Although there are more places to hangout in Lakeside, I have always preferred to stay in Damside for better mountain views. M asked the receptionist if the "reflection" could be seen, and to his disappointment received the answer "from the other side." He was referring to the commonly seen pictures of Phewa Taal ko angan ma Machhapuchhre chhaya. I assured him that some of the "reflection" can be seen in the morning if it is clear. Well, it was around 2 pm then and the mountains were already behind the clouds. After checking in, we made a leisurely walk to Baidam. Mulbato ma niskera baya modi Shahid Chowk bata pheri baya modiyo. Vehicular traffic was blocked in that area due to the ongoing “Pokhara Street Festival.” We decided to stop for a light lunch. It took a long time to receive our order. While waiting at our outdoor table just a few meters from the water, M remarked, “You first got the ticket for the bus # 101 that does not even exist, then into that screwed up Lewinsky bus and now probably this place is out of food.” He had ordered a veggie dish. L commented “they are probably still looking for the seeds to grow the vegetables.” My comment was “you need the land to grow the vegetables, and buying land is quite a bureaucratic and chaotic process.” We spent some more time gazing at the lake and the surrounding hills. Ananda lindai Sarangkot ra Pumdi Bhumdi ka danda haru, ani taal ma chaleka dunga haru herdai kehi ber guff gariyo. Eventually our food arrived, and soon we were on a boating trip. Yeso Barahi Mandir ko fanko marera we started our stroll on the Lakeside and stopped for beer and snacks at a restaurant. As we waited on our table enjoying watching the street activities, an Indian woman sitting nearby asked me “Excuse me, are you from India?” Bhitra bhitrai ta jhanakkai ris uthyo, taipani trying not to be rude I replied, “No, I am from Kathmandu." She asked me again, “We are going back there tomorrow. Do you think RB’s is going to be open?” "Ma tyaha kaam garne ho ra malai thaha huna lai" bhandiu jasto lagyaathyo. “Probably, since the strike has been postponed” bhandie. “Do you think if Peanuts is going to be open?” “Probably.” “Ok thank you, sorry to disturb you.” “It’s ok, no problem.” Soon we left the restaurant and started our pre-dinner stroll. Beer ko haluka buzz le garda ananda airaheko thiyo. M and J bought some stuff at Park and Save (did not see any parking spot, and things did look costly) needed for the trek that we were to start the next day. Thau thau ma folk dances were held on the streets. The Lemon Tree Restaurant had special Newari dish advertised for Rs 50. Obviously, I could not resist it. I had taken them to a Newari restaurant in the Chetrapati area the previous day, and they were more than willing to try some more Newari food after enjoying jibro fry, gidi etc. Needless to say, that is where we chose to have our dinner. A slim young lady dressed in traditional Newari attire served us “aila” from the “aunty” on small earthen dishes (can anyone tell me what are they called?). Ek dui thopa nilna sath mukh dekhi pet samma nyaano hune. We ordered the special dish, which was served on the saal ko paat ko tapari (lappes ki bhanincha Newari ma?). Piro piro choela, alu ko achar, alu bodi tama ko tarkari ra chiura khaiyo beer sanga. They were also playing Nepali folk music. After a long time I had heard the song “dhunga lyayo syauli lyayo saunay bhel le..bhet bhayo maya lagyo karma ko khel le.” A little more tipsy from the beer, I started humming the song myself. “Dr. Stolte is there!” M said all of a sudden. Dr. Stolte was one of our economics professors in college. Jhasanga bhaera heray. M started laughing, malai tettikai ullu banaeko rahicha mora le. It would have been a nice surprise to meet our college professor like that but..may be next time. We left the restaurant. J wanted some ice cream to kill the piro. After stopping at Baskins Robbins, we walked our way back to our hotel. With a bit tipsy body and a full stomach we soon crossed the unlit stretch between Baidam and Shahid Chowk and reached out hotel. Planning to meet at the rooftop the next morning for some photography, we headed to our rooms. Kramasha