this are pix from the short trip to pokhara two days ago. an official trip for me.. and a holiday for baba, and of course for me in between work!!! all the pix are from the holiday portion of the trip.. .
the flight to pokhara was great with the mountains in full view...thanks to the lack westerlies that had blown away all the rain clouds!!
the trip was a disturbing one in terms of environmental concerns.. on land and water... in and around pokhara.
ganesh himal...
and himalchuli and manaslu...
the view from the dirty water streaked aircraft window as we descend towards pokhara airport.. begnas lake and the decimation of the ubiquitous 'island' hillocks of pokhara valley...
hills being razed to make way for 'plotting' ghaderi. who will say 'enough! NO!' ??
we cut sharply to align to the runway directly over the stretch of fields still waiting for monsoon rains and 'ropain'
our room overlooked the entire hotel area.. with their quaint circular cottages, a glimpse of the lake as well as a nice view of the mountains...
machhapuchhre framed by palm trees
the blue pool beckons in the distance...
in the evening we scoured the lakeside with fresh lake fish fare.. but were told frankly by most restaurants that the fish were 3 days old!!!! finally we had a delicious dinner at the chinese restaurant.. and the view of the dark waters reflecting the lights of the hotel as we waited for the ferry was breathtaking too...
summer time means the backside of the mountains get the sunlight first...
we made an early trip towards tal barahi by boat... and that's where we started seeing evidence of the water hyacinth's encroachment on phewa tal
this other breed of the water plant that according to our boat pilot bir bahadur, spreads very very quickly during monsoon.
the water's pretty calm in the morning...
bir bahadur tell us that the water's not been moving these days, and thus is very dirty.. yet this little duck which can swim underwater for quite a while. does not seem to have complaints...
he also told us that during the 'jalkumbhi' sweep up a couple of months ago, the plants were removed and dumped on the lakeshore... when the waters rose a bit after winter, the hyacinths found roots again
beautiful to behold.. but ready to multiply and choke the lake...
it was interesting to see hundreds of bakula (cranes) making a beeline to just a couple of trees across the lake.. and taking back twigs to build their nest in the trees in and around ratna mandir...
this one struggled with a huge leafy twig, its flight made clumsy... but the bird didn't give up and flew all the way through. bir bahadur told us that even if the bakula did drop a twig.. it would fly on in the same direction and not turn back until it had reached its destination!
we floated past the ex-royal's ratna mandir...
and came close to the island temple..
saw many pilgrims with the same destination in mind...
the temple...
on the flight back the mountains had hidden behind puffs of clouds. didn't might it for it meant that monsoon was finally round the corner...
the flight to pokhara was great with the mountains in full view...thanks to the lack westerlies that had blown away all the rain clouds!!
the trip was a disturbing one in terms of environmental concerns.. on land and water... in and around pokhara.
ganesh himal...
and himalchuli and manaslu...
the view from the dirty water streaked aircraft window as we descend towards pokhara airport.. begnas lake and the decimation of the ubiquitous 'island' hillocks of pokhara valley...
hills being razed to make way for 'plotting' ghaderi. who will say 'enough! NO!' ??
we cut sharply to align to the runway directly over the stretch of fields still waiting for monsoon rains and 'ropain'
our room overlooked the entire hotel area.. with their quaint circular cottages, a glimpse of the lake as well as a nice view of the mountains...
machhapuchhre framed by palm trees
the blue pool beckons in the distance...
in the evening we scoured the lakeside with fresh lake fish fare.. but were told frankly by most restaurants that the fish were 3 days old!!!! finally we had a delicious dinner at the chinese restaurant.. and the view of the dark waters reflecting the lights of the hotel as we waited for the ferry was breathtaking too...
summer time means the backside of the mountains get the sunlight first...
we made an early trip towards tal barahi by boat... and that's where we started seeing evidence of the water hyacinth's encroachment on phewa tal
this other breed of the water plant that according to our boat pilot bir bahadur, spreads very very quickly during monsoon.
the water's pretty calm in the morning...
bir bahadur tell us that the water's not been moving these days, and thus is very dirty.. yet this little duck which can swim underwater for quite a while. does not seem to have complaints...
he also told us that during the 'jalkumbhi' sweep up a couple of months ago, the plants were removed and dumped on the lakeshore... when the waters rose a bit after winter, the hyacinths found roots again
beautiful to behold.. but ready to multiply and choke the lake...
it was interesting to see hundreds of bakula (cranes) making a beeline to just a couple of trees across the lake.. and taking back twigs to build their nest in the trees in and around ratna mandir...
this one struggled with a huge leafy twig, its flight made clumsy... but the bird didn't give up and flew all the way through. bir bahadur told us that even if the bakula did drop a twig.. it would fly on in the same direction and not turn back until it had reached its destination!
we floated past the ex-royal's ratna mandir...
and came close to the island temple..
saw many pilgrims with the same destination in mind...
the temple...
on the flight back the mountains had hidden behind puffs of clouds. didn't might it for it meant that monsoon was finally round the corner...
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