7.11.09 ( Saturday and we are out of the mountains and are born-again citizens )

Rest day, not going anywhere

Out of the mountains; last day together; as born-again citizens, girls go paragliding and men go cycling

I would regard today as the last day of our Annapurna Circuit trek. Early tomorrow Kelly, Shoo Chan and Jamie will leave for Kathmandu and then fly home while the four old men Mee Poon, Gan Che, Old Lee and me will leave for another destination Lumbini Valley the birth place of Buddha.

We old men did not fancy paragliding. I haven’t done it before and I don’t think I would want to glide high up in the air. The very thought of being suspended in the air makes me dizzy and sick.

All three girls went for it. They were driven to a nearby mountain place where the launching station was.

We men decided to visit the Old Bazaar of Phokara. We were told old buildings there were unique in architecture. A bazaar is always the cultural center for any community. It is a place where farmers sell their farm products, smiths sell their wares, butchers sell their meats and where one can have his broken utensils repaired, his broken shoes mended and where one can buy medicines, trinkets, old books, etc. If you are lucky there you may see some street performances for free and you can hear dialects spoken freely. One thing for sure you can buy your things there at fair local prices.

We rented four bicycles and went on our way to find the Old Bazaar. It is longer a market place now. But the buildings remain intact. They are made of reddish clay with black window frames crafted with elaborate and exquisite figures and designs.

Old bazaar

We saw a number of temples built in the middle of the streets at the Old Bazaar. I still find it odd that places of worship are built to obstruct traffic. But in Nepal there are many such shrines and temples.

Shrine in middle of road

In the afternoon we met up with the girls again. Kelly enjoyed paragliding absolutely. Shoo Chan vomited soon after landing and Jamie felt giddy for quite some time. I felt so glad that I didn’t join them.

Later we went by boat to an island in the middle of Phewa Tal. From there we could see the Annapurna Himal mountains clad in snow. Well, we are the great guys who have gone around those mountains on foot. And tomorrow we will say adieu to the Abode of Snow!

Annapurnas as seen from Lake Phewa

We took the last look at the majestic Annapurna mountains, from a boat on the ripples of Phewa Tal.

[After Pokhara we went to Sthe Lumbini Valley where many grand temples and monasteries are built or under construction, mostly by devotees of Buddhism from abroad. Today in the birth place of Buddha 70% of its population are Muslims and the remainder are mostly Hindus. Don’t ask me where the Buddhists have gone, for Time has changed the course of things according to its own whims and fancies.

We spent the next two days in Chitwan National Park for limited safari activities. This is an UN-recognized world heritage site. I only remember one thing: riding on a big elephant, I saw a small rhino, female one. Of course I could not tell. I was told about that.

We spent the last two days in Nepal in Kathmandu, shopping for souvenirs and visiting some interesting sites including Durbar Square, the old palace ground.]

The END.