Pokhara - Family Trek in Nepal

Pokhara - Family Trek in Nepal - Daily Dispatches

everest base camp trekking

Barahi Temple

6th Dec, 2011 - Pokhara

Woke up to a cool and cloudy day. We rented a dooga (rowboat) and headed out across Phewa Tal. After several steering issues with the crew of Dooga 2 (names are withheld), we docked on the far side of the lake. Walking uphill through lush, verdant vegetation (quite a contrast to prior windswept, dusty and rocky) we hiked up to the World Peace Pagoda. The pagoda is enormous and built by Buddhist monks from Japan to promote world peace. At the onsite stupa, a Japanease monk was enduring day six of his self-enforced fast to achieve further enlightenment. The monk gave the kids each a candy. Jesse skipped out excited about her “blessed candy” and quickly established that it doesn’t really count as dessert because it is a blessed sweet.

Returning to our doogas, Dooga 1 proceeded to Varahi Mandir, a pagoda-style temple on a small island in the middle of the lake. Dooga 2 proceeded to execute several complete circles before joining us on the island (crew names remain confidential). The Varahi Mandir is the equivalent of the Hindu Las Vegas. Couples, whose parents are not supportive of an engagement, can elope to this special place. Once getting blessed by the holy man and receiving marriage tikas, the happy couple can then returns to the mainland and announce their happy news to their likely less-than-happy parents. We made friends with some school children on their school trip and introduced the concept of “crazy picture”. We do try to be unforgettable!