Views, Lukla, Himalayas, Nepal 2014

Saturday, arrival day in Lukla and sadly no panoramic views as the area is shrouded in clouds and mist.

Cute little red bird

The only heat is from this wood burner

Even the birds are cold

Mumma's Kitchen

The Views, Lukla, Himalayas, Nepal, January 11th 2014

Exploring Lukla...

Back out into the icy cold air for a look around town, well actually by British standards its more like a village, split down the middle by the airport runway. The majority of visitors to Lukla are here to begin an 11 day hike up to the Everest Base Camp but since it's not the season until March, this place is eerily quiet - am I the only tourist in town, certainly feels like it. Oh look, the clouds are starting to break allowing for some pretty nice snow capped mountain peaks to emerge - yes, camera time.

Taking 3 deep gasps for air every so often as I begin my trek, not the 11 days most folk do, but maybe a couple of hours, that'll be enough to get a flavour of this life in the mountains without exerting too much effort. Walking alongside the runway, a well constructed trail used plenty by animals judging by the amount of poop around, but at least it's frozen poop! Oh and talking of poop here come a few cows complete with cow bells. No where to go but jump up onto the stone wall and let em past - they got horns, big and sharp!

Well, at least I've made to the end of the runway without any major drama - no monkeys up here. Time to pause, reflecting on those that didn't make it safely to the runway, namely the German tourists a few years ago. And so here I am, in the Himalayas with a captivating 360 degree view - snow capped mountain tops, mountainside farms and villages, rock formations, misty valleys and frozen waterfalls. Camera time again, just take a look......

Survived the Landing, Lukla, Himalayas, Nepal, 11th January 2014

Freezing cold and a room for less than a quid....

Having survived the landing on this mountainside airstrip (Youtube Lukla airport for those that sadly didn't) everyone is quickly ushered towards the exit gate and, well, that's it - no terminal building to go through, just a small hut for those with bags to collect and it's uphill towards a German bakery and Lukla town. Time for a few photos of other planes coming and going, quite a busy scene at this airport with room for only 4 planes at once!

Its pretty cold up here in the Himalayas, about -3 at mid-morning with those clouds getting ever closer to the town and of course the airport, got here just in time looks like. Next I need to find somewhere to stay and looking around here that shouldn't be a problem as every other building I look at advertises lodgings. A trail of people heading up past the runway, guess I should follow since they'r heading towards the main concentration of dwellings, the main part of town I should think. Icy cold and I'm quickly out of breath and actually starting to feel unwell as those stone steps are quite an effort. I read about how altitude can effect some people with symptoms of nausea and headache so at around 10,000 feet I should imagine that's what I have - altitude sickness, not a big deal, just annoying.

Kumnjung Lodge is on the left here, a nice looking place of wood construction, i'd better enquire here before I freeze to death. Gingerly walking in, it's all very quiet but eventually I find the occupants huddled around a wood burning stove. The girl is exquisitely polite and speaks perfect English - just as well since the lodge owner speaks none. "how much for a single room for to nights", I ask expecting rates to be hiked to tourist levels.  100 rupees, that's less than a quid in British terms but the catch is I have to eat there with food upto three times the price of a Kathmandu equivalent! Looks a decent enough room, and I can have an extra blanket. Deal done its quickly back to the wood burner for some defrosting and a nice cup of milk tea.

Album - Landing at Lukla, Nepal, 2014

Climbing away from Kathmandu and up to the Himalayan town of Lukla.