On the Hippie trail

13th September 2006 - Pokhara
In the late sixties it was just a tiny lakeside town. First stop on the hippie trail between Kathmandu and Istanbul or, if you were serious about your hash, Marrakesh. In those days before tourism and tighter drug laws they would overnight here on the way south to the Indian border: a stop that would often last several weeks or more! They found the heodinistic lifestyle just perfect for doing everything they were so good at: getting stoned,eating, growing their hair, staring into the middle distance and looking cool.
Today it's still a tiny lakeside town. Just a collection of neatly organised trekking shops, restaurants and bars at the beginning of the Annapurna Trail. A perfect backdrop to the snow clad Himalayas and an oasis where leisurely meals, good books and short walks can easily fill several days. At least that is our hope.
We've moved here from Kathmand till end of September when we are booked (via Dubai) to Nairobi. We have a very nice motel type apartment in the centre of Pokhara's only main street for a stagering $3 per night! There is a variety of new release movies playing nightly at the many restaurants below us, and lashings of Everest Beer at $1 per bottle. Who knows, perhaps we'll even grow our hair and try and look cool too.