We'd hoped Pokhara would provide a few days relaxation after our trek. Unfortunately it didn't turn out that way. My mistake was to order western food, a chicken burger. By that evening I was becoming well acquainted with the toilet bowl as I vomited my dinner back up. Luckily it only lasted 12 hours or so and by the morning I was feeling much better although weak and tired. James on the other hand had picked up something different. A stomach bug which gave him terrible cramps and resulted in him running for the loo. Apart from being virtually impossible to spell diarrhoea can be quite stubborn to get rid of. James of course ignored all my helpful advice and after three days of testing my sympathy to the limit (I think I was born without a sympathy gene so it doesn't take much) I reached for the 'Wilderness medicine handbook' and armed with the name of a suitable antibiotic, marched down to the nearest pharmacy. A well spent 2.50 pounds later I force fed James the rather large pills and repeated 12 hourly.
It was a shame as Pokhara is quite a nice town. Although it is Nepal's second city, Pokhara could be in a different country when compared to Kathmandu. It is low rise and has wide, open roads and, down by the lake, a great feeling of space. Quiet and sleepy with plenty of restaurants and bars it is the perfect place to relax after an arduous trek. There is just one problem, and it might be because I've missed something, but after visiting the temple in the lake, the peace pagoda, the Gurkha and Mountain museums, it is a little boring. It is probably a controversial choice but I much prefer Kathmandu.
James recovered just before our bus back to Kathmandu, which was just as well as it took 8 hours.
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