Sun., 10/28/12 - Kathmandu to Pokhara to Sanctuary Lodge
This morning we took a 9 AM flight on Yeti Airlines from Kathmandu to Pokhara. In 25 minutes we landed (about the hardest we have ever experienced) in Pokhara to start our trekking adventure. Pokhara is a "tourist" town and is cleaner and quieter than Kathmandu. Many people (40,000 each year) trek around the Annapurna Range of the Himalayas and Pokhara is the entry point for these trekkers.
Kathmandu from the air
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Kathmandu from the air |
Kathmandu from the air
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Foothills of the Himalayas |
Foothills of the Himalayas
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Annapurna Range of the Himalayas |
Annapurna Range of the Himalayas
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Annapurna Range of the Himalayas |
Annapurna Range of the Himalayas
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Annapurna Range of the Himalayas |
Lake near Pokhara
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Our first view of Macchapucchre or Fishtail Mountain (on the left)
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Annapurna Range of the Himalayas |
A bus ride of 1 1/2 hours (with a stop for a box lunch packed in plastic containers with a banana, boxed fruit drink, hard boiled egg, sandwich, rolls, and a cookie) took us to a trailhead at the town of Birethanti.
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Housing along the river
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Harvesting rice
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Scenic hillsides |
Annapurna 4 and terraced fields
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Scenic lunch spot |
We arrived at the town of Birethanti, collected our trekking permits, watched the lady porters load our bags into their baskets, and began our trek. We walked through the town, across the first of many suspension bridges that we crossed while trekking, and along a rocky dirt road beside the Modi River to our lodge for three nights – The Sanctuary Lodge.
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Annapurna Conservation Area sign |
Our trekking permits for the Annapurna Conservation Area
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Lady porters getting ready to carry our bags up to the lodge
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Squash growing on the roof |
Birethanti street
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Kayakers on the Modi River |
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Sanctuary Lodge grounds |
Sunset on Macchapucchre or Fishtail Mountain
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We had teatime at 4 PM and from 5 to 5:45 watched the alpenglow on Macchapucchare (one of many spellings) or Fishtail Mountain. It is a sacred peak so it is not climbed. It is 22,943 feet high and stands alone as a majestic pyramid.
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