angusmccoll

The family rise before sunrise and get about their chores. SuAs’s aunt and the oldest girl (8 years old) go into the fields. His mother starts preparing food for the day. All over the mountain you can hear people getting about. I go for a walk and there are men ploughing fields with their oxen. A machine would not be able to get from one field to another because of the change in elevation from one layer to the next. Animals are the only way. Oxen pull a single tyne through the dirt weighted and controlled by the farmer. I’ve only seen men do this. The women will carry extraordinary loads in baskets from their heads. Sometimes it’s manure from their animals for fertilizer. The crops look very healthy and strong so they clearly know what they are doing. Millet and wheat are coming to the end of their cycle and are close to being harvested. It’s common to see cereals being cleverly grown with legumes, which provide nitrogen. Now maize is being planted. Potatoes are another popular crop. Water flows freely everywhere, cutesy of the mountains and those mysterious aquifers. 

SuAs makes me breakfast of eggs and black tea. I get some nice photos of the family. The two older girls get ready for school and around 9am there are kids from all directions making their way to classes.

SuAs and I leave around 10am to make our way down the mountain to the village to catch a bus. We arrive back into the bus park at Kathmandu around 2.30pm and I walk back to the hotel. Raju is pleased to see me because I hadn’t intended to be away overnight. He’s busy with hotel renovations so I’m being moved from one room to another.

Im up at 5.40am to meet SuAs at 6. I have to wake one of the staff to let me out of the hotel. SuAs and I walk to the bus park and step straight onto the bus Lamosanghu in the Sindhupalchok area. This is his home village and he has invited me to visit his family. It’s a 3-hour trip so we decide to go out and back in one day but as the day unfolds, it’s obvious we won’t get back tonight. I haven’t prepared for an overnight stay but SuAs is adamant it will be fine to stay at his home. SuAs’s English is not good so our communications are often confused. I’m happy to go with what ever happens but events with SuAs often turn out differently to what I think the plan is. SuAs is a student, finishing his Journslism qualifications. He lives in Kathmandu with his sister but his family home is in Lamosanghu.

We reach Lamosanghu later than planned but SuAs wants to take me further. The damage from the quake is very evident the whole way. The road follows a beautiful river and there are many villages taking advantage, being perched on the river’s side. This didn’t spare them from the quake. It looks like a war zone. In places, houses and businesses sit in their half destroyed state. Businesses continue in the safer buildings, though they don’t look safe to me. Life goes on! Either side of the river are steep mountain ranges. It’s a remarkable looking landscape, badly scared by landslides and broken lives. We walk for a while to view one of the bigger landslides. It’s so incredible to see because a huge slice of the mountain has simply collapsed into the river. This didn’t happen at the time of the quake but the quake did weaken the landscape. Weeks passed and as the communities were trying to deal with the devastation of the earthquake, all hell broke loose here again. Around midnight the mountain side conceded and slipped into the river over the top of a small village. A single photo cannot capture the scale of this thing. SuAs explains that 160 people died that night, no doubt in their beds. And the dead most likely still remain buried under the rubble here, although there is nothing here to indicate this or memorialise the event. The river was blocked and had to be freed with explosives. 

SuAs and I jump on a bus to continue on. He’s poor English makes it unclear where we are going. I eventually workout he wants to show me a bungy-jumping site. Okay, not really that interesting but let’s go. The bus breaks down and passengers simply disembark and start walking. SuAs wants to walk on to the bunjy but I protest so we catch a bus back to Lamosanghu. Now to walk up to his home. I imagined some walking up because Nepal is all about walking up. But I wasn’t mentally prepared how far up. We must have walked for nearly an hour to get to his home. On the way we pass a huge abandoned magnasite processing plant. I think they crush the ruck and make cement. It survived the quake but sits here quietly rusting and visually polluting the landscape. Houses are splattered all over this steep hill. They are vegetable and grain farmers and, surprisingly, chicken farmers. There are many big sheds where chickens are being fattened for meat. The crops are growing in typical Nepalese style layered paddocks. Water freely flows from springs. We come to a school, yes a school all the way up here. Working on constructing a new school building are a group of young Europeans, volunteering. The building is of a very unusual construction. Straw and mud make up the wall of a circular shaped building. The tin roof is going on and the electrician is busy doing the wiring. This is a unique design and is the brainchild of one of the group. It will certainly be quake proof.

We go up further and behind another chicken shed is SuAs’s home, finally. We met his father and uncles working in the fields as we were walking up. At home are his mother, aunt and three children. Their home was a 2-story stone building but the quake has reduced it to one, like nearly every home on this mountain. They sleep in tin sheds beside the wreck of a home. The goats bed in the house. SuAs’s mum is beautiful in her traditional dress. Their life seems simple but hard. His father arrives with swathes of millet on his back, harvested in the layered fields below. He is 65. He dispairs at not having a proper house now for his family. None of the family speaks English and SuAs speaks it sparingly. Communication is difficult. After tea SuAs, his father and I walk to a nearby basic store for a beer. The construction team building the school are there and it’s good to have a chat. 

UNFINISHED

It’s 8am and SuAs and Raj are here to take me out for the day. We catch a mini bus to the Bus Park from where the city local city buses depart. The minibuses are usually small worn out little vans that get unbelievably crowded with locals. They are uncomfortable and likely to break down at any moment but very cheap. They are a main source of transport for those that don’t have their own means of getting around. They tend to put the tourists in the front because they are generally bigger than the average Nepalese customer. This may seem like an advantage but while you might be physically more comfortable, the experience from up front is visual torture! The drivers are usually either crazy or wannabe rally drivers. We do survive and arrive at the bus park to catch a city bus to Bhuktapur. 

Across from the bus park is a large space where the Nepalese army train and work their horses. There is activity there at this early part of the day. It looks like they are practicing the sport of tent pegging, where riders try to lance an in-ground wooden peg while galloping at speed. It’s a sport I’ve seen played in Australia. In another part of this large inner city space is an area where locals exercise. It’s 8.30 on a Monday morning and already there is an enthusiastic game of cricket in progress.

Before reaching Bhuktapur we visit a hill top where a giant statue of Ceiba, one of the Hindu Gods, is under construction. It’s huge.

Bhuktapur was a separate city but is now part of the Kathmandu sprawl. Tourist come here to visit the old Centre of the city, particularly Durbar Square. This is where the King and Queen of Buktapur used to live and rule. It’s now World Heritage Listed for its archaeological and cultural value to the world. The architecture is of similar style and age as that of the other Darbar Squares in Kathmandu and neighboring Patan. SuAs and Raj show me around. It all dates back to the 8th century at a time when Nepal was separate kingdoms. The Square, and much of Bhuktapur, was badly affected by the earthquake so now ancient buildings and statues are help up by supporting timber poles. Amazingly businesses are still operating in these buildings.

Raj has arranged for us all to visit his Aunt and family for lunch. They live in an area of Bhuktapur called Gondu, which is a decent taxi drive away and on a hill side. We met Raj’s direct family a few days ago. Now we are with his mother’s sister. She has four daughters, one is married to a German and now lives in Germany. He was visiting Bhuktapur Durbar Square as a tourist years ago and met Raj’s cousin. The wedding was a full-on Hindu affair here in Kathmandu. Rajs’Edit cousins showed me the photos. An amazing story. Two younger girls are at college and the youngest is at school. They live a very simple meager existence, as does Raj’s family, on a small piece of land. Their house was weakened by the quake and is unlivable so now the live in tin sheds at the back. Raj’s Aunt welcomes us with ‘welcome tea’. She’s beautiful, as are two of her daughters who are at home at the moment. Raj hasn’t visited the for a long while because it’s difficult for him to get here from his home without his own transport. The banter is so typical of any family. To Raj from his Aunt – ‘You rarely come to visit’, ‘you look too thin’, etc. it’s easy to see this is an overdue reunion and the love is obvious. From very little, these familiesEdit seem to be able to offer their children healthy opportunities. A full education is available to them, though logistically difficult, and they make the most of it. I don’t know how they do it. ‘We are poor but we are happy’ Raj explains. 

After a beautiful lunch we walk around the farms and visit the local school. We can catch a bus back from here so we wait. Raj and his Aunt and cousins are making the most of these last moments together so there is plenty of talk and laughter. Occasionally he translates for me to keep me in the loop.

I get back to the hotel around 5.30pm and Ganesh is there waiting.  He’s taking me over to a sister hotel to where I’m staying to show me around. He explains the plans they have for the hotel in the future. It has a pool, which during the earthquake, through up a huge wave as it rocked back and forth. The manager was inundated and had to hold onto a fence to avoid being swept into the side of the hotel.Edit

SuAs meets me at the hotel at 8am. We take a taxi to Swayambhu, the Monkey Temple. I’ve been here before but not at this early hour of the day. The light is great for photos and the statues and stupas glow. Even at this time there is so much going on here. It must be such a ritual for the followers to come here at times of the week to make offerings to their God. Both Buddhists and Hindus are catered for here. I’m still confused as to why the two religions are so closely associated. From my limited knowledge the teachings seem so different. 

We meet Raj there at the wishing well and decide to go to the White Monastry, which prides itself on being one of the biggest monasteries in Asia – so the boys tell me. We walk then catch a micro bus. What an experience! These beat up minivans get so crowded. I’m the biggest person in the bus, half sitting on a little old Tibetan woman. These buses are very cheep so are worth the effort if you know what your doing. The guys are showing me the way. From the final stop it’s a hike up a steep hill to two monasteries. Sadly the ‘Red Monastey’ is closed and we can’t enter. Just behind and further up the hill is the ‘White Monastry’. It’s closed too because it has suffered badly from the earthquake and is under repair. There are many monk nuns about, busily doing their chores. They have an unusual uniform or dress that includes a snappy looking beret. We come across another group of female monks on sophisticated looking mountain bikes. They’re grinding their way up the hilly road to the monastery. Raj explains that this is part of their fitness regime. What an effort. We go behind the huge Monastry to a scene of sad destruction. A small school lies in ruins because of the earthquake. It happened on a Saturday so it’s unlikely any children were harmed there. Saturday is the one day of the week the schools are closed.

While here Raj chats to three Chinese guys looking around. They saw a big white thing on google maps so decided to investigate. They had no idea what it was. How funny.

We take a shortcut down the hill through a pine forest. Raj knows it well because it’s his back yard. As a kid he played all through here. At the first houses on the edge of the forest we call in. This is Raj’s home. It’s a very simple dwelling of mud and tin on the steep edge of the hill. He introduces me to his parents and grandfather and other members of his family. We stay for  a traditional dal bhat lunch. I feel so humbled to be here as a guest. They are so poor but so giving. The views from here though are spectacular. You would pay millions in Australia for such s vantage point. From here Raj goes into the city by foot and bus to work and study. What a tough life. He doesn’t have much work these days because the tourism business that employs him doesn’t get much business from the few tourists visiting these days. That’s why he has time to show me around.

We catch a taxi back into Thamel and the guys show me back to the hotel.

I catch again with Ganesh for beers and pool at the Irish bar, until closing time – midnight!

Nothing exciting to report today. I managed to finish a few jobs that needed doing for people back in Australia. One was a report for Som on my time in Batase and the other was final using designs for Tony and sending off to the manufacturers in Vietnam.

I spent a bit of time with Raju commenting on website ideas. He is redoing the website for their trekking business. Some of his competitors have very sophisticated and professional websites. I can also help him with photos and editing.

Raj and SuAs offer to show me around today. SuAs is a friend of a friend I know from Batase village and Raj is his friend. SuAs has limited English while Raj is reasonably easy to talk to. They arrive around 3pm and we catch a taxi to Buddanath. Buddanath is a World Herutage listed stupa in Kathmandu. Unfortunately it suffered from the earthquake last year but it is being repaired. As well as being a significant place of worship for Buddhists, it’s also a beautiful peaceful refuge from the craziness of Kathmandu. It has a very special atmosphere that easily satisfies many visits. You don’t go there just once.

While there a Hindu wedding procession came in. To my surprise the musicians were playing bagpipes! Not sure how bagpipes crept into the Hindu culture. It works though. They were great. Raju tells me they are Mongolian.

We catch a bus from here to Pashupatinath, the huge Hindu place if worship. I’ve been before but not in the late afternoon light. It has potential for photos but we have to pay the equivalent of $13 to get in. I decide not to so we don’t get access. We walk around the markets there then catch a taxi to the edge of Thamel. We walk through lane ways and streets that are just outside of the tourist strip so are genuine Nepalese markets. The colour and atmosphere of these crowded busy markets have no parallel in the western world I don’t think. It’s fascinating witnessing it all. Here, as an outsider, you don’t even get noticed. Unlike the tourist strip, you’re not approached and pestered by pushy street vendors.

I spend most of the day on my laptop. I have to do some work for Tony to help with clothing designs he’s having manufactured in Vietnam. And I’m editing some of my photos from the trek to show Raju.

I’m feeling seedy and tired from last night’s effort. It was good fun but exhausting.

The taxi gets me to the bus stop by 7am and I find my bus amongst the many lined up. I sit next to a young guy who’s traveling back to Kathmandu with is wife, son and sister in law. He lived six years in England working as a chef and has just returned to be closer to family. His parents are aging and he will help look after them. He was concerned by the way the elderly in Britain are forgotten by their children and left to look after themselves. I explained it’s like that in Australia. Nepalese culture is different. He aims to start up a restaraunt in Kathmandu but for now his having some fun on funds saved while in England. The family has been holiday ing in Pokhara and in a few days he will travel with his brother in a jeep to the Mustang region of Nepal. Mustang is a province with a difference. It has its own rules. It has its own monarchical structure. There is a king of Mustang. It’s very expensive to get entry into the area but it is supposed to be old worldly and beautiful. It borders Tibet so there is a strong Tibetan influence there. It is a unique region.

The bus trip goes well. It’s an interesting trip because the road is high up in the mountains and it follows rivers for most of the time. In places it’s terrifying looking down over sheer drops. Nepalese life flows by. Rafting is popular on the rivers, and even my friend has tried it recently.

From the bus stop I walk to Hotel Hotel Lilly. Raju is there and we have a discussion about the trek. Ganesh is on his way. Raju, Ganesh and I go to an Irish bar just a few doors down from hotel Lilly. It’s a night of drinking and pool playing for Ganesh and me. We team up against other travelers and actually win a few games. Raju stays sober so he can pick his wife up from the orphanage. She looks after about 23 children there.

There are plenty of travelers at the bar from all corners of the world. It’s fun and Ganesh and I actually succeed in winning a few games. I drink too much.

Not feeling well so I spent most of the day in bed. I’ve organized to my bus ticket to Kathmandu tomorrow. In a weakened state I cruise the city to find a functioning ATM but alas, I failed. It’s difficult to find a useful ATM at the best of times but yesterday’s Shivarati holiday must have cleaned them out. Fortunately I could pay my hotel bill with credit card.

For dinner I wander down to the lakeside esplanade. It’s busy with people, both foreigners and Nepalese. It reminded me of the Cairns esplanade. Everyone is relaxed and having fun.

I’ve hired a jeep today at great expense to visit some of the sights of Pokhara. My driver speaks little or no English, or chooses not to. First stop is the World Peace Stopa atop of a hill on the other side of the lake to where I am staying. The road up is very rough, which explains why you can’t catch a bus up here. It’s around 9am and the early light on the Stupa is stunning. It was built in 1973 by a japaneses Buddhist sect and is painted white with gold ornation. It’s beautiful. On each of its four sides are inset figures of Buddha in various forms. The white and gold is so bright that it burns my naked eyes. It’s difficult to look at without sunglasses. This is a sacred place and signs everywhere ask for silence but sadly they are ignored. Mothers yelling at children and youth with music blaring from mobile devices pay little respect. Reminds me of Australia. 

This is one of 80 stupas built by the Buddhist sect around the world and its one of two constructed in Nepal. The other is in Lumini, the birth place of Buddha. As well as building peace stupas around the world, this sect is also know for organising huge pilgrimages to promote peace and anti nuclear sentiment.

From here my unfriendly driver takes me to a waterfall and a cave. I expected this would be out in the country but no, he parks his car in a part of the city and gestures to me to follow the signs. Sure enough there is a sign to a waterfall, in the city. I’ve seen waterfalls before so I wasn’t expecting anything too special. It’s crowded because today is a holiday for Nepal. It’s a Hindu festival called Shivaratri, to worship the God Shiva. It’s also the one day of the year you can legally smoke hash.

Anyway it’s a holiday and the waterfall is busy with visitors. The waterfall is a bit bizarre. There isn’t a great flow of water from height as you might expect. It’s a creek at ground level that flows through conglomerate rock wearing it  into all sorts of shapes. Huge holes in the rock and wells are everywhere. But then the water drops into a pit that we can’t see the bottom of. This is in the city of Pokhara. There must be a huge cave system under the city. Across the road from here is the access to the cave. Unfortunately this access is also part of a Hindu shrine, which is very busy today because of the festival. There are people lined up with plates of food to offer Shiva. Access to the cave is closed.

We next ho to a museum dedicated to the mountains of Nepal and to those who climb them. It’s fascinating also because it explains the different ethnic groups of Nepal and their traditional dress. We saw this on out trek and Garnesh would explain the different groups and their dress to me. The museum also helped to explain. I would have spent a couple of hours here, which probably pissed my driver off more.

From here we had to drive across the other side of town to a museum dedicated to the Gurkhers. The British army has had an association with these fearless fighters since 1814. As I understand it, in 1814 the British East India Company (BEIC) took on the King of Gorkha who was busy annexing surrounding provinces into a united Nepal. A particular battle had 3000 BEIC soldiers up against 600 Gorkhan soldiers and while under bombardment from the Brits, a soldier parted the dust and smoke and walked into the British camp. He had been shot in the jaw and wanted medical assistance. After the British doctors patched him up, he demanded to be allowed to return to his troupes to continue the fight. They let him go. Unable to beat the Gorkhan soldiers militarily, the Brits tried to starve them out but the survivors escaped. Such bravery and cunning clearly impressed Britain because from then on, they have been recruiting fighting men from the Ghorkha region. They became known as Ghurkas and to this day are known as the Royal Gurkhas. Members of the Royal family have their own Gurkha regiment. The Gurkhas have been involved in so many areas of conflict since their formation and have done so with extraordinary distinction. For a small fighting force they have a large number of VCs. More recently they’ve been involved in peace keeping in Timor Leste with the UN and they have a permanent association with the Sungapore police. They recently marched at our ANZAC day parade.

Big day for me and I was happy to part with my cranky driver. I was to go into town to witness the celebrations of Shivarati day but I’m not feeling well. I suspect it’s something I ate. From my bed I can here crude fireworks going off and lots of cheering and singing, well into the night. I suspect fueled by hash!