Along the road to Pokhara

The bus continue to ride forward on a very muched out of date and needed repair highway, it is a highway in Nepal, definately will be called something else in other more developed countries, but, this is only major road to get there. Air is an option but we did not plan the trip with air, besides, even the drive is so slow, we were able to see more and photograph more.

Here is a portrait of a banana vendor, we stopped at the roadside to buy some Nepali banana (highly re-comm-ended - small - but quite tasty). Also with Panasonic GF-1.  Here the careful reader will fins out the focus of the picture is in fact on the bananas, not on the vendor, true, but it does not matter.  The relatively small sensor on GF-1 allow a little extra depth of field so the picture to me, is still useful.  This is a quick snap shot and the small LCD on the back of camera may not be able to tell me right away the exact focus, but I use GF-1 as a fast action camera, and I use a multi-zone focus setting most of the time so I do miss sometimes, but I rather to miss the focus than miss the picture!
The lunch break is nice, food itself is so so. Our tour guide assume this is a Chinese photo-grapher tour group so he centered the selection of food on Chinese, that to me is a mistake. Local food is also preferred, and Chinese food outside China and its populated area is rarely good enough. But we did not travel for food, so this is not un-acceptable.  The area to lunch is a river side, not particular beautiful but it is nature so it is nice. Done with lunch, while waiting for the bus to get us, I saw three Nepali girls on a wooden bench, and took this shot with GF-1 + 20/1.7, because of strong back-lit, I use the pop-up flash on the GF-1, control it manually, and the camera did OK.

After lunch, much of the road is build along a valley, a small river running wild below us.  Suddenly, someone saw the rafting on the river so we all decided to stop to take some pictures.  I picked up my Canon 1Ds III with the EF 70-200/2.8L IS + 1.4 Extender, made this opnly image of the guy rafting on the angry river.

After riding on the road for awhile, we took a break again at a small gas station to refill gas, as well as for us to go toilets. Given the status of Nepali development, this is the area that they are not behind China.  Clean, and reasonable privacy. I saw some kids sit in front of their room, with a nice formation, and snap this image.
Further from this point is the Pokhara, finally, we will be there.  The ride however, took longer than expected so the original plan of arriving Pokhara early and have a chance to shoot the majestic Machapuchare by the Phewa Lake is scrapped, we wil head directly to hotel, and dinner, and an early morning wake up call.
We stay at the Fulbari Resort and Spa, arguable the most luxury hotel in Pokhala and among the best in Nepal, is indeed a nice one, tonight I will have the comfort, and may be run a entire check-up of my gear and manage all the images took and ready for a little climb tomorrow.