Pokhara

We travel to Pokhara, the lake city at the foot of the Annapurna range. The pace here is deliberately gentle.

Pokhara is both a beautiful stop and a practical one: an intermediate altitude where the body begins preparing for the heights. The ascent to Muktinath is never rushed, and that is a design decision made for the dignity of every pilgrim, elders included.

An evening by the lake, a reading on the tradition of the Shaligram, and the day closes quietly. Ahead lies the gorge.