Last full day in Pohkara... We didn't want to miss a moment, so we headed out early! After a delicious breakfast in the garden, and an interesting conversation with Bejoy, our host, I headed down our little side street for the last time.
I think one of my favorite memories will be of these little boys playing cricket in the 'street'.
As we made our way through town we noticed some things we had not seen before.... like the WalMart!
Here are some boys playing games. We never did see any girls outside playing...
And of course, the cows in the street!
And...!!! But wait, first I have to give a bit of background. There is this show: Sons of Anarchy, which I don't watch but my friends do (it's about bikers and drugs, and I am just not so good with the anti-hero thing nor with graphic violence). Well, the other day as we were walking through Pohkara Laura and Diana spotted one of the characters from the show!!!! They were too embarrassed to actually go up to him, but we were not too embarrassed to stalk and photograph him from afar!!!! Yes, that's right. As Laura and I feigned a pose in front of some felt slippers, Diana snapped a shot of "Opie" as he wandered, blissfully ignorant of his stalkers, through a shop!
Well, today, as we wandered down the main drag, who should we spot sitting at a cafe with his wife? Opie!!! Laura and Diana couldn't believe their luck, and yet they kept walking right past him! I could not let this opportunity go by, and so I turned around and introduced myself to this poor, unsuspecting stranger. He didn't understand me, though ~ turns out, he's German!!! So we chatted it up in German, and I explained the situation and asked if my friends could get a picture of themselves with this doppelganger that he was. While his wife laughed, 'Opie' graciously posed with my SOA-obsessed friends!!!
After this excitement, Diana decided to take some time off to just relax a bit, while Laura and I decided to take a cab to the Tibetan village. Turns out it wasn't so much a village as just a part of town where a group of Tibetan refugees live. They sell crafts, namely rugs and jewelery. I have been interested in buying a carpet since my visit to Istanbul (where they were all waaaaaaaay too expensive), so I was excited that I might find one here. Sure enough ~ the first place we spot has some carpets hanging outside. I absolutely fell in love with one of them, and as it turns out it was actually made in Tibet and brought here by a little old lady, who now finds herself needing to sell it because she has no money! I asked the woman selling if there were any other rugs to be had in this village, and she assured me there were not. Although I do not really want to spend $180 dollars, it seems a small price to pay for such a beautiful piece (and do my part to save Tibet, or at least a little Tibetan refugee), and so I made the deal!! I paid, the woman said she would wrap up my carpet, and Laura and I continued walking around
Around the next corner we found.... a carpet store.
Yeah.
I have to say, though, that for the money, I made the best purchase. While I did fall in love with another rug as well, I did not have the $1000 on me for that purchase!
After leaving the rug store, Laura and I headed over to the stalls where the women were selling jewelry. Let me tell you ~ those Tibetan women are hard-core! I bought something from just about everyone!!!!!!! When Laura came to me and whimpered that she had to leave, we both made a run for the first store to pick up my rug. We were greeted fondly by the saleswoman, who then begged my forgiveness... turns out that when she went and told her old friend about the sale, she was told she had made a mistake and was supposed to have sold it for $220, not $180. I didn't have another $40 on me, so I told her no, but that I would give her the 50 Nepalese rupies I had left as change from my jewelry purchases. She was not interested (Laura had to remind me that I was only offering her about 70 cents!), and so Laura said that we would then have to leave the rug and get my money back. I felt bad, so I told her that all I had left was $3, and amazingly, she was willing to take that! She said she would make amends with her dear friend....
Between the wily, little old saleslady and the jewelery stand women hollering for us to come and make additional purchases, Laura and I literally RAN from the village as ~ we barely escaped (hence the lack of photos!!)
What we needed now was some rest! So we met Diana for lunch and then climbed aboard our paddle boat!! Ah!!! Well, sort of ahhhh ~ we did have to do some paddling!
Luckily, there was plenty of time to just lounge and read and enjoy the spectacular view ~
That and look for internet.... Yes, Diana actually searched!!
Our last night in Pohkara was spent in our favorite local hangout ~ the Busy Bee Cafe! The girls enjoyed shisha - and even got me to take a puff!!!
And of course we enjoyed our favorite meal:
A toast to the three of us and a wonderful vacay!!!
I think one of my favorite memories will be of these little boys playing cricket in the 'street'.
As we made our way through town we noticed some things we had not seen before.... like the WalMart!
And of course, the cows in the street!
And...!!! But wait, first I have to give a bit of background. There is this show: Sons of Anarchy, which I don't watch but my friends do (it's about bikers and drugs, and I am just not so good with the anti-hero thing nor with graphic violence). Well, the other day as we were walking through Pohkara Laura and Diana spotted one of the characters from the show!!!! They were too embarrassed to actually go up to him, but we were not too embarrassed to stalk and photograph him from afar!!!! Yes, that's right. As Laura and I feigned a pose in front of some felt slippers, Diana snapped a shot of "Opie" as he wandered, blissfully ignorant of his stalkers, through a shop!
Well, today, as we wandered down the main drag, who should we spot sitting at a cafe with his wife? Opie!!! Laura and Diana couldn't believe their luck, and yet they kept walking right past him! I could not let this opportunity go by, and so I turned around and introduced myself to this poor, unsuspecting stranger. He didn't understand me, though ~ turns out, he's German!!! So we chatted it up in German, and I explained the situation and asked if my friends could get a picture of themselves with this doppelganger that he was. While his wife laughed, 'Opie' graciously posed with my SOA-obsessed friends!!!
After this excitement, Diana decided to take some time off to just relax a bit, while Laura and I decided to take a cab to the Tibetan village. Turns out it wasn't so much a village as just a part of town where a group of Tibetan refugees live. They sell crafts, namely rugs and jewelery. I have been interested in buying a carpet since my visit to Istanbul (where they were all waaaaaaaay too expensive), so I was excited that I might find one here. Sure enough ~ the first place we spot has some carpets hanging outside. I absolutely fell in love with one of them, and as it turns out it was actually made in Tibet and brought here by a little old lady, who now finds herself needing to sell it because she has no money! I asked the woman selling if there were any other rugs to be had in this village, and she assured me there were not. Although I do not really want to spend $180 dollars, it seems a small price to pay for such a beautiful piece (and do my part to save Tibet, or at least a little Tibetan refugee), and so I made the deal!! I paid, the woman said she would wrap up my carpet, and Laura and I continued walking around
Around the next corner we found.... a carpet store.
Yeah.
I have to say, though, that for the money, I made the best purchase. While I did fall in love with another rug as well, I did not have the $1000 on me for that purchase!After leaving the rug store, Laura and I headed over to the stalls where the women were selling jewelry. Let me tell you ~ those Tibetan women are hard-core! I bought something from just about everyone!!!!!!! When Laura came to me and whimpered that she had to leave, we both made a run for the first store to pick up my rug. We were greeted fondly by the saleswoman, who then begged my forgiveness... turns out that when she went and told her old friend about the sale, she was told she had made a mistake and was supposed to have sold it for $220, not $180. I didn't have another $40 on me, so I told her no, but that I would give her the 50 Nepalese rupies I had left as change from my jewelry purchases. She was not interested (Laura had to remind me that I was only offering her about 70 cents!), and so Laura said that we would then have to leave the rug and get my money back. I felt bad, so I told her that all I had left was $3, and amazingly, she was willing to take that! She said she would make amends with her dear friend....
Between the wily, little old saleslady and the jewelery stand women hollering for us to come and make additional purchases, Laura and I literally RAN from the village as ~ we barely escaped (hence the lack of photos!!)
What we needed now was some rest! So we met Diana for lunch and then climbed aboard our paddle boat!! Ah!!! Well, sort of ahhhh ~ we did have to do some paddling!
 |
| Good thing I am wearing enough chap stick... that sun was plenty hot! |
Luckily, there was plenty of time to just lounge and read and enjoy the spectacular view ~
 |
| Paragliders jumping off the mountain! |
That and look for internet.... Yes, Diana actually searched!!
 |
| Trying so hard to be cool! |
And of course we enjoyed our favorite meal:
A toast to the three of us and a wonderful vacay!!!
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