A Dream for the Sunglasses at the Bottom of the Lake

I forgot to mention, my prescription sunglasses are now at the bottom of the lake in Pokhara. Yep, I knocked them off my face three times and the third time I wasn't quick enough to catch them. Of course at the time we were in the middle and they sunk far faster than I would have anticipated. Not knowing how deep the lake is, but knowing it is the second largest lake in Nepal, I chose not to jump in after them. I'm hoping there is a large fish with an astigmatism that will enjoy sun free eyesight. Before you feel too bad for me, I've had those frames for about nine years, so it isn't like I didn't get a lot of use out of them. Also, I got them when I had an amazing perscription policy with my health insurance and I didn't pay for them -- I did pay for the latest lenses, but that was almost two yeas ago. So I have donated them to the water gods, I hope this means a shorter monsoon.

We failed to successfully rent bikes in Pokhara. All the bikes are made in China and India and well, frankly, seem to be built for midgets. Sabine is even taller than me, so finding a bike that fit her was difficult. We finally did find a place that had two bikes that would work and rode off only to find that I had a loose pedal and it couldn't be fixed (the screw was stripped and I couldn't get the nut back on). Frankly biking into the mountains with a pedal that could come off any minute didn't seem like a good idea (besides it was spinning weird). So we returned the bikes. We admit, we are a bit picky, what with out desire for working brakes (another issue at several shops) and pedals and in the end that pickiness hurt our chances. Side note, to rent a bike was, on average, 20 rupees an hour -- or thirty-three cents. Frankly I'd be willing to pay a bit more for a bike that works.

We went for a walk instead. We walked down to the dam side of town, which seems to be a bit wealthier than where we were staying, but still touristy. It was a nice walk though and we had ice cream because the day was terribly hot. We passed the Friendship Park where "your generous contribution is appreciated," for a temple they are building there. We also found where the "tourist zone" begins -- please don't honk your horns or play loud music and definitely wear a helmet when on your motorbike when traveling throughout the zone.

Now we are back in Kathmandu. Sabine leaves for Thailand tomorrow and then I have another week in Kathmandu. There are several more UNESCO sites to explore here, so I have stuff to keep me busy. I've made a reservation at an ashram in Rishikesh for 13 days when I return to India. I hope I can handle 13 days of yoga -- I'm a little concerned I might get a bit bored. I'm stocking up on books.