Last night at the hotel, Garret was wandering the grounds when a group of men rushed past him weilding bricks and stones and yelling loudly. Garret being the daredevil that he is, went chasing after them to see what was up. When he finally gave up trying to communicate with them, he returned to the terrace where the rest of us were hanging out. Alex, our flamboyant host, explained that the men were chasing a big cat from the property (he said cheetah but I think leopard is more likely). He urged us to sleep with the windows shut, so we did.
At 5:20 this morning we woke up and watched the sun rise over the distant Himalayan mountains. It was absolutely breathtaking and I wish I had a much better camera.
After breakfast we hiked for 3 hours downhill via cow and goat trails to Gocool's villiage. The villiage doesn't have a name, but a sign at the top of the first path said "Nirvana" and pointed in the right direction, so for romance sake, that's what I'll call it. Near the top of the trail were two black dogs that decided to join us. In Nepal, dogs aren't owned like they are in Canada, most are wild or wander from area to area. They are usually around people though, by choice. These dogs were homeless but were the gentlest creatures. They stuck with us for the whole trip (well actually one was in a dog fight in a village and we lost her, but the other stayed the whole time). They were great guides down the hillside and were very attentive and watchful for our safety. Reminded me of border collies.
In Gocool's villiage we met his family, which was everyone in town, and saw the new house he was having built for his mother. The old house is a mud shack with clay floors and a clay oven. The goats take up most of the main living area and the second floor is a small communal bedroom for the household (6 people I think). Gocools mom brought out her best dinner plates and made us special rice pudding and curry for lunch, which is usually reserved for extraordinary occasions like weddings. We sat on the floor and ate.
Gocool showed us a monster sized banyan tree that his ancestor planted for the village square. All of the 5 households in the area are descended from him. It was cool to see a villiage centered around a tree that gives shade instead of some building. It really showed what sort of connection the village-folk have with the land.
After lunch it was about noon and 40 degrees out. There was no water in the area, and all of the local trucks were broken down or at the mechanics'. Lucily Nepal has some of the best cell phone coverage in the world. Gocool called up the hill and ordered us a truck to come get us out. The people in the houses we passed all came out to laugh at the rich wimpy tourists that would drive up the hill instead of hike. Isha had hurt her foot though, and we were becoming really dehydrated. The road out was basically a dried stream bed and very poorly maintained. I was scared for my life in some places and actually prayed at one point. Not that I'm religious at all, but it seemed like a really good thing to do.
What can I say, I hate heights and am a nervous passenger at the best of times. Bouncing along cliffs in the back of a pick up truck just isn't my idea of safe.
1 comment:
Amazing Pictures!
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