Pokhara

I'm in Pokhara now, the other main tourist hub in Nepal. I'm in the tourist area, called Lakeside, and I like it so much more than Kathmandu. It's a lot more relaxed and the setting is beautiful. Just outside my room there's a rooftop patio from which I have a great view of the Annapurna Massif. The massif is a wall of peaks, including some of the most famous mountains in the world.



On the right is Machhaphuchhare (6,993 meters), the famous "fish tail mountain". The mountain is sacred to the Hindus and thus climbing it is forbidden. Now I can say I've seen Machhaphuchhare and Machu Picchu, although I can't say it quickly!

There are five peaks named Annapurna. On the left is Annapurna South. In the center is Sarangkot, the hill from which the paragliders take off.

The Massif is so, well, massive, that no matter where you look here you see the mountains. This is main street in Lakeside with Machhaphuchhare looming over.




I went up to watch the sunrise from the Pagoda. It was a little cloudy, so the views were a bit disappointing. Here's a view of Pokhara, the lake and the massif in the early morning light.



I went back up again with two girls I met rafting, Israeli sisters named Michal (left) and Ricky (right). I think the view was better the second time...



And this is the stupa itself.



The helipad cracks me up. This is a Buddhist monument, after all. The First Noble Truth of Buddhism usually is translated "life is suffering". But I guess that doesn't mean that if you're a rich tourist that you should have to "suffer" to walk or take a taxi to the top.