pokhara

Birethanthi to Pokhara

Thursday 18th April

Day 18

We would like to have chilled out for a couple of days at the Lakshmi Lodge. We had a chat with our Gurkha host after breakfast, as we were admiring a memorial in his garden. He told us he had been very close to his C.O. in the army, and when he retired had stayed in touch and become a family friend. The memorial was to his C.O.’s son who had been killed in a plane crash on his way to visit the lodge. He was still quite emotional about it and pointed out some photographs of the young man on the walls of his dining room.

Lakshmi Lodge was outside Birethanthi and after saying our reluctant goodbyes we walked up the steep hill to the town. As we entered the main street we saw a lorry driving towards us, our first motor vehicle for eighteen days and we hadn’t missed them a bit. We continued out of the town and up another hill to the main road to Pokhara, where our bus should have been waiting. It wasn’t, so Pasang went up to a row of taxis where I imagine there was some hard bargaining, and a couple of ancient Toyotas trundled to where we were patiently waiting.

It was now time to say goodbye to our porters, they were nice people and we would miss them. Pasang, Sukman and the two Sherpas, Mila and Oobay were travelling with us to Pokhara, and as we drove away our porters lined up and waved a last farewell. I got in with David, Dianne and Roger and off we drove to Pokhara, and how strange it seemed to be hurtling along in a vehicle after our quiet existence. Our taxi was a 25 year old Toyota which our driver told us was a “good ox,” and for no apparent reason it seemed he was determined to get past the taxi containing Carole, Sue and Clive. It was a good nerve racking race with lots of overtaking on blind bends and honking in the best Nepali tradition but came to an end when both drivers realised they didn’t know where we were staying in Pokhara. Eventually the taxi carrying Pasang appeared and we set off again for the Fairmount Hotel, where we were booked for the night.

After unpacking and washing we all set off for the Lake where Pasang wanted us to have lunch at the Boomerang Restaurant. The tables were placed in the ground of the Boomerang all the way down to the lake. We found a good table and ate lunch, and were surprised to see our Aussie friends who we hadn’t seen since Manang, at a nearby table and Nick went over to chat with them. The rest of us just shouted across and waved, we couldn’t be bothered to move. In fact I did move…. into a hammock where I swung gently, drinking ice cold beer and watching the egrets diving into the lake. A perfect end to our trek.

The next day we flew back through the Himalayas to Kathmandu in a small turbo-prop run by Buddha Air, although our sherpas had to travel by bus. We arranged to meet them at Kilroys Restaurant in Thamel the next night, and treated them to a slap up meal. Then at the end of that night, it was time to say our farewells to these nice friendly people, an emotional moment and there were many tears shed by the girls.

So our trek was finally at an end, and we were sorry. There had been moments when I wished I was elsewhere but on the whole I had enjoyed myself very much, in spite of my grotesque appearance after the pass! I was 55 years old when I trekked the Annapurna Circuit and I do hope I will be able to return to Nepal at least a couple of times more, once to walk to the Everest Base Camp and Khumbu and once to trek the marvellous Annapurna Circuit….. again!


Our rooms at Lakshmi Lodge -Photo Clive	Lorry, Birethanthi	Lake at Pokhara -Photo Clive	Buddha Air