It’s Melbourne Cup Day in Australia so Marilyn decides we’re going to have a Melbourne Cup luncheon with Melbourne Cup hats to be worn by all. First, though, we have a tour of Pokhara to complete.
The guide is well-meaning and earnest and he has a busy agenda for us but we’re all anticipating lunch so he has a hard task ahead of him. First, he takes us through the Old Bazaar to show us the typical Newar architecture of the area, then to the Devi Falls and the Mahadev Cave. We hurry through these so we have time to visit a Tibetan Refugee Camp. Many Tibetans left their homeland when the Dalai Lama went into exile and have made their homes in Nepal. They welcome visitors and are set up to sell jewellery and other Tibetan souvenirs.
More interesting was the Tibetan Children’s Village which looks after orphaned or abandoned children. The village has a number of houses, each with five boys and five girls of varying ages, looked after by a House Mother. The village was very impressive and we took some photographs and made a donation.
The final item on the morning’s program was a visit to the Varahi Vandar Hindu Temple on an island in Phewa Ta Lake, only accessible by small wooden boat. This is a popular place for Hindus to visit and make sacrifices, but it was particularly busy today because scenes were being shot there for a film. The leading lady was very pretty but the leading man was a dork.
We filled in a half hour or so being paddled around the lake and then it was time to go to the Boomerang Café for the Melbourne Cup lunch. Everyone had made an effort with their hats and a good time was had by all. Ann and Steve had organized a sweep last night so we all had a vested interest in knowing who had won the race. Only Marilyn knew as she had received a text from Jamie during the morning (Melbourne is 5 hours 15 minutes ahead of Pokhara) and she kept the secret to herself for several hours.
As it happened, Ann’s horse won. I had drawn Shocking and So You Think and thought I might be in with a chance but could only get a third. Marilyn had drawn the last horse to finish so got her money back. Steve produced a bottle of bubbly for a toast, which capped a great event.
Most of us had a break during the afternoon although there are some world-class shoppers among our party who took the chance for some more retail therapy. During the evening we went around the corner to see a fantastic cultural show held at another hotel. We were offered a barbecue for 999 rupees, which included a drink. It was pretty ordinary but the management must have realized some of us were a little disappointed and offered us a free go at the buffet. Great stuff, including some excellent desserts!
So ended a better-than-average day. We leave Pokhara tomorrow on our way to Riverside Springs Resort at Kurintar. We had lunch here on the way from Kathmandu and we’re all looking forward to going back.
The guide is well-meaning and earnest and he has a busy agenda for us but we’re all anticipating lunch so he has a hard task ahead of him. First, he takes us through the Old Bazaar to show us the typical Newar architecture of the area, then to the Devi Falls and the Mahadev Cave. We hurry through these so we have time to visit a Tibetan Refugee Camp. Many Tibetans left their homeland when the Dalai Lama went into exile and have made their homes in Nepal. They welcome visitors and are set up to sell jewellery and other Tibetan souvenirs.
More interesting was the Tibetan Children’s Village which looks after orphaned or abandoned children. The village has a number of houses, each with five boys and five girls of varying ages, looked after by a House Mother. The village was very impressive and we took some photographs and made a donation.
The final item on the morning’s program was a visit to the Varahi Vandar Hindu Temple on an island in Phewa Ta Lake, only accessible by small wooden boat. This is a popular place for Hindus to visit and make sacrifices, but it was particularly busy today because scenes were being shot there for a film. The leading lady was very pretty but the leading man was a dork.
We filled in a half hour or so being paddled around the lake and then it was time to go to the Boomerang Café for the Melbourne Cup lunch. Everyone had made an effort with their hats and a good time was had by all. Ann and Steve had organized a sweep last night so we all had a vested interest in knowing who had won the race. Only Marilyn knew as she had received a text from Jamie during the morning (Melbourne is 5 hours 15 minutes ahead of Pokhara) and she kept the secret to herself for several hours.
As it happened, Ann’s horse won. I had drawn Shocking and So You Think and thought I might be in with a chance but could only get a third. Marilyn had drawn the last horse to finish so got her money back. Steve produced a bottle of bubbly for a toast, which capped a great event.
Most of us had a break during the afternoon although there are some world-class shoppers among our party who took the chance for some more retail therapy. During the evening we went around the corner to see a fantastic cultural show held at another hotel. We were offered a barbecue for 999 rupees, which included a drink. It was pretty ordinary but the management must have realized some of us were a little disappointed and offered us a free go at the buffet. Great stuff, including some excellent desserts!
So ended a better-than-average day. We leave Pokhara tomorrow on our way to Riverside Springs Resort at Kurintar. We had lunch here on the way from Kathmandu and we’re all looking forward to going back.
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