Having a relaxing day in Pokhara, much a touristy spot, many Westerners and Europeans here. I got up late because I was drinking substantial amounts of whiskey engaging in cultural exchange with the crew last night after dinner; a nice time. Finally now out having coffee at a terrace café overlooking the lake and saw so many paragliders coming off the mountain beyond the lake. So spur of the moment, I decided to go do that even though it’s hazy and it won’t be all that fantastically clear, it’s still something I have never done before so for less than $100 I’ll be paragliding in about one hour from a mountain overlooking Pokhara starting at 4600′ back down to town.

It was fantastic!!! After a harrowing jeep ride up this mountain, we ended up close to 5000 feet above the town. After a brief briefing, I rode with Sebastian, a Swiss guy who comes here every season just to do the paragliding rides for tourists to make money. Apparently he makes pretty good money at it! Here are a couple videos I posted on YouTube; turn down your volume first!

After, back out to the street and had a very tasty fresh mix fruit drink. Extremely delicious!

Flavia and Ox and maybe some of his friends are going out to dinner for local food, but I’m thinking I can have one more night of Western food here, and I know it seems so strange in a sense, but the comfort and familiarity of western food and the predictable digestibility quotient seems still appealing to me since I know once we leave here, that won’t be an option again until we get back to Kathmandu. Lookin for momos and a plate of pasta!

Early up 5am for flight to Jomsom tomorrow, so horizontal early tonight. Enjoyed Pokhara…

The blurb:

Wed 17 th April: Pokhara

We have a break from our bikes today in order to spend more time discovering Pokhara and its environs. If Kathmandu is the cultural hub of Nepal, Pokhara is its adventure centre. There is the opportunity to sample some of the activities on offer in this spectacular setting (for an extra charge). They include: trekking, rafting, kayaking, canyoning, paragliding, horse riding and jungle safaris. Pokhara is also a place of remarkable natural beauty. The serenity of Phewa Lake and the magnificence of the fish-tailed summit of Machhapuchhre rising behind it create an ambience of peace and tranquility. You may decide to simply relax by the lake enjoying the temperate, sub-tropical climate. Alternatively you may choose to discover what the town has to offer – Pokhara bazaar, Devi’s Falls, World Peace Pagoda and Seti Gorge. This evening we hear more about the final 3 days of cycling from the local team.