The Real Nepal
Gorkha, Nepal
December 24, 2014
The sunrise this morning was nothing short of spectacular. The valley was blanketed with fog and the villages and city of Gorkha looked like islands from a pirate film. The light from the sun danced across the mountains and turned them from white capped peaks to a soft golden hue.
After a hearty breakfast we hiked down to the fall through mist and fog to the Ludi River. We then crossed over after blessing ourselves, then made a steep climb up the hill to a neighbouring village. For a while we were joined by a girl in grade 9. She was on her way to write a health exam and was nonchalantly walking along in flip flops while we were carefully selecting our footing, gasping for air and sweating like we were doing hard physical labour Unbelievable Dawn.
The laborious journey to the village took 2 hours. This hike was no joke and the brutal part is that we have to go back the way we came!
I had to admit though, it was worth the effort. Life in the village was incredible. I think this is really the first time ever that we have been able to experience people living like they did 100 years ago. We were actually able to witness their daily routine and it was not scripted for our visit. Many of the older men and women still wear traditional Mongol clothing and use traditional tools for farming, preparing food, making household goods, clothing and cooking. We saw and experience so many things during our hour and a half tour of the village, but I will just try to capture the highlights for you.
We first came upon a man plowing his small field with two small black cows If I take a Picture I get a Break. The ground looks like clay and there are rocks everywhere. This was no easy task for neither man nor beast (and he was still at it when we were on our way back to the resort).
Most homes in the village were constructed mainly out of wood, stone and mud with tin roofs. In most homes the lower floor housed livestock - cows, goats and chickens or they had small out buildings for the animals. One pig pen was located just below the path on the edge of the hill. This pig had an incredible view of our resort and the mountains. He had his own personal high rise condo!
We spent some time with a family making Raski which they very generously shared with us. Until today we had only been served this potent beverage in a cup not much bigger than a thimble. The generous older brew mistress served us a healthy steaming tin cup full! The women and one gentlemen were delighted that we joined them for a drink Cutie Pie. One lady was thrilled to have her photo taken and our guide, Bimal, will print a copy and bring it to her on his next tour.
The one young boy was incredibly shy and very serious looking at first. Once he warmed up he started showing off and was doing stunts on his swing for us with a huge smile on his face. The kids in Nepal really know how to melt your heart!
One elderly man took us down to his massive orange grove (I think they are actually tangerines). It is near the end of the season and many are rotting and falling off the trees. The hike did not kills us, so I thought that we were going to meet our demise from falling fruit.
These people can truly survive without any assistance from the outside world - they have raised their own livestock, grow their own food and make their own household goods. How many of us can say that these days? Their lives are very difficult though Our New Friends. The children have to walk at least a couple of hours each day up and down the foothills to attend school. Men and women alike work in their fields that are located far outside their villages. But despite all of that, they are such beautiful and generous people. The spirit of the people here really make Nepal even more amazing.
The hike back home was longer and more challenging due to our aching muscles. We had to take many breaks, but we finally arrived back to the resort around 2:00. Our Nepalese lunch was all prepared and we washed it down with some refreshing Gorkha beer. We definitely earned it today from our four hour hike up and down the foothills.
The strenuous physical activity and the belly filling meal knocked Bill out. He spent the next hour and a half snuggled up in bed while I sat in the sun and caught up on the blog Oranges with a View. I also did some research on a bird that we spotted in the valley near the river. Bill and I caught sight of some beautiful bright blue wings and I said "that reminds me of a lilac breasted roller". Well, it turns out it was an Indian Roller!
We treated ourselves to a luxurious hot shower before heading up to watch another stunning sunset. It was even more beautiful than last night because the sky was completely clear and we were able to see the tops of the peaks. Bill sacrificed his body to take a great shot of the foothills after the sun descended behind them. It was totally worth it!
After the sunset we met Paula from the Philippines and she described their horrendous traffic jams as trafficgedon! Something for Bill to look forward to!
For dinner we thoroughly enjoyed the Basa fish and chips Hiking. I really enjoyed the tartar sauce with garlic all over my fish and potatoes. I even ate my cole slaw (a first for me).
Our bed was toasty warm when we crawled in with hot water bottles. Bill better play his cards right because I now know he can be replaced!
Pictures & VideosInto the FogTheresa Making FriendsGet Bill some HoochStill HikingMore FriendsHappy FamilyVillage HomeOn the Way Back HomeWorth It!Another Fantastic SunsetComments!
