Arriving in Pokhara
By Jane O'Dea and Christian Mass
Poking around Pokhara
This morning, January 5th, we packed our bags and headed off on Kathmandu's narrow and winding streets, heading towards the airport. Upon arriving, we reached a maze-like airport of endless corridors that we navigated until we eventually reached our terminal. We were flying on Yeti Airlines towards Pokhara; anxiety lingered in the air for some, including me, Christian. We would be passing the same route along which, less than a year prior, on January 16th, 2023 Flight 691 tragically crashed, losing all seventy-two lives on board. Since you're reading this, our flight was thankfully uneventful. Upon landing, we disembarked and were greeted by towering mountains, whichever way we looked. Lama Rigzin Wangdue, the manager of the guest house, graciously picked us up from the airport.
After one of the most bumpy car rides of our lives, we reached the monastery, and a accompanying monk said that the massage was over. We were greeted by the most adorable children at Pema Tsal Sakya Monastic Institute; each of them held up a traditional ceremonial scarf, also known as a "khata." After lugging our luggage to our rooms, we settled in and were given a tour of the grounds. Everywhere one looked was a feast for the eyes: rolling mountains, rivers, and beautiful traditional architecture.
Pema Tsal Sakya Monastic Institute
I (Jane) had a great time seeing and learning about the hotel and the people running it. I really feel like places like this can be overlooked because tourists don’t see them as important. However if you really want to experience Pokhara to a deep extent I would tell people to stay here. We are really learning a lot from the people here, especially about community and compassion. It seems that because of the Buddhist backgrounds, a lot of people learn about how to care for others even if they are causing harm. I will admit I need to work on that at times. However, I have been getting better at it as I have gone along in this trip and throughout life. I hope to get better still.
Eventually, we left the monastery and ventured down to the Tibetan refugee camp. It is an incredibly charming village; the streets lack the river of motorcycles and mopeds we had come to expect in Kathmandu, now replaced with dogs, cats, chickens, and monkeys. In the distance, a structure loomed large; it was one of Nepal's handful of bungee jumping spots. While we lacked the time to go jumping today, plans were made. We meandered back to the monastery guesthouse and retired to our rooms for the night.
Student Lillian taking in the beauty of the country side of Pokhara. Photo Credit: Christian Maas
The sunrise as seen from the rooftop of the Pema Tsal Sakya Monastic Institute guest house. Photo Credit: Christian Maas
A majestic cat enjoying the sunrise from the warmth of Mustang Café. Photo Credit: Christian Maas
Sunrise Valley
At the crack of dawn, a handful of us rushed out of our beds and headed towards the rooftop. Upon reaching the roof, I was greeted by one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. A stunning sunrise turned snow capped mountains into a dizzying array of orange and pink. After countless photos were taken, we headed down to the cafe and lazily started the day with some of the most scrumptious coffee Nepal has to offer at the Mustang Café. The coffee combined with the views anchored me in the moment, allowing me to be fully present. What made this moment so special was its impermanence or anitya.
The valley below the monastery. Photo Credit: Jane O'Dea
Refugee Resettling
Today we heard from the principal, Lama Ngawang Tashi, and the secretary, Lobsang Tsering, of the monastery about Pema Tsal Sakya Basic School, plus their life stories. The secretary shared a deep and interesting story of how his father was a guerrilla soldier for the Tibetan army fighting against the Chinese. Parts of the squad were sent to Camp Hale Colorado for training. We got to hear how his father ended up first in the Mustang region that borders Tibet. Then the rest of the family moved to the Tibetan settlement in Pokhara because his father went to fight with the guerrilla fighters. It was incredible to get to hear a story like his because I (Jane) have heard so few like it. I can’t even imagine having to experience not only escaping a country but then also fighting another country right after that. We didn’t even know we were going to have the opportunity to talk to him, and yet we got to hear one of the most enriching stories. After the conversation we went on an adventure in the city. We went to see Phewa Lake and walked the streets a bit. We got to see the city as it is.
The docks on Phewa Lake. Photo Credit: Christian Maas
Live Laugh Love Lakeside
The Lakeside area of the city is more geared towards tourists because it is a stop before the trek to base camp and to the mountains. However, I would have thought the infrastructure would have been a little better considering Lakeside is geared towards tourists. It was a bit of a bumpy ride on both the way there and the way back. Overall, today was getting acclimated to the area of Lakeside and getting to explore. It was a great time to be with friends, do some shopping, and go to some unique restaurants.