A Slow and Easy Ride to Pokhara

Misty morning leaving Lumbini

After four nights in Lumbini, we felt ready to move on. I was, however, feeling a bit uneasy about riding. Even though traffic lightened and the level of politeness increased once we crossed into Nepal, the thought of getting back out there in the scrum made me nervous. Colin assured me that if it was too much, we would stop part way to Pokhara. Knowing that made me feel a little better, so the next morning we rose early, loaded the bikes, and were on the road by 8:00 am in the cool, misty air. The traffic was very light, and the road was mostly smooth.

The view on the Siddhartha Highway

As the morning wore on, the sun broke through the mist and it actually got warm! The road we took to Pokhara is the Siddhartha Highway, which follows a river gorge for a while, winds up and around the mountains, and is just a beautiful stretch to ride. We stopped several times just to admire the scenery. As we rode, I actually smiled and felt myself becoming more and more at ease. We made it to Pokhara by around 3:00 pm and easily found the guesthouse where we had booked a room. We got ourselves checked in, unloaded the bikes, and then sat on the rooftop patio absorbing the sun and the scenery while we figured out where to go for dinner. Both of us have been longing for some meat after so many vegetarian meals in India, and Pokhara is supposed to have some excellent food options including meaty ones. So we found a steakhouse for dinner and enjoyed some two-inch thick slabs of medium rare, real, grilled beef. Our appetites waned with our maladies, but they returned with a vengeance tonight!

Fewa Lake at Pokhara

Pokhara is the second largest city in Nepal after Kathmandu. It's farther west that Kathmandu and is at a lower elevation. It sits on a gorgeous lake, Fewa Tal, and has the Himalayas as a backdrop. The area is stunningly beautiful! The weather is temperate in the winter (right now, it's about 70 degrees and sunny, and at night it drops into maybe the 40s). The sky is clear, the air is fresh, and the general atmosphere of the town is laid back. We decided to stay for a while. Our guesthouse is great- the room is comfortable, the shower very hot, the proprietor and his family are extremely warm and welcoming, and they have a great dog named, Munu. The “heavy breakfast” they serve is delicious, and the view from the rooftop is spectacular. I can see the wheels coming off here big time.