Being lucky

This weekend was exactly the reason why i needed to get away from Pune.

It's the little moments.

The hike through the woods on Saturday and getting lost, and stumbling upon an empty lake shore, where i contemplated waving frantically at far away boats to come and get me so that i could go to the other side, but then decided, what the heck, i'm lost and i've started this and i should be able to find my way back; let's continue the hike. And then i came across some local farmers, and a woman who looked Guatemalan, in a gruff voice almost ordered me to sit down and asked me where i was from, and in broken hindi made fun of me when i asked her if she lived here. I think she replied, we live here and we eat this grass, you should try it too, and then she burst into laughter.

On Sunday, i passed through the small little villages and saw people going about their daily life. When you're walking on your own, you don't get lost into conversations or are drawn by the energy of others, you're there wholly and entirely, and your energy is focused on where you are and your environment. It's an incredible feeling, and, i've grown to enjoy it immensely. And then one can get lucky, and be awestruck by the beauty of nature. To be able to sit and soak in the sun and watch the clouds play for 1 hour with the highest mountains in the world.

I often wonder what i've done to be so lucky.

Flying eagles, hidden mountains

This morning I got my first peak of Annapurna. The mountain range was barely visible, but we could make out the white contour if we concentrated enough.

The mountains have chosen to hide behind clouds, and if the weather is clear, they hide behind the haze. Damn pollution. The pollution level is a lot lower here compared to Kathmandu, but it’s still high enough to affect visibility.

Nevertheless, if we overlook the main road filled with tourist traps and try to stick to the alleyways, Pokhara is a very pretty town. It is surrounded by green hills and filled with small houses arranged with plants and colorful trees, and its people are the friendliest.

On Tuesday, Ana and I went paragliding. It was incredible. Before jumping off the cliff, the pilot pointed at a couple of eagles flying, and mentioned that they use the same techniques to glide through the air. While up in the air, the eagles were flying with us. Ana said she wants to do the course to learn to fly solo, and I’d be lying if the same thought didn’t cross my mind.

A future accomplishment? Who knows.