Day of rest

Sarangkot Viewpoint

Today is our day of rest after the Mardi Himal hike.  We slept in without an alarm and took a late breakfast.  My calves were sorer than yesterday.  [Edit:  They remained discernibly sore until 17 November, ie. a week after the hike!]

Harry suggested that we take a trip to the Sarangkot Viewpoint today in consideration of the relatively clear weather.  Relucatant at first, we were talked into it and he ordered the complimentary shuttle for us.

We were picked-up around 1030 for the short ride to the cable car station slightly outside the city.  The ride from the base to the top (the only other) station took 15 mins.  The top station had a few thrill rides like a zipline, a sad restaurant but nearby area had some hotels and restaurants.

Determined to have a lazy day, we limited ourselves to the nearby hillslope to get a view of the Annapurna Range.  It offered a very different perspective to what we had seen close-up.  Here we could see a much longer portion of the range but from a distance.  On our hike, we saw perhaps a third of it, but from up-close.

As the return bus to town wasn’t till 1430, we had a couple of hours to kill before having to take the cable car back down.  People were coming back from what looked like a tower which may have been a lookout.  We had to do some walking, somewhat against our will, to kill our time.

We found a temple which had a properly-constructed viewpoint (1692m) adjacent, with a bigger one under construction.  It required a small fee and the site offered a clear view unobstructed by trees.

The remaining time was killed on a rooftop café which also offered views of Fewa Lake, Pokhara and paragliders at play.  For a light lunch, we shared a chilli momo and killed time over a cold drink.

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Massage and shave

Back in Pokhara, we went to the barber across from the hotel for a shave.  Boo also had a haircut. There was a bit of upsell and I agreed to a neck massage as I had to wait for Boo to finish his haircut anyway.

Boo was upsold to include a dye-job for his grey roots at a discounted price compared to the price list.  So, I voluntarily added on a shoulder massage.  His barber then proceeded to give him a neck massage, then shoulder, then back without asking.  To me it looked like a half-body massage.  That was quite unlike mine who asked before giving any additional services.

My total was as per the price list.  Boo’s barber added up all the services he had used voluntarily and involuntarily, then took a good discount off it.  After a bit of negotiation, it was quite reasonable.  It’s bad that he didn’t ask but he was a much stronger masseur than my barber.

After a rather unsuccessful spot of shopping, we finished the day with a yummy Indian dinner.  While some items here are cheaper than in Thamel, the range/size/colour isn’t as good.  For other items, competition in Thamel keeps prices low.