Nepal: Mincing in Pokhara (2nd October 2009)

Today is an admin day for me and Claire, we are pretty much set for our trek but need a few little bits like head torches and Sig bottles. Mick is flying up to Pokhara and intends to join us later on after popping in to camp for a surprise visit to keep our Nepali brethren on their toes.

We have a late start and pop down to Mike's for a breakfast fit for an Englishman. Our waiter is evidently accustomed to the British capacity for consuming tea and keeps a plentiful supply coming without any prompting from us; something reflected in the unnecessary tip we leave. This is one thing where I find my internal set of values being challenged. If I had been in an English restaurant and service had been added to the bill automatically I would remember the fact that the service charge is optional and would not hesitate in considering short changing them if we didn't have the appropriate coinage; although my British appetite for craving disappointment would also, no doubt, have been amply satisfied by the standard of the service and quality of the food. Yet here, I don't begrudge them a single rupee and happily leave a substantial tip on top of the service charge, but as the bill came to less than £4 a head perhaps my generosity is still in line with my internal set of values, but below a threshold worthy of concern.

We set off into town and quickly complete our errands. We have a fairly lazy day as our trek starts tomorrow and is going to last for 7 days so we take the opportunity to conserve a bit of energy and just relax. Mick joins us later in the afternoon, and after freshening up for dinner, we set off to the Everest steak house for the best steak in Nepal. We have another Nepalese gem which is chili chicken as a starter, absolutely delicious and just spicy enough to leave our taste buds alive for the steaks.

After dinner we head over to the Amsterdam bar where we meet a number of Mick's colleagues who just happen to be out and about tonight and stay for a few drinks before heading back to the hotel for a not-so-early night.