jenns.world

During my second visit to Nepal, I spent three months getting to know the people and the country very well. Among the people were some of the shop owners along the Lakeside strip that is popular with the tourists in Pokhara. A, sort of, dedicated area that the people of Nepal have come accustomed to tourists staying in hotels and hostels around, and shops that are set up that appeal to those tourists. From the Tibetan women that I bought my jewelry from on the street and the ones that have their shops, to the seamstress that will measure me and make me custom clothing to my specifications (because my healthy American body doesn’t fit into the clothes made for uber skinny hipster girls) and the man that sold me 60 yak wool ear flap caps at 200 npr each for the children in Arnakot. I have even come to know a few of the restaurant owners like Sweet Memories where the entire family keeps a Diet Coke available for me for when I come and order the special Eggplant Pakoda. During my tim...

After spending two years in Nepal, I have picked up enough to be able to converse with those that don’t speak any English, and some words and phrases that help as I am walking around Lakeside and the women ask me if I would like some bananas or oranges, or when I want to specify that I want black tea and not the standard milk tea the locals drink. When I was first learning the language I struggled to find sites that kept is simple with just enough to get by in the beginning, so I’ve put together my own list for those that are visiting Pokhara for the first time and just want to know enough to get around. In English In Nepali Hello – the Nepali form of greeting Namaste The more respectful version of Namaste Namaskar All purpose term meaning yes (mostly used when someone yells your name and this is how you answer, rather than “what?”) Hajur Thank you – though not often used as the Nepali don’t say “please” and “thank you” D...

Hidden Paradise Guest House is a small hotel ran by a friendly Nepali family in the hills of Nepal just north of Pokhara. Guests enjoy the quiet surroundings and the view of the lake that Pokhara nestles on. What a lot of the guests don’t know is that the place is managed by a very charming Nepali man that will often convince guests that his life, and that of his family, is a struggle and they could benefit with the help of the wealthy tourists. This post comes from personal experience as well as talking with others that have experienced the manipulation by Laxman at Hidden Paradise. First, I will be honest about the level of how personal things got with Laxman and myself. I arrived in Nepal after a 2 week volunteer trip with 3 other American women in Odisha India. I met Laxman in Kathmandu the day we arrived. He was very charming and clearly smitten with me from the beginning… or was he? As I have learned, Laxman tends to target women of a certain age that have a big heart,...

In November of 2015 I found myself volunteering in Nepal for a couple of weeks. During that time, I ended up falling in love with the country and extended my stay an extra week to get to know the people I had come to know better and enjoy more of what Pokhara and Nepal had to offer. One evening a conversation came up about paragliding, which is one of the more popular activities to do while in Pokhara. The Hidden Paradise Hotel and Guest House is a popular spot for these high flying thrill seekers. I, being more of a grounded person, couldn’t quite get excited about the dangerous activity of jumping off of a cliff in hopes that a wing would keep them from plummeting to their death. I was coerced and questioned as to why I wouldn’t want to ever try it, when I finally said “It’s just not my thing.” I added “I ride horses, I have for over 30 years, and I enjoy the connection and the thrill that horseback riding and the horses themselves bring. That is m...

Forget all the usual top 10 things to do in Pokhara that everyone else posts about and get a look at the list I have put together for you. I have lived in Pokhara since November of 2015 and have come to learn that there are more things to do in Pokhara than the usual Paragliding , Trekking , or the Peace Temple . I’ve gathered a list of some of the fun things to do when in Pokhara that will make you feel more like a local and less than a tourist. So here they are, and convenient maps for you to find them, in no particular order.The Movie Garden is a unique experience situated in Pokhara’s North Lakeside, the property overlooks Lake Phewa (or Fewa). Guests are filed in on the sloped hillside on steps and various seating that all point towards the big screen. A you arrive you pay at the bar and order your alcoholic beverage – a beer, a hard cocktail or a customary hot drink to warm you as you snuggle under one of the provided blankets. If you’re hungry, you can or...