Work is Evil – Travel and random stuff

December 21

So tonight I began my journey through Pokhara’s top 20 restaurants on Trip Advisor with Fresh Elements. And like a plain fool I started at #1. Now I’m just sad that I have to wait 15 days to eat there again. I’m also sad for the times I could have eaten here but ate somewhere else instead. Yes, it’s that good! I had the chicken breast with potatoes and vegetables with lemon grass tea to drink:

Everything was perfect. The restaurant has central heating too so a rush of warm air greets you at the door. Also, the tea is more expensive than other places but you get a pot that holds about 2.5 cups. There are no female staff. I know from spending so much time in Nepal that it is difficult for women to get any kind of good job here. So that’s my only complaint. Sadly, they aren’t alone, there are many restaurants in Pokhara with no female staff…

The pineapple drink looks amazing and there is a large selection of wines.

I don’t think I will make it 15 days!

I went blind tonight, but tomorrow I’ll read the Trip Advisor comments and see if there is someething splendid to order. The French Creperie (#2) beckons 🙂

December 22

I went to the French Creperie tonight. It is a very different environment from last night’s restaurant (Fresh Elements). I ordered the Sweet & Sour Walnut Galette and masala tea for a total bill of 650 NPR. It was very nice indeed:

I still prefer last night’s meal but my bill was about 40% cheaper here too! It isn’t fancy at French Creperie but it is somewhere I could easily hangout for an hour or two in the afternoon. Staff here were super-friendly and they have female staff too!

There is also a small selection of books to read. Nothing huge, but also large enough that there were 2 or 3 I could pass some time with.

This restaurant–and in fact most restaurants in Pokhara–is open to the outside so it is quite cold now and likely too hot in summer as well.

So far I agree with the Trip Advisor order. Let’s see what tomorrow brings me at the interestingly named “Frituur No. 1”

December 23

I looked up the location for the third place on my list: ‘Frituur No.1‘ and guess what? It’s almost directly across from ‘Fresh Elements’! They are both on the same side street (16th Street). I had the chicken cheeseburger with fries and a tea:

My total bill was 610 NPR. This place is noted for its burgers and it didn’t disappoint me. Even though I don’t like beer and I don’t eat buffalo or pork, I really enjoyed it and I’m sure I’ll be back! This restaurant is super small but the staff were friendly and I they even set up a large portable heater just for me. Oh and btw they had 2 staff, one male and one female. Some restaurants in Pokhara have 10+ staff—all male.

Next up is ‘Wendy Juice shop’. No offence to them, but that doesn’t sound like my Christmas Eve or Christmas Day destination. I’m likely to skip a couple of days before continuing the list!

December 26

Wow, I had an huge and amazing fruit salad with yogurt at Wendy Juice Shop! And it was for 200 NPR (Total bill 200 NPR). I would put this place higher on the list actually. But they only have fruit juices and fruit salads. I’ll come back to try the juices for sure! There’s a really nice looking gym on this side street too 🙂 They use plastic gloves for hygiene. Here’s the fruit salad with yogurt:

They only have about 4 tables and they also operate an attached budget guesthouse (Nepali Cottage Guesthouse). It is also highly-rated on Trip Advisor and is 1000 NPR/night year round. I was so impressed and really surprised too!

December 26 continued

Next on this list is Utopia Garden and I ate here today too. The atmosphere is very nice and the food was good. The owner was fun to talk to as well! I had malai kofta, 2 naan and milk tea:

I forgot to take a photo before eating a bit this time. They don’t have malai kofta on the menu but they made it for me when I asked if they had it. So yes, they are very customer-oriented and friendly!

The total bill was 750 NPR including a 10% service charge. They are a fairly large restaurant but they have any female staff. They make small fires beside the outside tables in the winter. The food and value isn’t anything out of the ordinary but the service and atmosphere is well above average.

Next up is ‘You and I’.

December 27

I went to #6 ‘You and I’ too late tonight and they were already closed. It wasn’t for naught though as I discovered the ‘Nepali cheese plate’ at French Creperie (#2):

December 28

I’ve actually eaten at ‘You and I‘ many times before. I came here for lunch today and had the excellent ‘Chile sin carne’ (chile without meat):

‘You and I’ has a really nice atmosphere and a large and interesting selection of books (book exchange is 100 NPR). The food is really healthy and freshly cooked and the couches are super-comfy. This is a really great place to hang out in the afternoon. There is a lake view and a close up view of the super scary looking ‘Pokhara Disneyland’. They have some cool art and photos on display too.

I’ll go to #7 ‘Hot Corner and Sandwich Cheese Shop’ tonight.

December 28 – continued

Tonight arrived and the Hot Corner and Sandwich Shop was nice. This small shop is operated by a nice couple. I ordered a large falafel sandwich.They didn’t have large bread so they gave me 2 small sandwiches instead:

The hygiene could be a bit better, although that is often the case with small food places—ie it is normal to touch your prepared food with their hands. Wendy juice shop is the exception rather than the norm. The total bill with a lemon tea was an extremely reasonable 340 NPR. The sandwich was good but not amazing. It isn’t really comparable to ‘Frittuur No. 1’ although the price is about half as much too.

The sandwich shop is actually really close to Wendy Juice Shop—on the same street about 50 meters apart.

There is a big street festival with lots of food so I’ll probably skip a few days now! Next up is #8 ‘Sarang’. I’m beginning to wish I began with #15 instead of #1. I miss Fresh Elements! Time for a personal ranking:

Fresh Elements
Wendy Juice Shop
French Creperie
You and I
Frituur No. 1
Utopia Garden
Hot Corner Sandwich and Cheese shop

January 4 (2020)

Sarang is good and it was full of Korean tourists. The food seemed quite authentic and it was definitely spicy enough 🙂 I ordered a chicken stir fry and as that didn’t seem to be quite enough I ordered some rice and a soup to go with it. That turned out to be a mistake as a huge quantity of food arrived at my table. The chicken stirfry apparently comes with a billion other things:

They have female staff and the total bill was around 1200 NPR if I remember correctly. I got enough food for two though!!

I was so full afterwards and also extra spiced up. I liked it here but I’m not sure if I’ll be back or not!

January 18

#9 Byanjan restaurant (January 18) – This afternoon I went to Byanjan. It has a nice atmosphere, good music and a nice view. I was just there for lunch and I ordered a chicken wrap.

The food itself wasn’t bad or great just normal food. I did glance at some food of other guests and didn’t see anything amazing over there either. The total bill was 487 NPR including tip. They gave me a 10% discount that I didn’t even ask for! It was either because it was my first time there or because I was speaking Nepali to them—I suspect the latter. I probably should have come at dinner for a more representative experience. It seems like more of a dinner place and naan isn’t available at lunch time. I love me some naan!

They do have female staff.

Next up is Rosemary Kitchen. Hopefully I’ll get there soon 🙂

February 9

That was a bit of a break. I’ve been going with friends for dinner lately so I haven’t been crossing any off this list. Tonight I went to Rosemary Kitchen and discovered I ate there once last year too! I really like the atmosphere and the food is nice too. I don’t think I’ll eat here regularly though and I’m not exactly sure why. I had the chicken sizzler and just hot water to drink:

I’ve been in a hot water mood lately, partly to cut back on sugar but it also doesn’t hurt that it’s free everywhere either.

My total bill was 845 NPR + 10% tip = 930 NPR. The food is probably a bit on the expensive side for Pokhara but it’s really cozy inside. Nothing amazing here for me…next up is ‘Med5 restaurant’. It looks really interesting and the reviews have me excited!

February 13

Med5 has a nice atmosphere and good food too. I had a veg pizza and I chose my own ingredients. It was a really nice experience. They give you oregano, olive oil and chile on the side which isn’t that common in Pokhara. It is a bit on the expensive side and my total bill for pizza and hot water was 905 NPR = 10% tip = 1000 NPR. No female staff that I saw but it is a fairly small place. Another customer ordered a greek salad that looked positively brilliant! Next up is #12 Metro. I’ve walked by Metro many times but I’m quite sure I’ve never eaten there. My curiosity is piqued.

February 16

Metro is nice…I think it’s too low on the list. It should be top 10 for sure. I had a blueberry cream crepe and a Coca-Cola float. Both were delicious and would be perfect after a trek. The total was 670 NPR so it is a little expensive but the quality is there to justify the price. They also have a large selection of crepes and drinks and it is a different menu from most places I’ve been in Pokhara. Loved it! They also have female staff—I almost forgot to mention it this time 🙂 Next up is ‘Little Windows’…

February 16

Two in one day! Little Windows is a fairly normal veg/vegan restaurant. I had the mushroom fajitas which were very large and filling. The restaurant overlooks the main street. I didn’t find anything amazing or memorable here though. My bill was 595 NPR without any drink and they do have female staff. Next up is ‘Chilly Bar and Restaurant’…

February 19

Chilly Bar and Restaurant has the best view of any restaurant I’ve been to in Pokhara. The back of the restaurant faces a large park and Fewa Lake is behind the park. The expansive view is very impressive at night!

The food is good but not amazing or anything and the service is friendly. I had a chicken burger and fries with a small coke. The other times I went to this restaurant I’ve eaten Indian food and that has been good as well.

No problems but nothing truly unique except for the view. The best view is outside on the top floor!

The other thing I like about this restaurant is that it is quiet. They do sometimes have light music playing but it’s really mellow. They do have female staff in case you were wondering. My total bill was 570 NPR (I asked for a discount at the door).

‘Asian Tea House’ is next and I see it’s moved up to #13 on the Trip Advisor list so I’m a bit out of order now.

February 21

Wow! ‘Asian Tea House‘ is a great find. Thank goodness for Trip Advisor. I never ever would have found this place otherwise. It’s down a little opening between 2 buildings and it’s really small and basic. But the food is very good and very cheap.

When I arrived I was surprised because it is very basic and very small. It doesn’t look like somewhere that could be this high on Trip Advisor. It’s easily the smallest restaurant I’ve been to on this list.

I had the shakshuka which came with 2 chapati and a coke for 360 NPR! I added another chapati so my total bill was 390 NPR. I’ll definitely come back and all budget travellers should be aware of this place. Mmmmmmm….

As it is a small family restaurant I don’t think they have any staff—male or female.

Next up is ‘Mo2’s Delights’…I’m hoping to be as pleasantly surprised as I was today 🙂

February 22

‘Mo2’s Delights‘ is delightful. I had a ‘double aloo masala roll’ and a ‘veg and cheese jhol momo’. The masala roll was only 180 NPR so I thought it would be a spring roll or something but actually it was large enough on its own. Both of these were quite spicy actually so I drank almost a liter of water. They were spicy interesting rather than just spicy hot though. My total bill was 490 NPR. This is a great budget option—if I had just had the roll and water, the meal would have cost 210 NPR and I would have been happy and full!

The restaurant is nice and comfortable inside. It overlooks a side street which is nice and quieter than the ones that overlook the main street.

Overall, the restaurant has good, unique foods in a good location with excellent prices. It’s a winner!

Next up is ‘Roadhouse Cafe Pokhara’ which I might actually get to tonight…

February 22 (evening)

The atmosphere at Roadhouse Cafe is really good. I had a pizza with hot water to drink and it was okay…the pizzas at Margherita pizzeria are better though and are less than half the price. They do have female staff.

My total bill was 935 NPR with tax and tip. The restaurant is okay but it isn’t very original and it is a bit expensive for what you get. Next up is Crazy Gecko bar and restaurant’…

February 23

Krazy Gecko restaurant and bar has a really impressive, quiet location next to the lake. I had the ‘taco budha bowl’ and it was good. Not amazing, incredible or stupendous…but good nonetheless. This is a great hangout place to spend a afternoon or evening.

I just had hot water so my total was 400 NPR. In Pokhara I now know of two great hangout places. The first is French Creperie and the second is here! Next up is ‘The Harbour Restaurant’.

February 24

The Harbour restaurant is really nice inside and has friendly staff. I had veg burritos and they were just okay. This restaurant doesn’t charge VAT or service charge. I now forget what my total bill was but I think about 600 NPR including tip. They do have female staff. The next and last restaurant on the Trip Advisor list is OR2K.

March 1

I’m finished! OR2K was a good one to finish with. I had the OR2K platter (hot water to drink) and it was yummy yummy. OR2K has a lot of middle-eastern food which makes it unique for Pokhara. My total bill was about 850 NPR and I didn’t see any female staff. I’d eat here again and I think it should be higher on the list actually.

March 15 – summary

There are a few restaurants on and off this list that I tended to eat at after finishing. Most often I ate at Wendy Fruit Shop, Metro, French Creperie, Chilly, Momotarou, and Margherita Pizzeria.

The live music at many restaurants is very, very loud and of average to bad quality. It is actually a turn off for me and I actively avoid restaurants with ‘live music’.

The restaurants and lodging in the north part of lakeside tends to be much cheaper than the south and central parts.

El Chalten is the best day-hiking destination in the world. Where else can you do 3 different incredible dayhikes starting from your hotel? All three of these premier walks could be put in a top 10 list of the world’s best day-hikes and nobody would question it. They are that good!

I’ve been to El Chalten 4 times now, beginning in 2004 when it was just a sleepy little village without many food options. It’s much bigger now but is still tilts more to the sleepy side of the spectrum. The last time I was here was in November 2018 so hopefully my info isn’t too dated. But I stayed over 40 days that time so hopefully I know a few things too. Let’s begin with the 3 premier hikes, cause that’s why you’re here, right?

Top hikes

Cerro Torre

I’ve probably done this one 7-10 times and it really never gets old. The lake and Cerro Torre are just incredible and you have pretty good views most of the way. It is also by far the flattest of the three and the shortest too—about 8 kilometers each way. It can be completed in 6 or 7 hours…there’s some ‘up’ at the beginning and a few short climbs on the way and at the end but nothing mind-numbing. I’m jealous of you already…not too jealous though because I’m currently in Nepal. Always remember rule #1, work is evil!

Laguna Torre

Laguna de Los Tres

The second premier hike is the most popular hike and that is to ‘Laguna de los Tres’. It begins with a climb with a viewpoint of the ‘Las Vueltas’ river after about 10-15 minutes. It’s a nice forest and after about 45 minutes you reach the Fitz Roy viewpoint:

A lot of people only make it this far and indeed if you are looking for a short jaunt you can just go up to this viewpoint and back. After this it is relatively flat and easy walking and you can see Fitz Roy most of the way.

The kilometre signs keep going along nicely until there is about a kilometre left. Then there is a mind-numbing really boring climb up to ‘Laguna de los Tres’. It is just a rocky exposed switchback that seems to go up forever. You see the top and finally arrive but guess what? It’s not the top, is it? Nope, there is another top and another top and another top…until finally once you’ve given up all hope the real top arrives. Then it’s glorious and all worthwhile. Still, I think I’ve only done this hike 3 or 4. I’ve gone to the bottom of the hill and turned back a couple times too. At the top make sure to take the trail to to a view overlooking Laguna Suecia. It’s only a few minutes up from the lake on the left side. If you happen to want to return a different way, there is a trail (Senda Pilar) to ‘Hosteria El Pilar’ that is actually really nice and has some glacier views too. Transport from back to El Chalten from El Pilar should be arranged beforehand though.

Laguna Sucia and Laguna de los Tres

Tumbado

The last premier hike in the area is a bit shorter than Laguna de los Tres but gets to a similar elevation. The trail to leaves near the park office and you can do it in about 6 hours return. There isn’t much flat on the way–it is all uphill. The trail climbs through beautiful forest and then the last 1/3 of the hike is about the treeline. It can be unbelievably windy but the view is incredible.

I usually stop at the ridge where the view of Laguna Torre is, but there is a steep climb up to the top of another viewpoint with 360 degree views.

Other hikes

Laguna Suecia – The side trail to this hike isn’t marked and leaves the main trail to Laguna de los Tres just after crossing the river right before the steep ascent. It is necessary to register at the park office first and this hike definitely shouldn’t be done alone as there are some dangerous bits. The lake was incredibly windy when I was there!

Laguna Suecia

Piedra del Fraile – This is a really nice hike that you won’t see many people on. There is an admission fee payable at the ‘Refugio Piedra del Fraile’ because the trail is on private land. You can stay at the refugio or just stop by for some snacks. The hike isn’t as amazing as some of the top treks but it is still really nice and enjoyable. There is more detailed info on this hike on the El Chalten website.

Los Condores

This is a great short hike to do if you arrive in the afternoon and want a short jaunt (about 2 hours total). It has the best view of El Chalten (photo at the top of this post) and really nice mountain views as well. In November there were mountain flowers everywhere. Note: It’s also possible to continue a bit further (30 minutes) to ‘Las Aguilas’ viewpoint–for a nice view of the south side of the ridge.

Chorillo del Salto

A flat easy walk to a waterfall. It’s okay but for me it’s skippable. It’s about a 2 hour return walk.

Lago del Desierto

With a car or taxi there are hikes over here that I haven’t done yet (next time!). It is also possible to trek and boat your way to Chile and the Carreterra Austral. I haven’t done that yet either!

Accommodation

I’ve stayed in 3 different hostels over the years but by far my favorite is ‘Condor de las Andes‘. The staff here is super-friendly and you can see the mountains from the dining room in the hostel. That is really important for determining whether or not you want to hike or not. There are many cloudy days in El Chalten (maybe 50%) and it’s great to see the mountains from the hostel! Irregardless, I would definitely always stay on that side of town (near the bus station/center). I’ve stayed on the north end of town before and it’s impossible to tell if the mountains are clear or not.

Food

I’ve eaten at a lot of places. So many! But my favorites are La Tapera and the small restaurant at ‘Hosteria Senderos’ (these may both require a reservation in high season).

Curcuma is great for vegetarian and vegan food. Really yummy stuff there

I love the historic and rustic La Chocolateria, for um…chocolate of course. It’s also my favorite place for an afternoon hangout/coffee spot.

Domo Blanco has a large selection of delicious ice cream.

Que Rika bakery has cheap ready-made wrapped sandwiches that you can grab on your way out trekking!

For supermarkets Los Chimbotes was much cheaper than the supermarkets in the center (November 2018). Of course, I don’t know if that is still the case but it’s worth checking out!

I hope this post is useful and enjoy El Chalten!