Started in Kathmandu's tangle of alleys and prayer flags, then took the mountain road out to Pokhara, where the lake sits flat and blue under the Annapurna range on a clear morning. Most of the week was spent on the lower circuit trail — not the full teahouse trek, just enough to get above the treeline and remember why I carry a camera up hills instead of just looking.
FOOD
Thakali set at any roadside stop past Beni — better than the touristy Lakeside places.
HIDDEN GEM
Sarangkot at first light, before the paragliders arrive.