29 October 2017, Sunday

Rise and shine! After yesterday’s gruelling race, I woke up at about 5:45am today. I had planned to make my way to the viewing area to see the sunrise but my body was aching and I didn’t have enough motivation to climb all the way up there, so I only got as far as the guesthouse next to mine. I met up with EW and CP and we stood there for a while to marvel at the sunrise.

It is always magnificent to witness this never-changing act of nature, with the sun rising like clockwork and bringing about with it the start of a new day. As the minutes ticked by, the sun’s rays illuminated the mountainside and brought into focus the shapes of the houses in Sikles village, just like a magician who reveals her magic unerringly to repeated amazement from the audience.

This is always the moment when I feel most humbled by Mother Nature. Standing there, I felt so small, like a tiny speck in this vast universe, being dwarfed by the majestic mountains surrounding me. It reminded me that life goes on with or without me, and that I am a transient being privileged to be alive to witness this spectacle called life.

Breakfast was a simple meal of Tibetan bread, a hard-boiled egg and a cup of black tea. I later heard from fellow runners that the other guest house served a more lavish breakfast consisting of fried omelette and potatoes. Nevertheless, it was still good to get food into the stomach to put back what the race took out.

After breakfast, I spent some time wandering around Sikles before our departure. It was still quiet in the morning and it was very peaceful. Not many locals were up yet. The snow peaks were actually behind the mountain so I could not get a full, direct view, but only a glimpse of them.

I witnessed a bull nonchalantly emptying its bladder and I was amazed at how much urine gushed out. It went on for over a minute and must have been a bucketful of about three litres at least. I also saw a couple of men shepherding their cows through the village, and an elderly man carrying a bundle of straw on his back, slowly trudging up the stone steps. This is what everyday life in the Nepal countryside looks like.

At about 7:40am, we gathered our bags and got ready to leave Sikles. Mira Rai was there to send us off and I seized the opportunity to take a photo with her as remembrance. I was inspired by her story and it was an absolute honour to be in her presence. She was so humble despite everything she achieved. She is inspiring not just to Nepali women but to all runners in general.

At about 8:05am, I boarded the first bus back to Pokhara as I had to catch a flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu later today, while EW took the second bus and departed Sikles slightly later. EW was staying one more night in Pokhara before flying back to Kathmandu tomorrow and then catching another flight back to Singapore. So I bade farewell to EW and left Sikles first.

The bus ride to Pokhara was undoubtedly the bumpiest ride I have ever taken. Initially, it was still quite fun and exciting as the bus made its way along the unpaved dirt track. After 10 minutes, it got really tiresome as I couldn’t sit still and kept bouncing up and down the seat. Thankfully the bus had great suspension and was able to navigate its way through muddy patches and potholes without being stuck.

The ride took four hours and we arrived safely back at Pokhara at 12:13pm. I went back to The North Face Inn to collect my bag, which I had deposited for safekeeping during the race. The owner was nice enough to let me take a shower despite the fact that I had already checked out yesterday. I had a good long shower and felt much more refreshed after that.

I then met up with CP for lunch at a restaurant nearby and we tried their local Tuborg beer. Technically, Tuborg is a Danish brand but it is licensed and brewed in Nepal. Over lunch, CP and I re-lived moments from the race and I told her again how grateful I was for her encouragement and salt tablets that helped me pull through and complete the race.

After lunch, I bade farewell to CP as she would be staying in Pokhara for another night before embarking on a short trek in the Annapurna Circuit tomorrow (she’s a machine!) before flying home. I then went back to the North Face Inn to get my bag and I took a taxi to the airport.

I arrived Pokhara Airport at 2:30pm and got my boarding pass for my Yeti Airlines flight. As usual, the flight was delayed by 1 hour 20 minutes and the plane only took off from Pokhara at 5:23pm. We touched down at Kathmandu at 5:58pm, and it was already dark by then. Note that flight delays are very common in Nepal so do factor in additional time and book a later flight for your connecting flight as much as possible.

The official taxi counter at the airport was charging Rs 700 (S$9.40) for a ride to Thamel so I walked to the carpark area to try my luck to find a cheaper ride. Luckily, I managed to get one for Rs 500 (S$6.70) and I hopped on. The ride to Thamel took 45 minutes and I arrived at 7:05pm.

Five hours earlier, while I was at Pokhara airport, I made a booking for Bag Packer’s Lodge in Thamel. It was a place that I had stayed at during my first visit toNepal in 2012. It was quite cheap so I decided to go back. However, when I checked in this evening, the staff informed me that the economy twin room that I had booked was not available and offered me a Triple room instead, which was slightly more expensive. After inspecting the room, I decided to pay a little more to top up the difference to enjoy the extra comfort because I was too tired to argue and look for another place. The two nights at Bag Packer’s Lodge cost US$34, breakfast not included.

After that, I went back to trusty The Burger House for dinner because I was lazy to look for someplace new. I ordered my favourite vegetable thukpa and tried the kothey vegetable momos this time round. Kothey means half-fried, so only one side is fried while the other side remains steamed. It was a satisfying meal and it only cost me Rs 275 (S$3.70).

After dinner, I went back to my room to have an early night because I was still feeling the effects of the race. One more full day in Kathmandu tomorrow before I fly home!