See the spectacular sunrise over the highest peaks in the world in Pokhara, Nepal 10/2023 (Stop 16)

26th October – 1 November 2023 Pokhara, Nepal

It was hard to emerge from Varanasi after the incense, the orange robes, tilak, rituals, and the drumbeats. That is a fitting clomax to my discovery of India, though barely scratching the surface.

From Varanasi (25th) I took a train to Gorakhpur where the train line ended. The train was delayed for several hours and arrived about midnight in Gorakhpur. I stayed a night (26th) there. The next morning, I took another bus to the border town of Sonauli (27th). Quite a slog.

This is a most unusual border crossing. No gates or fences separated the 2 countries. I walked right through the virtual border crossing to the Nepal immigration office to ask for visa-on-arrival, only to be told to go back to India to first obtain the exit stamp. So a rickshaw pedaled me back to India. I thought only the US southern border was porous, but this border was wide open.

The wide-open border crossing at Sonauli, from India into Nepal

The next morning, I was lucky to find a jeep to go to Pokhara. After the initial hour of a paved and straight road, it started climbing the mountains. It became bumpy and winding. The air was cool and fresh, though sometimes dusty. We would stare down at deep valleys, with no guard rails. But the views were spellbinding. In the wide valleys, the rice turned to gold in the field, nourished by the moisture the mountains plucked from the sky above them. Rivers of mountain water rushed through the valleys, forming little rapids. Farmers were in the field, reaping the fruit of their labor. For 5 hours, the jeep puffed and huffed through winding mountains.

This is a mountainous realm. These mountains were inhabited. The Nepalese are mountain people. This is the land of the Himalayas. What an introduction to Nepal!

The Pokhara Lakeside area is located along the shore of Phewa Lake and is where tourists congregate. Here shops, restaurants, and guesthouses were plentiful, around the lake and on the hills. Mansions of 3-4 stories high, often with a rooftop terrace, converted to guesthouses, providing visitors ample options. Visitors were also spoilt for food choices, both local and international. Surprisingly there were numerous European-styled dessert shops, absolutely crucial to keep Western visitors on a sugar high. Western cafes and bars with live music also crowded around the lake. Compared to the crowded streets of India, the streets smelt and looked unusually clean.

This is a quirky town. It has attracted serious hikers as well as those who seek reclusive and carefree experiences. Young westerners walked around with bare feet, their hair parched brown and unkempt, their bodies tattooed, and rings hung where they could be noticed. They dressed like hippies. I am not like them; I wish I were. I love it here.

Pokhara Lakeside of pubs, restaurants, shops, walking path, socializing in the evening — Pokhara Lakeside boating activities

This is the heart of the Himalayas. The long mountain range towered above all else, like a silver lining, visible from various high points in the city, especially on a clear day in the early morning. Numerous travel agencies offer trekking for 3 to 14 days and longer. Many came to challenge the mountains and themselves. They have a point to prove, but I did not. So I took the day climb to the World Peace Pagoda above one of the mountains in the city center. It was a 40-minute walk from the foothill up an asphalted and steep winding road. Each bend offered an elevated view of the city of Pokhara, dotting and populating the valleys. The air was cool and got cooler. At the top stood the enormous World Peace Pagoda and a 360-degree view of the city below.

It was adventure, but in comfort. Nice！

View of Pokhara from near the World Peace Pagoda on Anadu Hill — World Peace Pagoda

On the second day in Pokhara, I was determined to reach new heights. So I aimed for Sarangkot, at the top of another mountain overlooking Pokhara.

I started at 11 a.m. from Lakeside. A lot of heavy walking up steep slopes, through mostly curvy paved roads, but also narrow dirt paths and stone steps. Houses have taken root on the mountain. So it never felt like a hike in the jungle. Gradually, the houses below dwindled in size, the air got cooler, and mountain peaks came into view. The hard work paid off. At the top, at Sarangkot, the Himalayas appeared majestic and snow-white. Some peaks were visible, though much of their tops were pretty much obscured by thick white clouds and fog. I was still awestruck, speechless, seeing the row of mountains, all competing to be the tallest and all reaching for the heavens.

It was already dark when I arrived back at the foothill. It had been a very long day, but I felt invigorated.

I wanted to see the Himalayas more clearly. The next morning, I woke at 5 a.m. and took the cable car up to Sarangkot again. The sun rose, scattering orange across the sky. This was a spectacular sunrise I had not seen before. The sun brought to light the peaks of the Himalayas, now no longer hiding shyly behind those clouds. The peaks paraded, and a spectacular display of some of the world’s highest peaks, far above the green mountains. One of those rare magical moments in life.

I walked back to Lakeside in the city and sat down for a vegan breakfast. It was packed with so much goodness that I felt I could do Everest.