Nepal 2000: Kathmandu to Pokhara

Leaving Kathmandu at dawn

This chapter follows my 2000 trip to Pokhara on the way back to Varanasi, so it provides a nice complement to the 1976 trek which begins from Pokhara and heads towards Hinko Cave just below Annapurna Base Camp and shows a second view of the pass up to Kathmandu valley complementing our 2006 journey from Varanasi to Kathmandu.

Mountains over the deep pass out of Kathmandu valley

The road leads up an incline out of the valley to the edge of a precipitous pass winding down to a river gorge.

The road passes through a string of small roadside towns.

Scenes by the road, a person carrying fodder leaves
and lower right a group of people crossing the river on a flying fox (inset).

Another small town the bus passed through

The road continues to follow the river gorge west before crossing at a bridge and swinging to the north-west to head for Pokhara

A slender suspension foot bridge

Fodder: People carrying leaves for cattle and traditional haystacks

The bus stopped here for the men to have a piss

The Annapurna complex on the way into Pokhara

Pokhara town

Tibetan refugees selling goods in the street

I spent the afternoon in Pokhara town before staying in a hotel the night waiting for an early bus leaving well before dawn to head down to the Indian border.

Pokhara lake

The roof of the hotel had great views of the mountains around Annapurna, which figure in the 1976, trek in the glow of sunset.

Views of the mountains at sunset from the hotel

Annapurna

Machupuchare the fish tail from sideways on