Afternoon on the Lake
Lake Phewa Tal
Peace Pagoda overlooking Pokhara
Machhapuchhare (Fishtail mountain)
All 15 of us packed up our bags after saying goodbye to the nursing community and we hopped on our 20 passenger van to Pokhara. The next 6 hours consisted of non-stop winding roads, hot breezes, and a few stops at the squatty potty. However, armed with our Dramamine, we all successfully made it to our destination
Pokhara, a touristy town at the foothills of the Himilayas, was our location to unwind and reflect on the 2 weeks we spent in the hospital. Our fearless leaders told us to find some fun and relaxing activities to do in this hopping city. Prior to coming to Pokhara, our only choice each day was deciding whether to eat fried rice, mo-mos, or chowmein. So, you can imagine that we were incredibly overwhelmed with the plethora of options we had.
Day 1: So, of course, all 10 women decided to go paragliding on our first day there! What an experience we all had! The two men spent this time paddling around Lake Phewa Tal and hiking up to the Peace Pagoda, a Buddhist monument overlooking Pokhara. In between these activities we ate Western food and experienced 23% tax on food, we bartered at local shops, bought gifts for our loved ones (just you wait!) and we walked along the lake.
Day 2: Brenda and Jody woke up at the ungodly hour of 4:30 am to see Fishtail Mountain, a part of the Himalayas. We were all a little disappointed because during monsoon seaon, which starts in May, it is very difficult to see the Himalayas due to the cloud cover. But, we were happy to allow Jody the excitement of sharing the picture with us all. For the rest of us, this day was a little different in the sense that we spent some time reflecting and journaling in coffee shops, we did some more walking around town, about 6 of us women rented a paddle boat and roamed the lake, and of course, we ate more delicious food and shopped. We ended the day with group devotions and dinner at Planet Purple that included the game Up Jenkins.
I think it’s safe to say that we are all looking forward to returning to our families and friends in the US. We did make it safely to Kathmandu today, and will be spending our last 2 days here catching up on sleep, doing our last bit of exploring, and trying to figure out how to stuff all of our souvenirs into our teeny suitcases.
See you all soon,
Cassie and Annika
