Namaste my friends 🙏
Greetings from Sauraha, nearby to Chitwan National Park. I apologize for my tardiness in posting last week's blog. I'll blame the combination of travel and being a busy tourist for my delayed posting. And here it is.
I sincerely hope your past week has been filled with memorable moments you are grateful for. I encourage you to 'sit on' those more challenging moments as the full story those moments are part of are yet to unfold for you!
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My newest friends in Resunga
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I'm facing an interesting personal challenge with my Nepal adventure. As I mentioned, my travel included a village visit that included a guide and porter which I accepted as a necessary expense if I wanted to visit the water project I donated to. Bimal, my guide and tour operator, is trying his best to curate my travel which I'm having an adverse reaction to. I realize I still have strong control needs and trust issues when it comes to my travel plans including booking my own hotels. I dislike the dependency on someone else who may have a limited understanding of what I want. I think I knew this lesson, circumstances dictated a particular approach that has reinforced the travel needs I have.
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Latest air quality heat map
Recent rain has cleared the air &
suppressed the vegetation burning |
My mind has also been busy assessing Nepal as a general tourist destination. I'm starting to think that if you want to experience the Himalayas, climb a mountain or go on a trek, this is a great place to travel to. If you want to park yourself in a village for an extended period, this may be the place for you. You should be aware, as I am now, that Nepal has developed what I call the 'tourist circuit' where the tour operators and guides try to keep you contained in. The circuit includes Kathmandu, Pokhara, Lumbini, Sauraha/Chitwan National Park and perhaps destinations within an hours drive of Kathmandu (like Nagarkot). These are the areas with developed tourist infrastructure such as hotels and are serviced by 'better' roads and airports. Remember that Nepal is less developed country located in a mountainous part of the world. The roads are works in progress. It's raw beauty - once you leave the tourist circuit. Trust me to review these words in the weeks ahead.
May the universe bring endless blessings and moments of magic 🦄 to you and your loved ones in the week ahead. 🙏
Travel Administration
Heads up about using SIM cards - having access to a local phone number can be important. In country apps, such as taxi apps, may require a local phone number when you're opening an account. A eSIM limitation I've experienced using Nomad is I am restricted to data only when accessing the local country's telecommunication network. My workaround in Sri Lanka and Nepal has been finding a local person who used their phone number to verify my account or booked a taxi for me. All is doable, with a little extra effort!
Travel Update
I'll likely return to Nagarkot to spend my last three nights in Nepal. I'm off to Sumatra, as planned, on April 6 for the next 30 days. After Sumatra, I'm leaning towards traveling to Brisbane, Australia for a week to visit with my friend Simon and explore the Sunshine Coast. I'll then fly to Taiwan for two weeks to spend more time explore the mountains I briefly visited. Airfares will certainly influence my final travel decisions.
Travel Maps
My week started with a 2.5 hour hike to Tutepani for a two night stay. I was 'whisked' by jeep from Tutepani to Pokhara for three nights. I then hopped on a local bus for a 10.5 hour ride to Resunga.
Nepal: March 8 to April 6, 2026
Okhle to Tutepani
We left Okhle on our 2.5 hour relatively 'easy' hike to Tutepani under clear skies and warm weather. What beautiful surroundings to be blessed with in our hike. Our hike was on the same road that vehicles travel between villages. I'll qualify 'easy' as being a hike without having steep ascents on stairs that have unevenly spaced stones. The road was steep in sections, the gift was easy footing slowly ascend the hill.
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| Another hill to walk up. Lots of them in Nepal |
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| Local high school |
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| Rotary Water Project in action |
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Using a rototiller to prep the terrace
for planting |
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Moving the rototiller between
terraces is a three man operation |
Tutepani
My last two nights for the village visits was spent in a homestay. My room had two beds, each with the same very firm 'mattress', two very warm comforters, a single light and the best blessing of all - my own power outlet for charging my phone! I had my first 'shower' in three days. A 'shower' is a bucket of warm water along with a small container to splash water on your body to wet/rinse. Only cold water was available through the showerhead. Yikes! We did have the gift of a sit down toilet which had be flushed by pouring water into the bowl. I skipped shaving for the four days. The lack of a sink and mirror made shaving inconvenient! Guess what I was looking forward to when I reached my Pokhara hotel room after leaving Tutepani.
Village
Tutepani villagers had good marketing sense for promoting their village. The big welcome arches along with the 'I Love Tutepani' heart overlooking the village were clear indications this larger village was serious about encouraging visitors. The village also had more homestay accommodations to house potential visitors.
I had a belated discovery, courtesy of my good friend Dave, about the village's reputation for having hot springs. I've added to my to-do list for when I return to Nepal, potentially next year!
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| Welcome to Tutepani |
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| Village |
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| Village |
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| Overlooking village |
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| Classic tourist photo |
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| Key local activities |
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| Homestay accommodations in lower half |
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| Hurry back! |
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| (L - R) Babu, me, Robin, Bimal |
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| Evening sky |
Himalayas - Annapurna Range
Just above the village, where the 'I Love Tutepani' heart was located, was the best area for experiencing the Annapurna Range. To give you a sense of the mountains' enormity, the range is about 136 km from where I was taking these photos. I've included the mountain identification guide below if you're interested in spotting a specific mountain in the range. It's mind boggling for me how some people look at these mountains and are keen to climb to their peaks!
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| Your legend to my photos! |
Fourth Village Visit
We took a local bus to visit the fourth village's recently completed water project (January 2026). I believe Mark and Ruth have the honour of a ribbon cutting ceremony in their next visit. I must also note the trip to the village was about 8 km completely downhill. Our mission was to hike uphill to Tutepani after visiting the water project. We followed the road for a few kilometers, then took a side path that was more direct, stopped by the local police station for a break, back onto the road and finally, we took a shortcut that involved my favorite, ascending a series of stone staircases that eventually intersected with terraces. My mind can be a powerful obstacle when presented with a challenge I have waning enthusiasm for - like climbing stone staircases. It's all about how I am less sure footed these days after taking a serious couple spills on tile flooring in my Barbados homes that I think has created the issue in my right hip. We made the return trip safely (and without me doing any whining, thank god!)
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| Manaslu |
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| Latest completed water project |
Friend
I'm pleased to introduce a new friend I met through Bimal. Sameer is a Guiness World Record holder for his feat of 'Longest Non-Stop Motorcycle Ride' (25 hours) in November 2011. He was enthralled with meeting me (I paraphrase). He produced a TikTok video during our visit if you're interested in checking that out. He also invited me to stay at his home when I return. I had to decline his kind offer to stay at his home during this visit.
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| Record acknowledgement |
Pokhara
The initial 40 minutes of the 2.5 drive from Tutepani to Pokhara was a bone rattling experience, even in the Mahindra Scorpio Jeep I was blessed to be traveling in. The jeep was moving at a snail's pace to minimize the jarring. The asphalt (black top) section was a welcome relief, albeit, there was broken sections to watch out over and the proverbial areas where road construction was in progress.
I'm going to disappoint you with the lack of photos of local tourist destinations that Pokhara is known for. Here's a link with more info on what you're missing out on -
Best Places to Visit in Pokhara. The two exceptions are Phewa Lake and Sarangkot which were close to the hotel I was staying in.
Pokhara is the common starting point for a number of treks as well as accessing base camps for climbing mountains like Annapurna 1. Pokhara is a mini-version of Kathmandu which is why I chose a hotel outside the main tourist area that would be quieter, less congested and far less dusty.
Phewa Lake
Phewa Lake was unavoidable. My hotel was situated close to the lake's shoreline. Visitors appear enamored with this lake whereas I was underwhelmed. So many nicer lakes in the world that are more accessible and with better facilities than this one. Effective marketing is my best guess along with the fact there are limited 'tourist' destinations, outside the tourist circuit, within Nepal.
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| Peace Stupa, overlooking lake, in upper right |
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| View from my hotel |
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| Hotel view |
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| Hotel view |
Annapurna Cable Car
A personal highlight was reaching Sarangkot, by cable car, to have a closer view of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri (west of Annapurna) Ranges. You do have an option to view sunrise from the top if you're motivated to get up early. Best advice is to get to the top as early as possible for the best cloud free view. The cloud cover typically intensifies as the day progresses.
The cable car was convenient, a twenty minute walk from my hotel.
The Himalayas experience is much more intense from this closer location. Larger than life, my friends!
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| Machhapuchhre (aka Fishtail Mountain) |
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| Machhapuchhre |
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| Mountain viewing guide |
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| Shree Kailasheshwor Shiva Mandir |
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| Behind temple |
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| Taps behind temple |
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| Overlooking Temple |
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| Overlooking Temple |
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| View from descending cable car |
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| View from descending cable car |
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| Upper station |
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| Phewa Lake |
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| Paraglider |
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| Paraglider |
Friends
Hard to believe that my passion for apple pie would be the common thread that brought me to meeting my newest friends in Pokhara!
Zaiel Pastry & Hotel
This delightful pastry shop was ten minutes walk from my hotel, on the way to the cable car. I met Jarina, the 23 year old owner, when I was asking about the different pastries in the display case. Everything for sale was made by her. What an intriguing woman. She shared she grew in an orphanage (ages 3 - 15), left the orphanage at 15 and arrived in Pokhara at age 16. She spent time working with a French (France) based NGO where she learned French to complement her Nepali and English language skills. While I was in her shop, a former fellow NGO volunteer from France was getting reacquainted with plans to stay in her hotel the following week.
She had opened the shop about three months ago. She was continuing to learn how to make different pastries. She also made the best whole wheat baguettes that I enjoyed. I supported her business by having my daily lunch (and dessert, of course) at her shop. I did buy a dozen cookies for the hotel's reception team. I do need to return as we have an outstanding commitment to sip tea and discuss life. An incredible story of ambition and achievement. My humbling continues!
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| Zaiel Pastry & Hotel - street view |
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| Up closer |
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| Cafe interior - looking toward entrance |
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| Cafe interior |
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| Yummy pastries |
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| Cookies and baguettes |
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| So divine |
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| Amazing fried egg sandwich and tea |
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| Warm apple pie |
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| Double chocolate tart |
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| Jarina |
Khim's Cafe
Khim's Cafe was the first cafe that I discovered apple pie - while I was walking to the Annapurna Cable Car location on my first afternoon in Pokhara. The large apple pie sign beckoned me. I had apple pie for my first two days. On Day 3, I had to settle for a delicious chocolate brownie as the apple pie was sold out! The heated pie, with a cup or masala tea, was simply divine. The cafe had the greatest vibe as well. Many customers were foreigners who I think lived in the area.
The owner, Aman, started the cafe just after Covid ended. His cousin, Prajjwal, worked with him along with Aman's sister (forgot to ask her name). The cafe enjoys fabulous Google Reviews which I added to after my three visits.
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| Storefront |
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| There's the apple pie sign that started it all |
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| Outside dining area |
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| Outside dining area |
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| Inside dining area |
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| Cafe entrance - from interior |
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| My hosts |
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| Apple pie #1 |
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| Apple pie #2 |
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| (L to R) Prajjwal (cousin), me, Aman (owner) |
Waterfront Resort
Thanks to the universe's benevolence I rediscovered an excellent cup of coffee adorned with a small work of artistry at breakfast! The reception and F&B staff were amazing hosts during my stay. I had a chance to practice (and expand) my Nepali vocabulary! Another hotel where I was sad to leave. Yusuph, the front office manager, was particularly helpful during my stay. He had a staff member purchased my two bus tickets for Resunga and ensured I got on the right bus when it was time for me to leave. He also shared his personal WhatsApp number to keep in touch with me until he knew I arrived safely in Resunga!
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| Brownie with farewell greetings! |
Sunsets
I was blessed to witness two consecutive sunsets during my Pokhara stay! Thank you universe!
March 18
March 19
Pokhara to Resunga
My local bus trip to Resunga was much longer than I had anticipated. The physical distance was 178 km (~111 miles). Our travel time was 10.5 hours. I was happy to have purchased two seats as suggested. The space between seats is much less than the tourist bus. I needed the extra space just to sit 'comfortably'! Our trip included toilet breaks along lunch and dinner breaks. The roads were full of curves, a fair share of unpaved sections, and, at times, anxiety provoking given their narrowness and lack of guardrails. It is a very long, long way down if the bus leaves the road. Oh yeah, the dust is another delight to contend with. I was relieved when the bus stopped to cover the rooftop luggage rack with a tarp just as the rain started. And the roads I was on are the good roads that are paved!
I should also mention that my traveling to Resunga is a definite departure from the Nepal Tourist Circuit. Most locals had a quizzical look when I mentioned where I was going. Some locals were unfamiliar with where Resunga was located. Experienced tour operators were puzzled why I'd want to venture into this part of the country. I was assured to have an adventure!
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| Local bus |
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| Local bus to Resunga |
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| Interior - conductor on left |
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Trying to capture the landscape and
depth of valleys |
Resunga
I arrived in Resunga around 5:30 pm after a 8 am start. The person from the hotel I was expecting to pick me up was nowhere to be seen! I was blessed to find a tuk tuk driver in the bus park area. I had to interrupt a video game he was involved with to get his help. I'm glad I suppressed my initial desire to walk the ten minutes to the hotel that Google Maps had indicated. The walk was entirely uphill with steep sections. What a mistake that would have been!
I had a somewhat rude awakening when I was shown my room. I had just come from a hotel with a large king bed and all the creature comforts I like. There was a shag like carpet on the floor that was in a questionable state of cleanliness, the interior door handle was missing and I was advised the chance of a hot shower was unlikely. The water is heated by solar panels and the cloudy skies meant there was no power to heat the water. There was also a question whether the air conditioner would have power as well. I needed to use the A/C for heat given the cold and damp weather! I did have good wifi which I used immediately to look for another place to stay. My quick conclusion was that I was in the best place Resunga had to offer. The pouring rain on the following morning sealed my fate for at least two nights at my new home. In the end, after all this personal drama, I stayed at the hotel for my three nights and enjoyed my more spartan surroundings! It's the hotel staff that made the difference!
City and surroundings
My morning discovery at the hotel was I had a fabulous view of the city below and the surrounding landscape. I had the best room at the hotel for a view. The irony of it all.
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| Looking down into the city |
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| Resunga Park is located to this sign's left |
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The city and hill on right where Resunga Park is.
It's a long steep road to reach the park! |
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Himalayas covered by clouds
Dhaulagiri I (part of Dhaulagiri Range)
is visible on a clear day |
Bakery and Friends
My Saturday afternoon mission, after the rain stopped, was to visit the bakery that appeared on Google Maps. How disappointed I was to learn the bakery was limited to having four cakes on display. As I was standing outside the bakery, searching Google for additional bakeries, I met my newest 11 year old friend who stopped to chat with me. He was soon joined by two friends who were 11 and 10 respectively. They were curious about where I was from and how old I was. The age question is a common question I'm asked in Nepal. My friend advised me I looked younger than my age. What a gift!
My new friends, when learning of my need for a bakery, guided me around the corner to the Resunga Bread Industry store. The store had different types of breads including buns made with/dipped in chocolate. I bought four pieces with the intention of sharing with the two young women (Zumuna and Pushpa) working at the hotel. They were most appreciative to receive the treats. I forgot to take photos of my purchases!
I thanked my new friends for the conversation and assistance and we parted company! The universe's benevolence is unbounded!
Zumuna and Pushpa also kindly hand washed my rain jacket which I had soiled when I leaned against a solid grating protecting a storefront. So very kind and thoughtful!
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| Sign reads - 'Resunga Bread Industry' |
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| Looking up from the bread place |
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My newest friends who guided me to the
bread industry location |
Notable Hotel Eating Experiences
I had the best treat ever on Saturday morning when the hotel staff left a plate of freshly popped popcorn made the old fashioned way (minus the oil)! I also had a helping of homemade chicken momos in a mildly spicy gravy! Two fabulous culinary gifts during my stay.
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| Popcorn - Amazing! |
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| Jhol Momo |
Next Week
I'm on my way to Lumbini on Monday via Butwal. It'll be my first experience in a HiAce passenger van. I'll be taking a taxi from Butwal to Lumbini. After a one night stay in Lumbini, I'm back on a tourist bus to Sauraha for a four night stay to visit Chitwan National Park. On Saturday, I'm back on a tourist bus headed for a one night stay in Kathmandu. I have tentative plans to meet Asmii's sister, Susmita and her boyfriend for dinner on Saturday evening. I met Asmii at the hotel I was staying at when visiting Dharavandhoo Island in the Maldives.
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