Pokhara

Last week, during the Tihar Festival (also known as the Festival of Lights), Amos and I and Ben headed to Pokhara for some quiet, fresh air. Pokhara is a very winding, scenic 7-hour bus ride from Kathmandu. It is located in a valley surrounded by hill after hill and by the Annapurna Mountain range. The elevation is a bit lower than Kathmandu's, and the weather was a bit warmer...just wonderful!

Our 5-day stay included hiking to the magnificent Peace Pagoda, viewing the Annapurnas at sunrise atop Sarangkot (a perfect high point for seeing the mountains in all their glory), boating across the serene Phewa Lake, eating at lovely little restaurants with beautiful gardens, watching the festive dancing in celebration of Tihar, visiting a Tibetan village, seeing Devi's Falls, browsing the many craft shops, and simply resting in the peace of this little town.

Here are some of our pictures...


The Peace Pagoda


the mountains' reflection in the Phewa Lake


row, row, row, your boat!





some traditional dancing...


sunrise from Sarangkot


atop Sarangkot


a section of the Annapurna Range


the hike down from Sarangkot


the hills are alive with the sound of "moooosic"