It is indeed Pame, a small village in Pokhara that has less than 2,000 people residing amidst the gorge of Sarangkot hills, that is a must visit for those who truly want to understand what the real Pokhara has to offer in abundance. A drive of some 20 minutes, right from the Center Point, will take you to Pame, which is hugely popular for varieties of fish delicacies.
Because Lakeside is again just a look alike of the streets of Thamel in Kathmandu, Pame offers you a breathtaking view, serene and calm environment and fills you with nostalgia and drives you to hallucination to enjoy the natural accommodation.
Having been advised to visit by some friends of mine, I really wanted to see how Pame could make my Pokhara trip worth remembering.
“If you miss to visit Pame, you’re going to miss a lot. Trust me, dude, it’s far better than boating on Phewa Lake and enjoying the view of Mount Machhapuchhre.” I still remember these words told to me by my friends before I packed my bags for a quick vacation. Pokhara in itself is a beautiful city to pamper yourself and Pame has added more natural ensembles to make your stay a beautiful one.
Because cabs are too expensive to afford – 250 rupees for five minutes of distance – my friend and I hired a bike to drive to Pame. After wheeling right from the Center Point and upon driving around 300 meters away I could smell fresh air, I could feel a different mood in the weather, a different aroma in the air.
On the way to Pame, first came Singare where Phewa Lake stretched its arms differently, like I’ve never seen it before. As I accelerated ahead, I left behind the sight of concrete walls, cement buildings, fancy shops, expensive eateries and a dense population. The fresh smell from the wide fields of paddy, wheat and millet were something extraordinary to me for I hardly had such opportunity to smell them amidst the thick layers of smoke and dusts that Kathmandu is rich in. It suddenly felt like my eyesight got better beneath these clear sky and around the greenery with the deep blue lake stretching calmly and peacefully.
Another five minutes on the bike took me to Rato Mato Dade, a viewpoint that gives one a breathtaking view of Pokhara city. It’s like looking at the fishtail city inside a small bowl. Rato Mato Dade is more popularly known as Pollywood Shooting Site for many Nepali films are shot in the location. It is also where many young couples come to share their dreams together and enjoy their date close to nature. For couples, one local lady charges Rs 30 to stay there, and for others, fifteen rupees seems nothing while they beckon the surroundings.
It is a different joy altogether to reach Sedi, Bhakunde and Chankhapur – near Pame Bazaar. At these locations it is again a different feeling to witness Phewa Lake’s generosity in contributing its wings to form small ponds and rivers where young residents of the said locales are found fishing around the gorges. With a few wooden boats on duty to make tourists travel an adventure, the locales have also developed unique boats made up of wood and iron for fun ride. And a kilometer ahead resides the Pame Bazaar, which is surrounded by the hills of Sarangkot.
How could I not taste the delicacies of fishes for I had been hearing about them since quite long? As I reached there I understood why people keep on talking about fishes in Pame. It became obvious to me after I understood how many in Pame village make their living out of running hotels that offer local Nepali foods with different species of fish served either as a curry or fried. I was aware of species like Rahu, Ashla and Sahar amongst the fishes we consume in the capital. But Pame had a lot more. The names were like Fangeta, Bam, Bhitta, Shera, Chuchhe Bam, Jinge Bhoti, Jhinga, Gatte, Chille, Rewa, Bange and Buduna were weird to listen to but of course they tasted too good to describe.
Maybe it was also the trick of organic spices and herbs used while making these varieties that gave fish curry a different taste, which I never had felt in Kathmandu.
What added the flavor in the foods was the firewood kitchen in every local hotel around Pame. Even the plain rice and green vegetables cooked on firewood had a unique taste.
“Yes, we make our living through these fishes,” shared Hari Maya Subedi of Trishna Hotel and highlighted how the villagers are disappointed these days because some young people are stabbing on their survival by destroying the fishes of the lake.
“They pass current in the lake to kill fishes and export them outside Pokhara. It’s illegal and we’re raising voice against it,” Subedi didi explained.
With locals now more aware of illegal fish hunting, they have started fish farming on their own so as to make sure that their bread and butter is not taken away from them.
For a short trip around, you can now accelerate back to the lakeside. But if you have more time to dwell around nature’s beauty in abundance, you can easily opt for a hiking towards the Sarangkot hills and to the Peace Pagoda, which are the next destinations after Pame Bazaar.
I preferred to accelerate back because of my time commitments. But indeed the new found lakeside in and around Pame Bazaar is an adventurous journey, a location where you feel like staying forever, where a glider comes right before you landing on the paddy fields, where the tree leaves play around the cool breeze, the water stands wide and calm, where the swans love flapping their wings across the deep lake and where you are driven emotionally with your soul meeting all its desires. It’s in Pame you stop and ask yourself: “Did I ever desire to see what heaven really looks like. I got my answer today.”
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