A Bird’s Eye View of Pokhara

When I took this shot, my feet were firmly planted on the top of Sarangkot. Five minutes later, I jumped off of it.

The two weeks I spent in northern India and Nepal during winter vacation gave me an endless supply of unforgettable experiences, but the single chunk of time that stands out most vividly was the half-hour I spent paragliding over Pokhara. Pokhara is a backpacker’s haven; nestled in the foothills of the Annapurna mountain range and flanked on one side by Lake Phewa, it’s the perfect base camp for extended treks and other adventuring. If you just want a small dose of adrenaline, though, a tandem paragliding flight is the activity of choice.

And away we go.

I love heights. Whenever I take off to a new place, I’m always hankering for a bird’s eye view. Some of the most memorable views I’ve seen around the world have been from several hundred feet in the air. Whether it’s looking out over Hong Kong from Victoria Peak, surveying London from the top of the O2 Arena, gazing out over Macau from the Macau Tower (and then bungee jumping off of it), or taking in Paris from the Eiffel Tower, the higher I am, the happier I am.

With my feet dangling 1700 meters above the ground, I was a happy camper.

And paragliding in Pokhara thrilled me to no end. I was basically drunk with euphoria at the end of my half-hour flight.