June 5, 2012

• Parahawking in Pokhara

  After several days in Kathmandu, we hopped back on Buddha Air to head out to Pokhara our final destination of this year’s fantastic foursome trip, fearlessly flying free into the face of fate

  

  Accomodations were somewhat more spartan than they had been for the remainder of the trip, and we spent a large portion of our time just wandering about town, chatting with locals and watching children play the nepalese version of “kick the can”

  

  Short Round was thrilled to be staying in another 5 star third world hotel

  

  Pollution: Made by Women.

  

  Haha…Poon hill trek.

  We spent several days reading, relaxing, and resorting about, for the main reason we had come to Pokhara at all was for one specific activity. So early the morning after our arrival, we got up and caught a ride to the very top of the mountain to view the obligatory vacation sunrise

  

  Hard to Beat that view.

  

  Crystal caught some rays, while I converted to wildnerness man! Mountain man of the fancy hats and unshaven beards!

  

  Short Round opted for a hearty breakfast of mountains and then it was off to pick up some supplies and see the sights of Pokhara

  

  Shop Smart. Shop S-Mart. YOU GOT THAT?

  

  This sad little cave and waterfall are the sum total of things to see in Pokhara, which is known mainly as a starting point for treks around Nepal. However, Pokhara does have one major activity going for it

  

  Paragliding

  

  lots and lots of paragliding

  

  But Paragliding in Nepal is special because they add on one feature which you cant do anywhere else in the world.

  

  Meet Kevin. Kevin and Bob are egyptian vultures who are also big fans of paragliding. Or should we say, PARAHAWKING

  

  I love being up above the eart. Whether skydiving, bungee jumping, moutain climbing, learning to pilot a plane, and now parahawking, I feel truly free when I can see all of creation spread out below me. The ability to defy the laws of gravity is what makes mankind so remarkable. Other creatures have language, use tools, may even be capable of social connections and abstract thought. But only man looked at the birds soaring high above him, and thought-I will do that. I will conquer the very fabric of creation to elevate myself up to the wild blue yonder

  

  While lazily drifting about on the air currents, Kevin would soar in between Short Round, Crystal, and Myself, summoned by a piercing whistle from my tandem companion. He would land on my glove, snatch a piece of rabbit meat from my hand, and fly away with his snack, guiding us to the next air current to glide even higher. A Once in a lifetime experience, to actually soar with the birds.

  Worth noting is that these birds are endangered. In addition to being one of the most awesome things ever, Parahawking helps to raise awareness and funds to keep Egyptian Vultures breeding and reproducing before they are all gone. And you dont want them to disappear, because then how will you learn to fly with them? So go visit this site, and donate, or at least learn more about it. And if you do, tell Scott that Dr J and Koh sent you

  

  After feeling the wind beneath our wings arms, it was time to head home. At the end of our cash and energy, we sat down at the corner to wait for the cab that would return us to the airport and the slightly more confining flights that would take us back to New Delhi and then home.

  

  Just for kicks, while resting against a wall and looking perhaps somewhat less groomed than usual, I began singing some of my favorite american tunes by Journey, Whitesnake, and Bon Jovi. Crystal took one look at my homeless appearance, flipped over my hat, and tossed in some seed money. We then spent the next hour watching as local nepalis and tourists would stroll down the street, every last one doing a double take to see someone so pale performing on a street corner. A number of passerby threw money in the hat, or tried to sneak pictures, perhaps worried that I would charge them to document such a strange occurrence. I just continued my one man karaoke show to the amazement of even the local beggars who were not making a fraction of my take. When the taxi finally arrived, I gather up all my earnings (about $30 nepali or $15 US) and handed it off to the beggar woman whose territory I had usurped for my social experiment. She tried to return it to me with a gesture and look that said, “no, you earned this, I cant take it from you” but for me the fun was in the song and merriment. As the cab pulled away, a young girl and her brother who had been watching the whole performance from the beginning with progressively wider eyes ran up to bang on the window and wave goodbye to what were probably the wackiest foreigners they will ever see. And that is a pretty good way to end this particular vacation, with smiling children, happy beggars, and a song in my heart.

  Next Post: The Bollywood Video Edit of the Trip!

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