MREC diaries – may our paths cross again

“May our paths cross again” – I love this parting phrase. Many a times this has proved right and I happen to meet my beloved ones again and again. 

It was almost two years since I parted from Sameer, my classmate at Amrit Science College in Nepal. One fine morning he arrived at our college in Jaipur unannounced. His eyes gleamed with hope and excitement. The usually reticent and calm guy in the college had turned into a talkative parakeet!

“Man, I have enrolled in the Aeronautical Engineering course, here in Jaipur,” was the first thing he uttered. “We will be together for the next three years, at least – and yes, we should enjoy life to the fullest.”

I took him for a round through the lanes of my college – the hostels, playground, gymnasium, canteen, dispensary, lecture halls, central lawn, library, and the administrative block housing a bank’s branch. The grandeur of the place blew off steam to his expectations and airy dreams.

As we reached the mentioned college, his dreams shattered like a castle of cards. The college was just a coaching centre. In fact, it was a mere facility for the students to prepare for the engineering examinations. Although the airport was nearby and the practical sessions were held there, the whole arrangement looked dubious to us. All the time we were comparing the place with the dining hall of our hostel.

The engineering bug was at once out of Sameer’s mind. He was disheartened and I knew I had to cheer him up. We returned back to our college with heavy hearts. To lighten him up, I took him around Malviya Nagar, the nearby town and said nice words to soothe him.

Then I proposed to watch a movie together in Raj Mandir, the famous cinema hall in the city before he left Jaipur. It was showing Dil to Pagal Hain, the Shahrukh Khan starrer super hit for the last six months. We immediately set out for the city which was almost seven kilometres from our college.

The movie hall is a beauty to behold at. As the name suggests, it has the “royal” aura around it. The experience is incomparable – from the lifting of the screen to surround sound system – all are beyond imagination.

We happily watched the movie and empathised with the actors and actresses. It seemed the three hours passed by within minutes and it was almost midnight when the film ended. As we walked through the lanes to the bus stop, streets dogs barked at us and few cars with blaring music whizzed past by us.       

Reaching the bus stop, we met few people waiting for the night auto-rikshaws. They too had returned from the night show of the movie. The stop wore a deserted look and there were no buses, no taxis, and of course no auto-rikshaws. After waiting for almost an hour it was 1 am in the morning with no sign of vehicles. We then decided to walk the seven kilometres to reach the college. Rather than waiting at the stop we could have reached the college, had we started walking just after the show.

We were walking down the road with heavy hearts in silence of the night. Unfortunately it was a dark night and we had no torch light. Occasional barking of dogs used to break the silence in between and the sporadic sighting of street lights used to light the hope of finding a vehicle.     

Suddenly out of nowhere, a beam of light appeared behind us forming two tall shadows in front of us. The growling of the engine pierced through the silence. We took to the left side of the road to give way to the approaching vehicle. But the vehicle which was a scooter screeched to a halt by our side.

The man in his late fifties took off the helmet and said, “Hey boys, where are you headed to?”

“Uncle ji, we are going to the engineering college,” was my terse reply.

“So you were in the town for the late night movie show?” he quizzed. “Don’t you have any respect for your parents?”

The man was inebriated. His mouth was stinking and the stench used to cover our face as and when he used to speak. He then became softer and said, “See, you two are like my sons, I feel so bad for your parents to see you walking in the middle of the night.”

“What to do uncle ji, we didn’t find an auto-rikshaw,” I replied.

“Don’t worry, can you drive a scooter?”

I didn’t know how to drive a bike and nodded in a “no”. Sameer said, “We don’t know how to ride a scooter.”

“Just sit behind me and hold tight,” he instructed us. “I am drunk but will drop you guys at the college.”

“No problem uncle ji, we will walk to the college,” I said.

“Now don’t act smart, think that your dad is offering you a lift,” he told with a big grin. 

I clung behind him and Sameer jumped behind me holding me tight. The man started the scooter and we were dilly-dallying on the way to the college. I was praying to the Lord to keep us safe.

The scooter roared through the empty road. The man was all the time advising us not to go for late night movie shows, study hard, be a good student, and fulfil our parents’ dream. Within few minutes we were near Birla temple. Then we heard the sound of an auto-rikshaw behind us. We asked him to stop the scooter and waved our hands to the auto. As the auto stopped, we thanked the man and hung behind the auto.

The man smiled at us, started the scooter and drove in the reverse direction. I could just see the red backlight of his scooter blinking in the horizon. I was feeling bad to part with him though we had met only few minutes ago.

I was murmuring to myself, “May our paths cross again.” 

Drink your way to a healthy life

Is every Friday a good Friday for you? If not, try celebrating your weekends with some alcoholic drinks, but yes, drink responsibly.

So, are you a whiskey fan? Worry not, scientists at Australia’s Monash University found that a shot of whiskey a day could have the same health benefits as the recommended daily intake of vitamin C.

If you like brandy, you have reasons to smile. Scientists at Bordeaux University showed that a moderate daily dose of Armagnac (Brandy) could lengthen life. This has been proven amongst
French people who eat high levels of saturated fat and smoke daily.

Of course beer has more to offer. A pint of beer will supply about 5% of your daily protein needs, whereas wine has none. It has absolutely no cholesterol or fat and useful quantities of soluble fibre. 

For gin lovers let me share that it is based on juniper berries which have diuretic properties which helps with problems relating to the body retaining water.

If you like wine then of course your choice is good. Red wine has polyphenols which protect the lining of the heart’s blood vessels. White wine can help control tooth decay and sore throats through controlling the bacteria levels in the throat.

Do you want to hear more? I have some more good news for beer drinkers. A bottle of beer has less calories than cocktails like Margarita and Pina Colada. Spirits, wine, cider, and beer  are healthier compared to the cocktails.

Have a look at the infographics from visual.ly for more information.

Click the picture to enlarge.

Source: visual.ly via Cave on Pinterest

Vietnam rambles – Hoan Kiem Lake

While the 97-a Universala Kongreso de Esperanto was whizzing in full speed at the Melia Hanoi, my friend Janardan Uprety and I were hurrying out of the hotel to get to the city. We had attended our shares of lectures and had the whole afternoon in our hands.

As we crossed the parkway, a taxi driver started following us. I was wearing a skin-tight black t-shirt and my biceps were looking bigger than normal. The taxi driver got hold of my arm and said, “Nice muscles man, what are you doing in the evening?”

Suspecting his attitude, I replied tersely, “Well, we are going to the city, just to roam around.”

To this, he said, “Hey, man, you guys look handsome, want massage?”

“No man, bye,” my friend Janardan replied with a stare of vexation.

We crossed the streets without consulting any map, without asking anybody; wherever our feet took us. Strolling for about half an hour, we were at the banks of Hoan Kiem Lake.

The Turtle Tower

On asking a Vietnamese about the lake, he said that it is known as “Lake of the returned sword”. The legend behind the lake is – the emperor Le Loi received a magic sword called Heaven's Will from the Golden Turtle God (Kim Qui) which brought him victory in his revolt against the Chinese Ming Dynasty. He then handed back the sword to the Turtle God in the lake. Thus, the lake received the present name; earlier it was known as Luc Thuy meaning "Green Water". The Turtle Tower (Thap Rua) standing on a small island near the centre of the lake is linked to the legend.


The Huc Bridge

Though I have chinky eyes, my friend was a complete foreigner to the passers-by. We were enjoying the stares and gazes from the Vietnamese. We were approached by the street vendors, but we said no to each of them.

As we were clicking pictures of each other at the Huc Bridge, a red bridge leading to the Ngoc Son Temple from the lakeside, a shoe polisher appeared and asked to get our shoes polished. To our delight, we had been in Hanoi for at least three days and our shoes were shining like new ones. Hanoi is comparatively clean and the streets are not as dusty as those of Kathmandu.

With courtesy we said we won’t need his services. To this he exclaimed, “Oh, Indian, no money?” He was referring to my friend who was plump and darker in complexion than an average Vietnamese. The guy thought that he was an Indian.

Youngsters strumming guitars and singing

The lake was clean and there were hordes of people walking on the lakeside – some strolling with their babies, few athletic ones jogging round the lake, love birds idling on the benches, and hawkers selling edibles. We were amazed to see so many young ladies with baby-bumps – it felt like the young generation was eager to settle and start families.

At one corner of the lake, we saw a newly married couple – the lady dressed in white gown and the groom in a black suit – posing for the perfect picture. Nearby was a group of young girls and guys strumming guitars and singing songs of joy. It seemed the whole city was tension-free and the young generation was enjoying their life to the fullest.


Statue of Ly Thai To at the Indira Gandhi Park

Just near the lake is Indira Gandhi Park. We were amazed to find a park named after the late Indian prime minister. In the park stands a huge bronze statue of Lý Thái Tổ (974-1028), the founder and first emperor of Vietnam’s Lý Dynasty (1009-1225). After ascending the throne, he moved the capital to Đại La (which he renamed as Thăng Long) in 1010, which eventually became the present day Hanoi.

The interesting thing about the park was the vivacity and joyous spirit. Small, young and grown-ups – almost all of them were skate-boarding, cycling and skating on the vast open space. You can watch the ambience in the video below.
                      


Returning from the park, we stopped at the south-western side of the lake. While resting on a stone bench, we were approached by a lean man in crisp clothes. He asked whether we needed massage. My friend and I said no, but he didn’t lose heart. He said that he would take us to the best place in Hanoi and asked us to meet him at the same place the next day.

एस टी कोलरीज, शुक्लाफाँटा र चोर शिकारी

एस टी कोलरीज शायद शुक्लाफाँटा आएका भए आफ्नो कालजयी कविता यसरी शुरु गर्थे होला “घासै घास सर्वत्र घास, ....”। उनी त्यही कवि हुन् जसले वाटर वाटर एभ्री ह्वेयर नर एनी ड्रप टु ड्रिंक भन्दै समुद्रको वर्णन गर्दै कविता कोरेका थिए । शुक्लाफाँटा एशियाकै सबभन्दा ठूलो खुल्ला घासे मैदान हो र यहाँ विचरण गर्ने बाह्रसिंगा चाहिं संसारकै ठुलो झुण्ड हो । यहाँ पुग्दा हरियो समुद्रमा पुगेको भान हुन्छ ।

सर्वप्रथम यहाँ पुग्दा मलाई एनिमल प्लानेटमा देखाउने अफ्रिकाको घासे मैदानमा पुगे झएको थियो । अनि एक्कासी पन्ध्रशय भन्दा बढि बाह्रसिंगा देख्दा त कतै सपनामा त छुइन भनी आपैmलाई चिमोट्न मन लाग्यो । घास सुकेर नयाँ टुसा पलाउने बेला यहाँको दृश्यको वर्णन गरेर साध्य हुदैन । चारैतिर खुल्ला चौर अनि यत्र तत्र बुर्कुसी मार्दै उफ्रिरहेका बाह्रसिंगा ।

म तीन पटक फरक फरक समयमा यहाँ पुगेको छु तर हरेक पटक केहि नयाँ अनुभव संगाल्दै फर्केको छु । काठमाडौंबाट धनगढीको यात्रा छिचोलेपछि, लगभग तीन घण्टामा महेन्द्रनगर पुगिन्छ, अनि फेरि केहि बेरको शहरभित्रको कोलाहलपुर्ण यात्रापछि प्रकृतिको काखमा पुगिन्छ। शुक्लाफाँटा वन्यजन्तु आरक्षभित्र पैदल शयर गर्न पनि सकिन्छ तर समयमा खुल्ला घासे मैदान पुग्न र बाह्रसिंगाको झुण्ड हेर्न जीप लिएर गएको बेस हुन्छ ।

आरक्षभित्र ओहोर दोहोर गर्न र गस्तीका लागि जीप हिड्ने बाटो बनाइएको छ । यस बाटोबाट आरक्षको भित्री भाग जाँदा बाटोमा अन्गिन्ती मयूर, चित्तल भेट्टिन्छन् । यदि अलिक झिस्मिसेमै हिंडियो भने चितुवा र दैवले जुराए बाघनै भेट्न बेर लाग्दैन । त्यसैले आरक्ष छिर्नासाथ आफ्ना आँखा र कान चुस्त राख्नुपर्छ ।

आरक्षभित्र कैंयन अग्ला वाच टावर छन् जहाँबाट आफ्ना आँखाले भ्याएसम्म हरियाली र प्रकृतिको सुन्दरताको रसास्वादान गर्न सकिन्छ । बीचबीचमा रहेका तालहरुमा गोहि र अरु जलचर हेर्न सकिन्छ । आरक्षभित्र रहेको रानी ताल र यस वरपरको दृश्य अति रमणीय छ ।

पहिला दुई पटकको यात्रा मेरालागि अति रोमांचक रह्यो भने अन्तिम पटकको यात्रा केहि खल्लो रह्यो । आरक्ष अवलोकन गरी फर्कदा कार्यालय परिसरमा होहल्लाको वातावरण थियो । तत्कालीन वार्डेन जगन्नाथ सिंहलाई भेट्दा भर्खरै केहि भारतीय चोर शिकारी समातिएको खबर पाए ।  वार्डेन र अरु अधिकारीसँग अनुरोध गर्दा चोर शिकारीबाट बरामद गरिएका बाघ र चितुवाका आलो छाला हेर्ने (कु) साइत जु¥यो । एकैपटक पन्ध्रभन्दा बढि छाला देख्दा आङ जिरिङ्ग भयो र हिरासतमा रहेका शिकारीलाई सोभैm गएर भकुर्न मन लाग्यो । यसो सोचे यसरी नै यी निरीह प्राणीको चोरी शिकार गरिने हो भने त भविष्यमा हाम्रा सन्तानले त खाली कागजका पानामा मात्र यी प्राणीहरुको दर्शन पाउनेछन् । 

काञ्छा मेरो नाम

At Garhisar lake (c) Tashi Tsering

हावाको सिरेटोले रेलको ढोकामा उभिएको मेरो भुटानी साथी टाशीको लामो कपाल फुर्रफुर्र उडाए पनि आफ्नो क्यामेरामा पोखरणको दृश्य कैद गर्न व्यस्त थियो ऊ । म चाहिं भारतले आणविक परिक्षण गरेको ठाउँ रेलवे लिकभन्दा कति पर होला भनी सोचमग्न थिए । हामी दूवै जाडोको छुट्टीको सही सदुपयोग गर्न जैसलमेरतर्फ हानिएका थियौं । दूवैको मंगोलियन बनौट भएकोले र अन्तर्मुखी स्वभावले गरेर होला ट्रेनभित्रका यात्रीसँग खासै घुलमिल गर्न सकेका थिएनौ हामी दूवैले । तैपनि एकजना बिहारीसँग राम्रो मित्रता भईसकेको थियो हाम्रो । ऊ पहिला धेरै पटक जैसलमेर पुगिसकेको हुनाले र त्यहाँको कलेक्टर उसको नातेदार भएकोले त्यहाँ बस्न केही गाह्रो भएको खण्डमा हामीलाई सघाउने बाचा गऱ्यो उसले ।

रेल्वे स्टेशनबाट होटेल भएको ठाउँतर्फ जाँदा बीचैमा केही सैनिक जवान भेटिए । हामीलाई देख्नासाथ — “ बिएसएफ मे भर्ने आए हो क्या ?” भनी सोधिहाले । नजिकै भर्ना शिविर रहेछ र हरेक वर्ष कैंयन नेपाली आफ्नो भाग्य आजमाउन आउँदारहेछन् त्यहाँ । हाम्रो कसिएको जीउ देखेर उनीहरुले त्यसो सोचेकारहेछन् , होइन भन्दा पनि पत्याएनन् उनीहरुले ।  

अलि झिस्मिस भईसकेको थियो हामी जैसलमेरको हनुमान चौराहा पुग्दा । होटेलमा कोठा खोज्दा खोज्दै अंध्यारो भईसकेको थियो र नौलो ठाउँमा बास नपाउँदा मन खिन्न भयो । त्यहाँ त टूरिष्ट सिजनमा कोठा पाउँन हम्मे हम्मे पर्दो रहेछ । त्यसपछि बल्ल रेलमा भेटेको बिहारी मित्रको याद आयो र उसलाई भेट्न कलेक्टरको रेजिडेन्सतर्फ लाग्यौं । उसलाई तुरुन्तै भेट्यौं र उसले फोनमा केहि बेर कुरा गरिसकेपछि हाम्रो हातमा एउटा पर्चा थमाईदियो होटेलको नाम र ठेगाना लेखेर । अत्तालिंदै लेखिएको ठेगानामा पुग्दा त्यस बिहारीलाई भरमग्दूर गाली गर्न मन लाग्यो किनभने त्यस ठाउँको होटेल म्यानेजरले हामीलाई “नो रुम” को साइन देखाइसकेको थियो । तैपनि सिफारिसले गर्दा कोठा दिईहाल्ला कि भनी सोधेको त — “पहले क्यों नही बताया के आप लोग कलेक्टरसा’ब के आदमी हों मुझे बिना मतलब की डांट पडी” भन्दै रुन्चे अनुहार बनायो त्यस म्यानेजरले । मरन्च्यासे बिहारी मित्रले नराम्रै धमास दिएका रहेछन् उसलाई । त्यसपछि त तुरुन्तै सबभन्दा राम्रो रुम पायौं ।   

कोठामा छिर्न नपाउँदै — “ सर, आप एक मिनट के लिए नीचे आएंगे प्लीज” भन्दै मलाई फेरि रिसेप्सनको कुनातिर तानेर लग्यो उसले ।
“दाइ त नेपाली पो हुनुहुँदो रहेछ त्यसैले तपाईंलाई चेताउनु मेरो कर्तव्य ठानेर बोलाएको ।”
“तपाईंलाई यस अन्जान ठाउँमा भेटेर साह्रै खुशी लाग्यो तर किन चेताउन खोज्नुभा’को मलाई ?” मैले सोधिहाले ।
“तपाईंसँगको साथी त भुटानी रहेछ नी, म पनि तिनीहरुले खेदेको नेपाली हुँ । हामीलाई त निकै दु:ख दिई निकाले, तपाईंलाई फेरि राति केहीं गर्यो भने ?”
“केही हुन्न, धन्दा नमान्नुस् , ऊ मेरो मिल्ने साथी हो ।”

उसलाई एउटा नेपालीले नेपालीको लागि देखाएको सह्दयताप्रति धन्यवाद दिई आफ्नो कोठातर्फ लागे । एकछिनपछि हामी दूवै होटेलको छतबाट बत्तीको उज्यालोमा चुर्लुम्म डुबेको जैसल फोर्टको सुन्दर दृश्य क्यामेरामा उतार्न थाल्यौं । पूरै किल्ला सुनौलो ढुंगाले बनेकोले यसलाई बंगालीमा सोनार किल्ला पनि भन्दारहेछन् । जैसलमेर शहर खडा गर्ने राजा जैसलले बनाएको यस भव्य किल्लाभित्र एउटा पूरै शहर अटेको छ । टन्नै राम्रा राम्रा फोटाहरु खिंचिसकेपछि रातिको खाना खान बाहिर निस्केका मात्र के थियौं एउटा पुलिसको जीप हाम्रो अगाडि टक्क अडियो र सोधपुछ शुरु भईहाल्यो । पाकिस्तानसँगको बोर्डर नजिकको शहर भएर होला सुरक्षा व्यवस्था एकदम दुरुस्त रहेछ त्यँहा । कुनै नयाँ व्यक्ति देख्नासाथ सोधपुछ गर्न थालिहाल्दारहेछन् त्यँहाका प्रहरी ।

बिहान सबेरै उठेर चिया चमेनाको खोजमा नजिकैको लामबद्ध टहरातर्फ के लागेका थियौं एउटा चिया पसलबाट सुमधुर नेपाली गीत गुञ्जियो — “ यो गाउँको ठिटो म, काञ्छा मेरो नाम, आउँदै जाँदै गर्नु है, सबलाई राम राम” । गीत गाउने तराईमूलका नेपाली रहेछन् र हामीलाई देखेर खुशी हुंदै त्यो गीत गाएर आफ्नो पसलमा आउने निम्तो दिंदै थिए । उनको पसलमा चिया खांदै गफिंदामात्र उनको सदाबहार मुस्कानपछाडिको दु:ख थाहा पाइयो । बुटवलबाट जैसलमेरसम्मको उनको यात्रा त्यति सहज रहेनछ, अनेकन हण्डर खाईसकेर खारिएका रहेछन् उनी । धेरै दिनपश्चात् नेपाली भेटेकाले पैसै लिन मानेन् , पैसाको काउन्टरमा बसेको भुसतिघ्रे मालिक पनि आफ्नो कारिन्दाको कोही चिनजानका होलान् भनी हामीतर्फ हेरी ङिच्च हाँस्यो ।

चिया खाई निस्किसकेपछि गढिसर तालतर्फ लाग्यौ एक बंगाली परिवारकासाथ नेपाली होटेल म्यानेजरले मिलाइदिएको गाडीमा । त्यो मिलनसार परिवारसँगै सोनार किल्ला र पहिले मन्त्री, भाइभारदार बस्ने पट्वो की हवेली पनि घुम्यौं । लगभग सबै घर सुनौलो ढुंगाले बनेकाले यस शहरलाई “ गोल्डेन सिटी” पनि भन्दारहेछन् । सुनौलो सिटीको सुनौलो सम्झना लिई फर्कनु अघि काञ्छा मेरो नाम गाउने साथीलाई भेट्न गयौ । उनको हातको मीठो चिया पिएर बिदा लिंदा, हामीतर्फ हात हल्लाउँदै मुस्काउँदै थिए उनी तर उनका आँखा भने रसाएका थिए ।  

Jumla – the land of endless possibilities

Everything is possible in Jumla!

It might snow in mid-April, the planes might get stuck, you might be asked to step down even if you have a valid air-ticket and boarding pass, you can find warm water springs in the usually cool place, meet with world class athletes in the rugged terrain, savour the rice grown at the highest altitude in the world, and so on. These are only a few possibilities, the list continues.



An apple tree in full blosson (c) Sunil Sharma

As I embarked on my second trip to Jumla, I was excited to witness the apples in full blossom and the greenery in the area. In my earlier visit in December, the whole surrounding was brown and pale with trees devoid of leaves and no grasses on the fields.  

Reaching Jumla after a connecting flight from Nepalgunj was a much terrible experience than the previous one. It felt as if I was travelling in a truck plying on a road with huge potholes. However, as the plane flew between the mountains, all the pain was gone in seconds. The view of the mountains with pine trees and the flat pieces of land (just like plateaus) on the hill tops were astounding!

When I landed at the Jumla airport, I was tired to the bones.

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Next day, early in the morning, together with my journalist colleagues (Anand Shrestha, Niran Raj Bana, Rajesh Verma, Roshan Shedhai, Shreehari Thapa and Sunil Sharma), I snatched bites of breakfast and was off to the fields to interact with the farmers. Luckily we got a jeep to reach the meeting point. Travelling on the rugged terrain with people packed like sardines was an adventure of its own.

After the jeep journey, a beautiful stretch of natural beauty was in front of us. The landscape was simply awesome! The clean and green waters of Tila River, the white blossoms on apple trees and pink blossoms on peach trees with the juxtaposition of green willow trees and the trans-Himalayan range was an invitation to the photographers inside all of us. We were busy capturing the beauty of the place and were also busy putting ourselves in the backdrop.

We met the vegetable seed farmers and apple farmers at their vegetable seed farms and apple orchards respectively. Returning from the fields, listening to the success stories of the farmers, we were enlightened to the heart. The farmers were earning much more than people with permanent jobs in Kathmandu!

As we slept quietly, it rained all night. It was colder than the earlier day.

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Snow-capped mountains

In the morning, I could not believe my eyes when my friend Sunil Sharma showed me snow capped mountains. The nearby mountain tops were laden with thin snowline. It was April and it had snowed in the night!

We visited the apple nurseries in the western part of Jumla Bazaar. On talking with one of the nursery owners, my journalist colleagues were stunned to know that he earned one million Nepalese rupees (1 USD = 88 Nepalese rupees) a year from the nursery. It was five times more than what an average job-holder earns in Kathmandu!



Ratan Bahadur Rawal working in his apple nursery.

The nursery owner Ratan Bahadur Rawal was so experienced that he was eligible enough to give a guest lecture to MBA aspirants. On being asked whether he would expand his nursery of two ropanis (1 ropani = 5476 sq. ft.), he said, “It would depend on the market demand, I will expand my working area based on what the market has in it for me.”          

Returning from the nursery we visited a natural hot water spring (called Tatopani in local language). The water was warm and had healing effect. It smelled of sulphur, so I restrained myself from plunging in the water. However, most of the colleagues washed off their tiredness in the smelly water, splashing water to each other and making merry at the end of the journey.

As we stopped in the way to click some pictures, I could see horses grazing on the nearby hills and in the background were the snowcapped mountains. The landscape looked like that of Switzerland’s. On my request my photojournalist friend clicked a picture with just the mountain tops (that resembled the Alps) and me in the background. It was to invite envy among my Facebook friends. 

Man with melodious voice.

After the tiring journey, we went to visit the nearby temple of Lord Chandannath. In the older days, pilgrims travelling to Mansarovar in Kailash used to commence their journey by paying obeisance to Chandannath. Now they have more choices and they can directly fly to Humla which is known as the Gateway to Kailash.

As we were entering the temple, we found the man with golden voice Mahashanker Devkota. Once ignited, he went on and went on singing songs of love, devotion and patriotism. He had recorded 90 songs with the Radio Nepal which was the one and only radio station in the past. He showed us the cards issued in his honour by the Radio Nepal.   

In the evening, we had a sumptuous meal of Jumli brown rice (called Marsi in the local language). We also had famous Jumli beans as lentils. Jumli brown rice is the rice variety which grows at the highest altitude in the world and it is finger licking delicious. And to add to the goodness of the place, everything that grows here is organic by default! The Government of Nepal has declared Jumla an organic district and no chemical fertilisers and pesticides are allowed in the district. 

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Local hero Hari Bahadur Rokaya.

In the morning prior to flying to Nepalgunj, we were to meet the local hero, Hari Bahadur Rokaya, the Everest Marathon Winner and Guinness World Record Holder. It had again snowed in the night and the mountains were whiter than the previous day.

Hari Bahadur was training the local lads and girls on a flat ground which seemed unusual in the rugged landscape. Some were practising with javelins and shotputs while some were playing volleyball. Meanwhile Biswarupa Budha, the national record holder in 5000 metres race and winner of two gold medals at the recently held National Games, was running round the field.

The interaction with the players and the Guinness World Record Holder was an eye-opener for all of us who belonged to districts having all the sports facilities and having flat land for playing games. Clicking a group photo, we got a sudden call from our colleagues confirming our flight.

We knew that getting an air ticket to Nepalgunj was impossible. All the scheduled flights were packed in advance for three days owing to a General Assembly of Nepal Workers and Peasants Party. Thanks to our colleagues who arranged to charter a plane to Surkhet, the neighbouring district. We had our boarding passes in hand and were waiting for the plane. The sky was clear in the beginning, but started to darken with time. We were afraid whether we would be able to board the plane or not.

Then came the imminent threat – there was a request from a police officer – he wanted to fly one of his near ones instead of one of us. It was scary to know that the Chief District Officer, Police and High Court Judge could lodge one of their near ones in any of the flights.

However, the scary moment was over and all of us got to fly. We reached Surkhet in time. This time the pilot flew the plane safely and the journey was smooth. From the window pane we could see the piles of snow on mountain tops from the previous night’s snowing. 

As we landed at the Surkhet airport, a pick-up van was ready to drive us to the Nepalgunj airport which is a three hours drive from Surkhet. On the way, we heard that an earthquake had occurred in Kathmandu and surroundings as we stopped for a brunch of local fish, beaten rice and puffed rice on the banks of Babai River. We were worried to reach our homes as fast as we could.

Finally, we were in time to catch a flight back to Kathmandu. It was the end to the endless possibilities in Jumla!

(Thanks to my colleagues Anand Shrestha, Bharat Bandhu thapa, Niran Raj Bana, Rajesh Verma, Roshan Shedhai, Shreehari Thapa and Sunil Sharma who made the journey memorable.)

A photo essay on Sinja Valley, Jumla by Bharat Bandhu Thapa.

Spend your vacation with rhinos, elephants and tigers

If you are a nature lover, then there are ample reasons to visit the Chitwan National Park in Nepal. In the pristine natural setting you will get to see endangered animals like one horned rhinoceros, gharials (crocodiles with pots on their snouts), marsh mugger, herds of deer and several magnificent birds. If you are lucky, you will also encounter the big Asian cat, the royal Bengal tiger. The landscape is extraordinary – from the banks of the Rapti River you can witness all three ecological belts – the dense Terai jungles, the mid-hills and the astounding Himalayas. A jeep safari, elephant safari or walking with a nature guide inside the park will provide you with a life time experience in the wilderness.

The Chitwan National Park is situated on the south of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. You can travel the distance of around 150 kilometres in around fived hours to reach the park. The park is famous for its rhinoceroses, which is the second largest population in the world. Besides, it is home to the largest population of tigers in Nepal. It is spread over a dense forest of 932 square kilometres and has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Not only the jungles, animals and birds but the culture of the local indigenous Tharu people residing in the park surroundings is interesting to watch. The Tharu dances performed by the locals draw a significant number of foreigners and domestic tourists to the area. The stick dance and peacock dance are a sight to see!




Playful elephants at the breeding centre.

  The Narayani and Rapti Rivers in the park vicinity are not only spectacular to savour the natural beauty but you can hire a boat and travel with the rapids of the rivers. The boating at the confluence of the rivers during the sunset is an experience extraordinary. During the daytime you can have shower in the river banks along with the elephants! While boating and bathing you will see the gharials and marsh muggers basking on the river banks.

People in the park area are friendly and willing to help you out. The local people are always smiling and helpful. You can lodge at one of the many hotels outside the park or inside the park depending upon your budget.

So if you are ready to spend your time with rhinos, elephants and tigers, visit the Chitwan National Park.

This article was published in http://www.xomba.com/. Click the link to read the article.