A Whole New World (Please sing this Aladdin style!)

It has been good to spend a few days relaxing in Pokhara and not doing much. It's an easy thing to do here. I have bought a book at a local second hand book shop, written a few postcards (well, purchased them with the intention of writing them) and generally rested. 

At first I felt guilty about it. I kept thinking I should be making the most of every minute, but the truth is that we're travelling for seven months and if I tried to do something everyday I'd be suffering from exhaustion by the end of our time in Nepal - plus I'd be broke. So energy and money saving eased my conscience.

On Wednesday we hired a colourful boat and rowed out on Phewa Tal. I say 'rowed' but we only had one oar, so paddled in a strange zigzag fashion is probably more accurate!

It was great to be out on the water in our rather fetching life jackets and we enjoyed the chance to explore coves and eat our picnic (if a peanut butter sandwich and a biscuit counts as a picnic?!).

From the middle of the lake we could hear a Hindu wedding taking place on a small island nearby and see the mountains reflected in the glassy water. However, the tranquility was soon broken when Steve realised we only had 20 minutes to return the boat before being charged double by a very stern looking boatman. This would've been fine had we not travelled 40 minutes in the opposite direction!

Undeterred, we took turns paddling in a frustratingly unstraight line towards the shore. Like a pair of Olympic rowers we gave it everything and even cut up a worried looking Japanese family on a pedalo! We arrived, sweating and exhausted, one minute late. Thankfully the boatman was nowhere to be seen and we crawled off to recover and play Backgammon in a local restaurant.

On Thursday we said goodbye to Pokhara and the mountains and moved South East to a very different part of Nepal. So different that it's hard to believe that the Chitwan National Park is in the same country. Travel guides have tempted us here with promises of encounters with elephants and crocodiles - and maybe even the odd tiger.

Fingers crossed.