Even more Begnassness

Updated on 01.05.09 - with the above picture of Didi (left) and Urmila, who run the restaurant that I eat in at Pokhara. Didi is Urmila's mother, and her husband died last year in the landslides that were caused by the huge monsoon that Nepal experienced. I've eated their food so many times that I now have an account with them. What Nepali food lacks in spices it more than compensates for in quantity, I can barely walk after having eaten my dinner here.

Allo from Pokhara again. I left Begnas this morning as I need to return to Kathmandu in a couple of days to apply for a new visa for India. It was becoming farcical trying to upload photos while at Begnas, as the nearest internet cafe was in a village 3km away called Sishuwa, and even when I'd made it to Sishuwa, there was still the power cuts to plan ahead for. It was a great place to be for several days, really quiet and great to enjoy all the wildlife surrounding the lake. My visa for India will take a fortnight to happen so I'll come back to Pokhara and Begnas while this time passes.

During the 7 days I stayed there the visibility steadily decreased as the cloud level rose, which meant that this morning it wasn't possible to see the other side of the lake. It should pour with rain soon though which will clear the amosphere.

Here's the cream of the Begnas photo album. Above is sunrise over Begnas Tal a few days ago.

A house and its haystack in the forest above Begnas Tal.

The, er... path through the forest.

I came across the building below on the path that runs through the forest above Begnas Tal, it's a hostel for women who are HIV positive. Above is a shrine next to the hostel.


A colourful lizard who gladly posed for me in the forest.

Looking east at Begnas Tal around midday a few days ago. The visibility is even less now.

Having a cuppa with Vinoo the policeman in Sishuwa.

At a temple in the middle of Sishuwa, waiting for the electricity to come on so that I can use t'internet.

Looking at the lake from the guesthouse balcony.

Walking through the forest above Begnas Tal.

This is what the lake and the houses on its opposite side look like in the evening. My camera can't recreate the full view but it looks great with the slopes around the lake lit up, until the mains power goes off abruptly.

Fishing nets and a boatman with an umbrella at the lake shore.

Cheers
Chris

More of Begnas and its Tal

Allo from Begnas again.

Some grimacing skinhead on top of a guesthouse overlooking Rupa Tal.

A much more aesthetically pleasing shot of Rupa Tal.

I came to Begnas yesterday afternoon to have a change from Pokhara. My chest infection has cleared now, and after over a fortnight in one place I needed a change of nice scenery. I'll try and stay in Begnas until the first week of May when I need to return to Kathmandu for a new Indian visa. I went for a walk this morning with the aim of using the internet at a posh hotel on the other side of the lake. I reached the hotel after 2 hours of walking up and down a ridge that separates Begnas Tal from Rupa Tal (another lake nearby), only to learn that they don't have t'internet. Fortunately, I saw some great scenery on the way to and from the hotel.

I've managed to find t'internet at a village 2km away from Begnas. I found a barber's this morning, and the local shops sell big bottles of Nepali apple brandy for 250rupees, so I think I'll be here for a while. I'm sure that I can occupy myself suitably...


I came across a Hindu temple on my walk around this morning. I've seen one or two temples before in South India, so I thought I'd have a look at this Nepali one.

There were some interesting gargoyle-like wooden figures around the roof of the temple. I like the carved hands in the above photo.


A close up of the door to the temple. Inside was a statue of the Goddess Durga, with a pigeon sat on top of it.


This is Begnas Tal, I think...

The path along the ridge between Begnas Tal and Rupa Tal.

This is Begnas Tal this morning. It poured with rain yesterday evening, which resulted in a clear morning today. I'm hoping that if you look closely enough at the horizon, you can see the Himalaya range poking through the clouds. I saw a lot of mountain tops on the walk I had to Rupa Tal and back this morning, hopefully we might get more rain/clear weather soon to replace the low clouds that have been around for the past several days.

The guesthouse I'm staying at, where I'm the only guest at present.

The view from my bed around 9 this morning.

Amongst other internet business, it's taken me 2.5 hours to upload these photos. I'd better be more restrained with the camera in future.

More news as it slowly happens
Cheers
Chris

Begnas Tal

Allo

I went to check out Begnas Tal yesterday on the premise of returning tomorrow with some clothes and spending a few days there. It's like Pokhara but in minature - the lake is smaller, with hardly any hotels or restaurants around it. I took some photos yesterday, so I that can leave my camera back in Pokhara while I'm at Begnas.

This isn't Begnas Tal, it's Phewa Tal at Pokhara during last night's sunset.

Now this is Begnas Tal, it looks alright too.


Some paddy fields inbetween Begnas Tal and Begnas village.

I'll be staying for a few days in a guesthouse on top of the small hill in the left of the above photo.


There's not an internet cafe in Begnas Tal. I'll be back in a week or two.

Cheers
Chris

Even more Pokhara

Allo once again from Pokhara.

Yesterday was a very clear afternoon and evening in Pokhara, which is a rare blessing as most afternoons it tends to pour down around 4pm. I climbed a small ridge behind my hotel and enjoyed the sunset over the valley. And I went mad with my camera too.




Buffaloes bathing by the lake.

Thanks to the very clear afternoon yesterday, the Annapurna mountains north of Pokhara were visible for the first time I've been here. Above is a close up, below is the view from the lake. I'll have to get my arse in gear and climb up to Sarangkot next time it's a clear day to see this view in full.


More great signage from Nepal. I really don't want to know what's in a "Hippies Breakfast". It's probably a glass of tap water with lots of hairs in it.

I climbed up to the World Peace Pagoda on friday, which is on the other side of the lake from where I'm staying. It's on top of the ridge in the above photo.

Looking west along Phewa Tal on my way home after going to the Stupa.

This is looking south from the Pagoda onto a village on the outskirts of Pokhara.

The World Peace Pagoda, erected by some Japanese monks a couple of decades ago.

The Buddha, practicing ordering drinks in a busy bar.

Now relaxing...

Looking south from the Pagoda hill.

Phewa Tal lake and Sarangkot from the Pagoda hill.

Pokhara lakeside from the Pagoda hill.

Phewa Tal at dusk, from behind my hotel. The Peace Pagoda is on top of the ridge on the horizon.

Down by the lake shore on New Year's Day, with boatmen busy ferrying people over onto the temple in the middle of the lake.

If I can work out which bus to catch, I'm going to visit a place called Begnas Tal, which is about 10km east of Pokhara. It's meant to be similar, in that there's a lake surrounded by hills, but there's hardly any hotels there - sounds like Pokhara but 30 years ago.

Cheers
Chris