Nepal 63, A Peek Into Another Life

This is a long one, it was a long day.

I  didn’t sleep well. I was quite warm, in fact I was a bit too warm, my sleeping bag is excellent. The thing that kept me awake was the goats below, the smell and the fact they kept crashing about. The hard bed didn’t help matters and the I had to put my feet out the side to extend them fully.

Chini and Padam, Kriti’s parents were up at the crack of sparrows, quite literally, there were sparrows nesting not far above my head and they made a right racket. Kriti and I got up a little while after. I don’t think she slept too well either. I washed my face and hands from the water butt and that was going to have to do. There is little privacy and women generally wash at outside under a special dress.

Chini, was feeding the goats and chickens, there was a huge cauldron of something heating outside. I couldn’t really help with anything but, I thought that I could keep the fire going to heat whatever it was that was cooking. I found out later it was a sort of bran and waste food mix for the animals. Anyway that’s what I did and Kriti captured the moment of near disaster on video!

It boiled over and I had an audience of old ladies coming up the lane! Kriti came to the rescue and spooned some mash out and then resourcefully used old maize leaves as insulation to lift the very heavy hot pot off the fire, eek! Chini laughed so much when she heard what had happened especially when she saw the video! That’s a relief!

After a very filling breakfast, Kriti, her Father and I went on quite a walk to a Buddhist holy cave. It was a long walk with Roshi River valley on the south side and Sun Koshi river Valley the other. We could probably have see mountains had it not been so hazey. Impossibly high Pine and Rhododendron forests interspersed with small fields. We took a number of foot tracks too and finally made it to the entrance of our destination Yarinag Guru Duphug Tongsum Kundag at Temal. This is a Rimpoche’s (Buddhist Monk of high standing) place and very holy. We descended the newly made steps down the side of the hill to see the small cave and stone Rimpoche’s foot (a natural rock formation that looks like a foot. Unfortunately much of it was obscured by hundreds of prayer scarf’s. It was surprisingly crowded when we got to the holiest part. Candles, incense, people! All a bit too much for me. Kriti and her father are devout and were saying the mantra as they went around. Kriti did try to teach it to me but the only bit I can remember now is Om!

We wandered across to another temple that was more my style, a little house with a store next to it. It was closed, hey ho! I enjoyed the walk and the views.

Temal is the heartland of the Tamang people in Nepal. The Tamang are believed to have migrated from Tibet in 3000 BCE ( I think this would put them at the bronze age or equivalent) and occupy the high hill regions of the Himalayas. They have their own language and culture, most are Buddhist.

The Gorkha rulers in the 18th century displaced and exploited the Tamang and Temal saw at least one bloody battle where one of their chieftains was killed. The Tamang today are still exploited in Nepal from what I have read, having the most low paid jobs and I also read somewhere they have a disproportionate amount of Tamang people in prison.

We caught a bus to another holy site and the shape you see is very specific to the Tamang.

After arriving at a little village for lunch Kriti and her father ate, I was still full from breakfast! The little cook house was so busy. I went to sit outside and rather embarrassed three girls talking about me, I only caught every other word but, when I spoke to them in Nepali they looked rather abashed!

We started walking back towards Kriti’s home and Kriti told me she was nervous of the jungle here because visitors and locals had been robbed by vagabonds.

We were both watching the roadsides then and I was mulling over what to do if the worst were to happen! I was thinking the dust would be useful to throw in an (or many) assailants eyes…..I’m am not really sure I’d have the presence of mind if it did happen though. Anyway it didn’t. Kritis father started to tire a bit and eventually we were able to catch a bus to take us back.

Chini, was working on the farm and Kriti and I went to pick Nettles for dinner. The nettle is different to ours more woody and distinctly prickly even on top of the leaves. Kriti used tongs, what a brilliant idea! Never thought of that! Apparently much the same as the UK, you are considered a witch if you eat nettles. So there you have it, it’s official!

Then Chini asked that we water the small onions that covered an area the size of my entire veg patch. We started with buckets from the reservoir but, when Chini brought a water butt down and started to set it up, I realised it would be far too low for a syphon to work effectively. So I helped set it up higher and make it stable enough, then Kriti and I filled it with water. Kriti did the lion’s share because she didn’t want me to fall in the reservoir. Her father extended the hose and we all were involved getting the onions watered.

As you can see the light was fading and it was nearly dark when the women went in to do the cooking, leaving Padam to sort out the animals.

The preparation of the Nettles was pretty much the same as I do at home except for the addition of maize flour, and spiced instead of potato. However I want you to see the whisk.

Anyway then Chini made a maize dough and watching her cook was fantastic. She prepared the pickle fresh, grinding the spices with a pebble on a slate.

It was delicious and afterwards we had sweet masala tea before falling into our beds.

What a wonderful day!