We woke up at the Yak and Yeti in Kathmandu excited to move on to Pokhara and start our trek. After a breakfast buffet and some final packing, we were picked up for the airport. I was a bit nervous about the small plane we would fly into the mountains, but the Yeti Airlines flight was smooth and the view of the mountains breathtaking. While planning our trip, we had briefly debated taking the overland trip from Kathmandu to Pokhara versus flying, but our travel agency discouraged this because the trip by van could take eight or nine hours. Passing by the mountains as we flew, I could understand why! The 25-minute flight was definitely worth it.
We checked into the picturesque and welcoming Fishtail Lodge, a short distance by hand-pulled ferry into the lake surrounding Pokhara. After checking into our room, gaping at the view of the mountains from our balcony, and a quick lunch, we headed into town. A rowboat ride on Lake Phewa was the big event for the day. Ang Dawa, our guide, pointed out all the surrounding mountains and their altitudes. We are surrounded by peaks of 8,000+ meters! We rowed around Pokhara, passing a Hindu temple on an island in the lake on the way, then started our journey back to the hotel on foot. We are lucky enough to be in town during a giant six-day festival, and townsfolk and visitors alike were out in force, celebrating in the street. Brendan tried his hand at a game of skill, we watched several dance performances, and I picked up a replacement head lamp in a hiking gear store. Now it’s time for tea by the fire pit at our hotel and an easy dinner here before heading into the mountains for real tomorrow morning.
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