[caption id=“attachment_4474” align=“aligncenter” width=“550”] Bye bye, laid back Pokhara, you lulled me in![/caption] [caption id=“attachment_4475” align=“aligncenter” width=“550”] Tourist bus station at 7:00[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_4476” align=“aligncenter” width=“550”] Along roaring rivers[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_4477” align=“aligncenter” width=“550”] Climbing up stunning mountain roads[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_4478” align=“aligncenter” width=“550”] Changing transport by the side of the road in Kathmandu[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_4479” align=“aligncenter” width=“550”] Hello Bhaktapur[/caption]

Finding a good place to eat in developing countries can pose a bit of a challenge. Tracking down eateries that serve yummy food is obviously important, but actually poses less of a problem. Simply because if the food at a place is not to your liking, you can just write off the dollar and try your luck again next door. Slightly more crucial is the matter of food safety. No use in slurping down the best-tasting Laksa in town, if it sends you to the loo for the next three days straight (I miss you, KL).

It’s 20°C outside. Had a wee bit of a hail storm just now. Anybody drinking their scotch on the rocks?

It’s safe to say that my current lifestyle isn’t the most stressful. Just to clarify: I do work and it’s usually five days a week. I just don’t work too much. Pokhara lends itself to a more relaxed attitude. Traffic on the main road is never dense and pedestrians’ walking speed by the lake is seldom more than a stroll. They serve some really nice coffee here and usually I go for that in the morning.

Right then, tomorrow is the big day (play the intro of Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger here). Heading out on the longest trek of my life. Considering that the two days back in Laos were the longest so far, it’s quite an increment. That being said, the treks around here have a reputation for being rather feasible, given a decent physical shape. Nothing for your average 400 pound US-American though.

Tourism in Pokhara and Nepal in general was badly hit by the aftermath of the 2015 earthquake and the following Indian border closure that resulted in a severe lack of gas, petrol and many other things needed during winter time. These days, parts of the main tourist area in Pokhara look like a ghost town. Restaurants able to seat a hundred guests are empty all day round and bars blast their music at a handful of patrons or none at all.

To get from Kathmandu to Pokhara, the adventurous traveller has several options. A short hop on a domestic airline is the fastest and most expensive. Given that this country had two plane crashes in the short time that I’ve been here, it’s not an option I’d seriously consider. Which leaves road transportation (or walking). There aren’t many things I dread as much as bus journeys in Asia. It’s not that I’m overly concerned about safety, it’s just that I’m way too tall for… well any kind of vehicle around here.