A 7am bus ride from Kathmandu to Pokhara proved to be rather interesting. We wondered how many more passengers, goats, and luggage could fit on top of the buses and vans, as well as how some vehicles could possibly pass  as street-legal.

 

Traffic was halted in the city due to a calf, just wandering around, rubbing her face on concrete dividers, completely oblivious to the chaos.

The drive was scenic and beautiful, but we will not take the bus again.  It took about 9 hours, with lots of stop-and-go traffic along the way, down winding mountain roads and pothole filled streets.

Pokhara

Pokhara is a cute little city, much quieter than Kathmandu and with better air quality. There is a idyllic lake very close to our hotel, nestled by the mountains on one side. The mountains here are very lush and very steep, somewhat like Hawaii but with a more Asian feel to them. The people here are so wonderful.  The women dress in the most beautiful colors, its a pleasure to watch them.  Kids at play are peaceful to watch.  This seems to be a very happy place. We start out trek up into the Himalaya tomorrow.  Not sure what to expect, but I know it will be great.