A lot has changed in the last almost 45 years.
Nothing has remained of the quiet, remote town, the smelly, trash-strewn alleys, but where you still could buy wonderful cakes. The only foreigners still eyed suspiciously were Hippies like us. Kind of out of place.
I remember our campsite, the man sitting on the ground near our car in the early morning. His look was somehow glassy, sad. Someone translated his faint words. Apparently his wife had left him. It still touches me to this day that there was so little we could do for him.
The rapid changes were already noticeable during the second visit. The town had become larger, outgrown its infancy, a place for trekkers, starting point to the Annapurna region. We also started our Kali Gandaki trek from here.
A new Pokhara
The Pokhara of our time has changed. It has become a metropolis with almost half a million inhabitants, a top-class tourist hotspot. But Lake Pewa is still there, no longer empty and deserted, but full of boats offering trips on the lake and crossings to the other shore.
Finally the mountains!
So far they have made themselves scarce, Pokhara's local mountains, but on this blue morning they are finally visible, a bit blurred in the haze, but nevertheless. The Machapuchare. The Annapurna. All the other kings of the Himalayas. They still shine with timeless grace.
A lot of work
And there is a lot of construction going on. Since the technical equipment is lacking, everything has to be done by hand in order to keep the numerous people busy. Reminds me of Myanmar or Thailandwhere the same applies.
Young Herons?
On the way to the lake I am greeted by many-voiced chirping, chattering and cawing and flapping of wings. I will not forget this sight so quickly. No one, not even the locals, is able to tell me the name of these wonderful birds. My guess is a Nepalese species of heron.
They all seem to be still in youthful age, white plumage, neck and head sometimes yellowish. There are so many (hundreds) that the branches bend under their weight. A wonderful picture.
The Pewa Lake
In the past, the lake was more of a reservoir than a tourist hotspot, but this has changed thoroughly. Whole crowds are waiting in long queues in front of the ticket counters, all wanting to get onto the lake or to the other shore or to the small island with the sanctuaries. The demand is there, so is the supply.
Numerous boats of all sizes and colors are waiting for customers, they all want a piece of the cake that tourism has brought to the city. The hustle and bustle is loud and noisy and fun, the best thing to do is sit down and watch.
A well-maintained path leads along the shore. Whole clans of families are on the road, children run over each other laughing, merchants sit on every corner, selling their goods, not differing in anything from all the junk that is sold everywhere.
And of course the path is teeming with restaurants and bars, outdoor or covered, very poor or with everything on offer that a more affluent clientele demands.
I sit down in one of the garden restaurants, completely relaxed, asking myself how to best celebrate a landmark birthday. Best not at all, after all there is a reason why I am abroad now and don't want to be celebrated at home.
But maybe I still have an idea to cheer for myself. A little further along the lake, where the bustle dissolves, the lake is partially silted up. Here children and men are gathered to catch fish in the brackish water.
The Aeronauts
Pokhara is known for its paragliding tradition. The sky is full of them. Red, yellow, blue, purple, green birds, hanging there, very small and fragile, single or even pairs of fliers gliding through the warm breezes.
A wonderful sight!
A special day? No
And so this stupid day, which I would rather forget, comes to an end. But I cannot do it without a proper toast, so I sit down in my favorite restaurant and allow myself a gin and tonic. So then cheers and may you live long and prosper.
And at the end of the day - the full moon
The end of a day - lit by the full moon, in my honor...
But then, later in the evening, as I sit sipping my beer and enjoying the evening, two young Germans return from the city. There is a strange euphoria on their faces. When I ask them, they tell me about one of the best experiences of their lives - a flight with a paraglider.
And right at that moment, it just clicks, and I realize in no time what my special birthday gift might be.
Matching Song: The Beatles - Birthday
And here the journey continues ...
