Oct 20 – Return to Chaos and Repair
Dog barking through the night, light sleep. Rise 8 AM, order heavy breakfast (900 r). Pay tab 3950 r—highest so far. Dry shoes, chill in bed. Leave Evergreen 9:45 AM. Hike via Sarong to New Bridge—tea stop. Jeep road to Landruk; lunch Namaste Villa (chicken curry 800 r). Climb toward Australian Camp, checkpoint moved. Continue to Kande 4:08 PM, catch chicken bus to Pokhara (150 r). Jump off Zero Km 5:30 PM. Laptop battery fixed (125 r, good service). Check in Nana Hotel—3 nights (1800 r). Dinner Turkish place—slow service, a test of patience. Evening festival, flower decor. Buy snacks (1000 r on card), shawarma sandwich (200 r). Lake Street festival—high energy crowds, sensory overload. Shower, rest. Laptop lighter after repair—a small victory.
Oct 21 – Recovery and Celebration
Dogs barking 7:30 AM, rise 9. Make café downstairs—feels homey, a necessary anchor. Breakfast bananas, dark chocolate, almonds. Cheap chow mein + momos. Drop laundry (4.6 kg / 11 nights clothes). Lunch highway corner (pork chow mein 190 r). Turkish falafel salad (350 r). Shower, rest, music recovery day. Evening walk—festival ongoing. Dinner triangle park (chicken chow mein 250 r). Withdraw 35k NPR (371 CAD) at Nabil. Late shawarma (chicken burger) + 2 beers to celebrate Annapurna completion. Still plan Sikles trek—the next mission defined.
Oct 22 – Extending the Hold
Light sleep, dogs again—the city’s noise is intrusive. Rise 9 AM, make café, snack on bananas. Pickup laundry (450 r). Eat local (200 r). Work on ACAP summary. Extend stay 2 nights (1200 r). Full rest day, mentally necessary. Lunch Turkish shawarma plate (400 r). Shower, rest. Dinner (chicken curry + naan 480 r). Festival still lively. Stock snacks at fav store. Preparing for the next phase.
Oct 23 – Breakthrough and Loss
Best rest in days. Rise 9:30 AM. Fill out Indian eVisa—form error, the bureaucratic fight restarts. Snack nuts + chocolate. Terrace training: handstand 4 sets, hip mobility, crawls, hangs—minor breakthrough achieved. Lunch buffalo chow mein (230 r). Shower, rest, ACAP log work. Lost new Tristar shirt, checked laundry—not there. A costly failure. Dinner triangle park (220 r). Evening music in streets. Chat GPT on ACAP journal. The work continues, despite the small frustrations.
Oct 24 – The Visa Win and The Grind
Sleep better, rise 8:30. Work on ACAP journal. eVisa payment fails. Snack croissant + nuts. No shirt found. Extend 2 nights (1200 r). Balcony handstands, power outage. Walk to Malepan Gym (closed). Leg workout near Agri Center: bounce sq 2×60, ATG drills, stair jumps 3×3, weighted pistols (1–3 blocks), tib raises 2×18, Cossacks + leg swings cooldown. The body is pushed hard. Lunch chicken khana (200 r). Try eVisa again—finally succeeds (57 CAD). Celebrate at Turkish (400 r). Snack 650 r. Rest night. A pivotal point passed.
Oct 25 – Shirt Recovery and Pull Discipline
Good sleep, rise 9 AM. Morning ACAP work. Laundry found—shirt recovered after 6 years no losses. An irrational relief. Pull workout on terrace: partials 4×20, crawls, triceps, recline rows. Lunch U n Me (fried rice + chow mein 400 r). Rest, work. Evening walk to river—Diwali still on. Dinner Mother’s Kitchen (egg fried rice + tea 250 r). Walk lake road—festive crowds. The world feels momentarily balanced.
Oct 26 – Training and Logistics
Sleep ok, dogs again. Rise 8:30. Make café, work Pokhara page. Walk to lake—find gym (600 r / day). Lunch chicken khana (200 r). Fix minor visa passport error—one final tweak. Handstand + neck training: 3 sets each, bridges front/back, manual twists + side holds. Short Methlang Hill walk, 4×15 s hill sprints. Cool down Tai Chi. Dinner U n Me (fried momos 250 r). No water for shower, forced nap. Chat with son 45 min about sports + eye surgery. Evening thupka (180 r). Snack bar before bed. The final preparations complete.