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The trail from Ghasa to Tatopani involved lots of climbing over steep rocky slopes and over landslides, as the route changed frequently due to construction of a new road nearby. It was a relief to arrive at the lovely little town of Tatopani. There are two hot springs pools here, which sound luxurious, but looked slightly feral, so we didn’t go in - plus it was so awfully hot when we got there anyway. It was strange to be surrounded by the lush tropical vegetation again - bright pink bouganvillae everywhere, banana trees etc. We stayed in a little garden bungalow with our own bathroom, and it seemed very luxurious indeed.

The next day we headed to Pokhara, which involved an easy two hour trek, followed by a harrowing series of taxi and bus rides for four and a half hours. I am not sure how vehicles make it over what passes for a “road” here (which is basically an uneven gravel road riddled with large rocks, potholes and frequently flooded right over, shared with trains of donkeys and lots and lots of pedestrians… all of this running along a steep cliff next to a precipituous drop into a large rushing river!!) If the roads were not roadworthy, the “taxis” definitely shouldn’t be allowed to run at all. We travelled in ancient Toyota Corollas older than ourselves, I am sure, with broken tail lights, broken mirrors, doors that wouldn’t shut properly (Our guide had the most annoying habit of opening and closing his door throughout the trip, and complaining repeatedly to the taxi driver that it didnt’ work) and a wheezy old engine that barely made it up the steeper slopes. We finally made it onto bitumen after about two and a half hours. Somehow we got to Pokhara in one piece, though I had reservations throughout the trip, especially when we flew through flooded roads as though we were in 4WDs instead of worn-out Toyota Corollas!

Our trusty Toyota Corolla, modified for Nepali “roads”

Pokhara used to be a sleepy little town on the hippie trail back in the 60s and 70s but now is a tourist extravaganza with more bars than you can poke a stick at, souvenirs galore, etc. It does have a large lake in the middle of town where you can see the surrounding mountain ranges on a clear day, but it is rarely a clear day here and we could not see anything when we were there. Being in a tourist town has its advantages and disadvantages. It’s very annoying to hear shopkeepers constantly calling out “Yes, please” and “Maybe bicycle?” and “Come in and look, please” or my favourite - Tibetan ladies gesticulating wildly and yelling “Hello! Hello maam!! Hello!” On the other hand, it was pleasant to enjoy the trappings of civilisation, like having a proper coffee instead of Nescafe, sitting by the lake and reading, browsing the numerous bookshops, and indulging in some home made cocktails with local gin and tonic.