Rolling on the river...

Hi everyone!!I hope that you all are doing well stateside - we are enjoying the comments and emails so keep 'em coming! Pohkara continues to be beautiful and we would stay here another few weeks if our schedule allowed it. I put a picture in from our hotel, the Gorkhali Dhee, where we were on the top floor and had a gorgeous view of Phewa lake. The second picture, which is unfortunately not the best quality, is of one of the decorated cows wandering around Pohkara last week. During designated days of the festival Tihar, they worship crows, dogs, then cows. This was on cow day, when women would chase down cows on the street, bribe them with tasty snacks to stay still, then proceed to paint them and adorn them with flower necklaces. I wish I'd gotten a good picture of a Tikka'd and necklaced street dog, but unfortunately did not :-)
As it is, we just got back last night from a crazy rafting trip down the Kali Gandeki river in southern/western Nepal.
Rafting is one of the popular touristy things to do here because the rivers are so beautiful and action packed, but neither of us really planned on doing a trip and it was kind of a last minute adventure decision. It was a two night three day trip down grade 1-4 rapids (with a well trusted company and safety kayakers in tow) where we stayed on nice sandy beaches at night. There were probably about 20 of us in all, including nepali guides, and it was really a wonderful time, with campfires at night and surprisingly tasty food. This was my first experience with rafting, and although it could be pretty scary at times (like when we capsized into a hole), it was overall lots of fun and a highly memorable experience. And the worst we came back with was a couple bumps and bruises. I put in a picture of the put-in place at the river, one of our sleeping arrangements, and one getting the rafts ready to go in the morning.

The plan for us right now is a couple more days here in Pohkara, maybe do some shopping or go see the world peace pagoda on the hill across the lake, then head out of this beautiful city. We go next to Chitwan National Park, where we are treating ourselves to a two night/three day organized program at a lodge inside the park. It includes jungle walks and river trips, as well as some local cultural stuff and slideshows. Hopefully will get to see a Rhino or two and maybe some other fun wildlife. I'm really really really excited. :-)
Ok, thats all for now. I hope everyone is transitioning well into winter and staying happy. All the best!!!