Woke up feeling much, much better, after a fine night’s sleep. It’s not quite heaven up here – though it feels high enough – but it is a beautiful place. We look down over Pokhara and the lake, at night the whole city twinkles; and we almost seem to be level with some magnificent snow-capped mountains (or himals, as they are known here): the various peaks of Annapurna, as well as Manaslu.
The hotel is known as the Raniban Retreat, and makes it clear that it is not a five-star hotel with all the Western facilities that that implies, but right now it suits us very well. Our room is very comfortable, with a magnificent view, or rather series of views, changing throughout the day, direct from our window, as well as the terrace outside. And the wifi is good (so some concession – nowadays a vital one – to the modern world.)
It has a small infinity pool (is that an oxymoron?) though it does not take long to tire of that; once you’ve swum the few strokes to the end once, that is the end of it (the end of infinity?), but then, that’s true of all pools. The restaurant does not offer a huge range, but is sufficiently varied in its menu to suit us well; and it does offer wonderful mocktails and cocktails – today we had peach iced tea and, before dinner, a magnificent margarita (or two.)
There is also the promise of yoga and other wellness courses, though we have not explored those yet.
And as for the more religious aspects of heaven, we are also well-served here. There is a Shiva temple on top of the hill above and behind us, a dramatic image of the god brandishing a trident on the skyline. And below us, the Buddhist peace pagoda.
Not that we have yet done anything about either of these as yet (beyond looking at them.) Today we both did some work, interspersed with some reading, a swim, eating and drinking. A thoroughly lazy day, in truth, but once in a while these are ways to recharge the batteries.
