From Kathmandu to Pokhara, Nepal

Boats on Phewa Lake in Pokhara, Nepal

I awake early to meet Kaji.  We have a flight to catch at 7 a.m.

A taxi takes us through Kathmandu to the airport.  At 6 a.m., the city is awake.  Women sweep the streets, people carry impossibly large bundles on their backs to market, children in school uniforms cross busy streets.  The smog over the city is thick and brown.

My cough, developed in Kathmandu, is awful.  A migraine headache follows.

Arriving at the airport, Kaji begins chanting Buddhist prayers softly.  Great.

We board our flight on Buddha Air, a 20-seat prop plane.  I pray.

The flight is short and offers the most incredible views of the Himalayas.  Jaw-dropping beauty.

We arrive safely in Pokhara, the second largest city in Nepal.  It’s far cleaner than Kathmandu and surrounded by spectacular views of the Himalayas.  It’s a tourist-centric city with accommodations catering to Europeans.  Signs everywhere declare “Western toilets!”, “Free wifi!”, and “Organic coffee!”.  Young white people with dreadlocks hang out in cafes.  I’m told many arrive here and never leave – it’s beautiful and cheap by European standards – a backpackers dream.

I find it easier to breathe within hours of arrival.  Thankfully, my migraine disappears by nightfall.  Tomorrow, we trek.

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