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Hiking from Pokhara to Sarangkot
Hiking from Pokhara to Sarangkot

Hiking Route: Outskirts of Sarangkot Hills Date: May 31, 2009 Sunday Duration: 4 hours Distance: 5 km Hike Coordinator: Siris Bajracharya Participants: Sanjeet Baidya, Saroj Dahal, Dijup Tuladhar, Kapil Pandey, Niraj Shah, Siris Bajracharya, Dipesh Nepal, Subodh Gurung (guest hiker), Swechha (guest hiker), Kumar Pradhanang (guest hiker) Photos: Siris Bajracharya and Saroj Dahal Caption: Niraj Shah and Siris Bajracharya Report By: Saroj Dahal Geolocation: Sarangkot (Coordinates: 28°13'44"N 83°58'18"E)
It was already 6:30AM but I couldn't find anybody around, we were already half an hour late and had to go 200km away from Kathmandu. So I decided to have a cup of tea which I couldn’t because SirisB called me up at around 6:45AM it turned out that he, NirajS and SanjeetV were already there and it was me who was missing.They were already doing the pre-hiking chores collecting water, cameras etc. SirisB was grim faced seeing the number of absentees 30+ mails , 16 selected and only 10 present of them were present. Of course DijjupT and KapilP were to be picked up en-route and DipeshN was already in the Pokhara. Looking at the empty seats and with heavy hearts that didn't get the opportunity we started the ride at around 7:00 AM. Twisting and turning through the curves of Naagdhunga we reached Naubise at around 9:00AM and decided to have some breakfast at a Banepali hotel, which happened to be the regular stop of D2 hikers. After a quick breakfast comprising of boiled eggs, fried Chick peas and some mutton curry, for which the place was well known, we moved along the Tribhuvan Highway considering the famous stop of lunch, Mugling as the next one for us as well but the intention was to get a couple of new audio CDs for the stereo not the lunch. CDs were yet to come as was Mugling but who was going to stop the singers KapilP and NirajS. They started with old Nepali film songs and soon the van was booming with old songs as everybody started to follow the leaders. We reached Mugling at around 10:15 and KapilP was ready brandishing for a photo shoot along with a CD. We resumed our drive to Pokhara and the next stop was the ultimate for the day, Pokhara. Finally we reached Pokhara at around 12:00 PM and picked up DiepshN from Hotel Blue Heaven. He was there a day before. I have never been to Pokhara, had only heard the never ending description of the heavenly valley from others but now I could actually experience it and that was very much enthralling to me. I was looking through the van's window, trying to capture as much as I could of the valley. Unlike Kathmandu there were wide roads, low traffic, clean air, serene hills and of course not to forget the mountains atop those green hills but bad timing- the monsoon cloud kept them hidden from us. The lakes such as Phewa, Rupa and Begnas the climate of the valley was very humid and hotter than that of Kathmandu, so everybody was craving to take a dip into a swimming pool, but we hadn't had our lunch yet. So after checking into the hotel we went to one of Thakali restaurants for lunch. Finally after lunch, we went for swimming to beat the heat. The swimming session lasted for 2hrs and then at around 4 we left the room for boating on the Phewa. We had just started paddling and it started to drizzle and it took no time for that drizzle to downpour given the fact that Pokhara is one of the places in Nepal where it rains the most. So we abandoned boating until the next day and decided to go for a meal. The rain subsided when we stopped at Maya for meal, we were in the middle of the meal when we spotted two familiar faces walking down the road, SubodhG and SwechhaG, who happened to be there with their kins for the weekend. They were taken aback to see us there and we were glad to have somebody close to us in that distant place. The day then ended with the evening stroll on the lakeside and around Phewa. And guess what ??? we found another D2ian while strolling, it was KumarP who was also in Pokhara for the weekend.

Sometime we might feel to say “Black Magic Women”.

Next morning I heard a knock on the door it was SirisB waking us up to get ready for the hike. The morning was ideal for hike- soft drizzle and mild breeze and no scorching sun, perfect!!!! We checked out of the hotel and set off for Sarangkot. The hike began at around 9:00 AM and after half an hour of walk we realized that we could not go further with empty stomachs, so we decided to stop for breakfast. The drizzle combined with the wind was chilling to some extent and poor DipeshN and NirajS who were there without a jacket were then blessed with new hand woven shawls (Not for free though) by the restaurant owner who weaved shawls in her free time. DipeshN liked the shawl so much that he decided to buy one. After breakfast we continued our hike to the tower atop Sarangkot hill. The uphill hike and the complete view of Pokhara valley on the left and raging and winding Seti on the foothills of green hills to the right were mesmerizing. If only the sky hadbeen clear we would have seen mountain ranges on the right. But poor us the mountain range was still hiding behind the curtain of the monsoon cloud. After almost 2 hours of uphill climb we reached the tower. The down hill journey was a nondescript one nothing eventful except that SanjeetV bought a shawl from the place where we stopped. We were back to the lakeside at 2:00 PM and decided to paddle a boat for about an hour. Paddling in the lake was full of fun- with us taking the paddle and direction-handle, we started navigating wherever we wanted, at whatever speed we desired and again stopping for some time to let the wind guide the boat and feel the ambience of the silence. The deep blue water of the lake, the surrounding green hills and the dead silence of the lake except for the splashing sound made by the paddle was keeping everybody at ease. All of the hikers seemed to be mentally relaxed after the toiling uphill hike. Lunch at Marpha Thakali restaurant followed the boating. After the quick shopping to reminisce the eventful journey to Pokhara and hike to Sarangkot we set out for Kathmandu at around 4:00PM.
Naturally Nepal
01 Naturally Nepal
Lake side
02 Lake side
Distant view
03 Distant view
Look at those layers of hills
04 Look at those layers of hills
The valley, the mountains, the horizon
05 The valley, the mountains, the horizon
Distant view from the top
06 Distant view from the top
Colors
07 Colors
Wood Decoration
08 Wood Decoration
Naag Raj @ alert
09 Naag Raj @ alert
Attractions of Pokhara
10 Attractions of Pokhara
Paddle boats
11 Paddle boats
Boats waiting for a ride-on
12 Boats waiting for a ride-on
Killer smile
13 Killer smile
Baby Raft
14 Baby Raft
Brothers..!
15 Brothers..!
Dijup - Oh no still to climb...!
16 Dijup - Oh no still to climb...!
Dijup trying to catch up
17 Dijup trying to catch up
Hello hello this is me ...Sanjeet. How are you SR..
18 Hello hello this is me ...Sanjeet. How are you SR..
How much for this cloth
19 How much for this cloth
I have to climb all the way up to the tower..!
20 I have to climb all the way up to the tower..!
Imagining Sanjeet after 40 years
21 Imagining Sanjeet after 40 years
Is that Rajesh Hamal wearing the hat !
22 Is that Rajesh Hamal wearing the hat !
Phew ! That was a long way...
23 Phew ! That was a long way...
Plan for a huge temple in future
24 Plan for a huge temple in future
Read it
25 Read it
Read this - Part II
26 Read this - Part II
Thakur and Gabbar Singh --Yeah hath mujhe de de Thakur
27 Thakur and Gabbar Singh --Yeah hath mujhe de de Thakur
Way to the view point
28 Way to the view point
Way up the hill
29 Way up the hill
We are almost there
30 We are almost there
We have to climb that!!
31 We have to climb that!!
We are getting closer to the hill
32 We are getting closer to the hill
Sarankot Welcomes you!
33 Sarankot Welcomes you!
There is a hole in my soul
34 There is a hole in my soul
Mountains behind the clouds
35 Mountains behind the clouds
Look theres a bird..no no paraglide..no no a UFO
36 Look theres a bird..no no paraglide..no no a UFO
Hills and only hills
37 Hills and only hills
Cloud on the rocks
38 Cloud on the rocks
D2 Hawk Eye
39 D2 Hawk Eye
City from the Shed
40 City from the Shed
High up in the sky
41 High up in the sky
Miniature door
42 Miniature door
Pattern fields
43 Pattern fields
Come quick guys..I have found a secret place
44 Come quick guys..I have found a secret place
Climbing down
45 Climbing down
Dipesh - Do I look like Borat..!
46 Dipesh - Do I look like Borat..!
Itniiii Khushiiiii....Ramesh Babu..!
47 Itniiii Khushiiiii....Ramesh Babu..!
One and only kind
48 One and only kind
Ram Kali & Netra Kali
49 Ram Kali & Netra Kali
This is how they make it
50 This is how they make it
Waiting for the turn
51 Waiting for the turn
Paddle boat for four
52 Paddle boat for four
Phewa boat
53 Phewa boat
Variety
54 Variety
Ram dai on the move
55 Ram dai on the move
Two sisters
56 Two sisters
Lovely dinner after the hike
57 Lovely dinner after the hike
Guest Hiker..guess who
58 Guest Hiker..guess who
Highway accident
59 Highway accident
The camera fell and was able to capture this..
60 The camera fell and was able to capture this..


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2009-05-27 /
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2009-06-07 /