tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70251377085507090752024-03-05T15:55:24.508+05:30Surath Giri's BlogWelcome to my personal blog. I mostly write on entrepreneurship, economics, libertarianism, movies, and my travels.Surath Girihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227559674369495788noreply@blogger.comBlogger295125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025137708550709075.post-2915274578454287052022-04-09T11:44:00.001+05:302022-04-09T11:49:20.128+05:30One Day in the Life of Comrade Aakrosh: A Short Story<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><i> (This short story of mine was shortlisted as one of the top 7 stories out of the 175 submissions in the 2021 edition of the <a href="https://lalitmag.com/writing-nepal-2021-shortlist/" target="_blank">Writing Nepal: A Short Story Contest</a>.)</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLbeKrmX7HPthrg8w6mJ9OxcC8R0HYZkGZR2MT2NBJAICyyA2bdzvODKQ6QWw3jxlcYeYWke56FnXJ30o7ylWY4Iu8UYq-TUDMUSiAXoMWOfuePwA36grAi4Xe1OIDABncAD_yOPup-072Cl4qD0wSdc3cwMAkKTqeKgpKz-PmlcOsmmW6FeLLR7BLQ/s2400/short_story_Nepal.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1920" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLbeKrmX7HPthrg8w6mJ9OxcC8R0HYZkGZR2MT2NBJAICyyA2bdzvODKQ6QWw3jxlcYeYWke56FnXJ30o7ylWY4Iu8UYq-TUDMUSiAXoMWOfuePwA36grAi4Xe1OIDABncAD_yOPup-072Cl4qD0wSdc3cwMAkKTqeKgpKz-PmlcOsmmW6FeLLR7BLQ/w512-h640/short_story_Nepal.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Comrade Aakrosh sighed, crumpled the paper in his hand, and threw it into a small carton box he had been using as the dustbin. His annoyance was gradually morphing into a seething rage. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The speech he had been trying to write since the morning was of utmost importance. It was the first formal event of the combatants after the peace agreement, where the party supremo was also attending. Aakrosh was determined to make an impression with the party supremo. Moreover, he wanted to rouse his comrades with his speech and let them know that the days of struggle had not ended just yet. An even more arduous struggle was ahead of them, and they should not lay down their arms and rest on their laurels just yet.<br /></div><div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The prospect of an elongated struggle, albeit in a new form, did not bother comrade Aakrosh. What did bother him though was the form of struggle – all the nuances and intricacies of bourgeoisie politics. All the lies, prevarications, manipulations, bickering, and backstabbing he was sure was going to take a toll on the spirit of honourable, straightforward people like him and his fellow combatants. He wished things were as straightforward as they were during the glorious war. <br /><br />As he peered out of the window to an overcast sky, his thoughts rambled to the good old days of the glorious war.</p><p style="text-align: left;">***</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Comrade Aakrosh’s reputation preceded him in the party. He was as known for his ruthlessness as he was for his loyalty to the party and, therefore, the cause. His loyalty and uprightness were as fearsome as his ruthlessness. He was not a man you messed with or shared your moral deviations with. For him, killing the enemies of the cause was a moral duty and hardly an inconvenience. None of his killings had bothered him, except perhaps the killing of Gyanendra, the journalist. A killing that had sent shockwaves across the party and cemented his reputation for ruthlessness. Comrade Aakrosh almost wished that things had transpired differently that day.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">***</p><p style="text-align: justify;">‘Journalist babu! Oh, journalist babu!’ the neighbour lady called out from the roof of the adjoining house in the direction of Aakrosh’s room, bringing him out of his trance. <br /><br />‘Yes, didi,’ he shouted.<br /><br />‘It looks like it will rain today. You might want to take your clothes inside, she shouted, peering down at the window, trying to get a view of Comrade Aakrosh. Although it had been several months since ‘journalist Aakash’ moved to the neighbourhood, he remained a mystery to her. He did not exactly rebuff her approaches to know him better, but deftly manoeuvred away her questions every time she posed them. For a curious creature like her, ‘journalist Aakash’ was becoming a greater mystery every passing day, heightening her desire to solve it.<br /><br />‘Don’t worry didi, I will take them down in a while,’ he shouted in her direction and returned to his thoughts.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">***</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Gyanendra had been a different captive. Comrade Aakrosh had captured, tortured, and killed many enemies before, several of them being journalists. But Gyanendra was different. To the dismay of his kidnappers, Gyanendra provided no resistance when he got buttonholed at his home and realized that there was no escape. Neither did he complain nor beg for his life throughout the six-hour long excruciating walk from his village to the rebel stronghold.<br /><br />When finally presented before Comrade Aakrosh to decide on his fate, he had shown no fear or hatred. Just a calm, Stoic indifference. He had confessed that he had indeed informed the army of the whereabouts of the rebels.<br /><br />What infuriated Comrade Aakrosh was the confidence and moral uprightness with which he had confessed. It had sounded more like a declaration than a confession. While his convictions fueled him, convictions in his enemies were unnerving to Comrade Aakrosh.<br /><br />Comrade Aakrosh’s fury had not totally subsided the next day as they left the village, with Gyanendra’s dead body tied to a volleyball pole and his head barely hanging on a half-chopped neck, with a note that warned the villagers not to touch the body and to take it as a lesson not to spy for the enemies of the revolution. A pin badge with Mao Zedong’s picture and his quote ‘All political power comes from the barrel of the gun’ adorned Gyanendra’s pocket as he lay on a pool of his own blood. But this personal gesture Comrade Aakrosh performed on all his slain enemies seemed so tasteless that day.<br /><br />Had it not been for the remnants of the bitterness in him that day, the teacher’s life in the next village would probably have been spared, Comrade Aakrosh ruminated. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">***</p><p style="text-align: justify;">A knock on the door brought him out of his trance. Who could it be? He wondered. No comrade was supposed to meet him today. And there were only a handful of comrades who knew where he was living. The knock persisted.<br /><br />Am I in danger? Is someone coming to attack me? Thoughts rushed into his head. But then, he thought to himself, the war was over already with the signing of the peace agreement. The party was on its way to rule the country. Who had he to fear except maybe a vengeful widow or an orphan he had created? He laughed silently at the frivolousness of his thoughts.<br /><br />The knock came once again. It must be the nosy neighbour lady, he thought. People minding other people’s business had been a source of all his woes, he remembered. <br /><br />There was a gap of silence before the knocks resumed. Reluctantly, Comrade Aakrosh walked to the door and opened it slowly. On seeing his visitor, he was startled at first, but then amused and pleasantly surprised.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">***</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Gyanendra’s gruesome killing had probably struck terror in the hearts and minds of the villagers. The village would probably not see any more spies against the party. But instead of jubilation, Comrade Aakrosh felt defeated. Defeated by the conviction, Gyanendra held. Disappointed by his failure to make Gyanendra beg for his life, denounce the wrong path he had chosen.<br /><br />As his squadron moved to the next village with an arduous march for the next three nights, Comrade Aakrosh’s disappointment turned into a seething rage. He was unable to shake it off his mind, no matter how hard he tried.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">***</p><p style="text-align: justify;">‘Sheela, you?’ Comrade Aakrosh exclaimed with disbelief. ‘How come you are here?’<br /><br />‘Yeah, it’s me, Sheela. Won’t you let me in?’ Sheela replied with a hint of playfulness in her voice.<br /><br />‘Of course, sure, come in!’ Comrade Aakrosh replied meekly, still unsure how she found him.<br /><br />Draped in a bland green saree, Sheela looked as beautiful as she did in her college days, as captivating as Comrade Aakrosh found her when they were in love. Now, however, a hint of what seemed like a permanent sadness ran over her face that was only noticeable when one observed her closely.<br /><br />‘I will prepare tea for us,’ Comrade Aakrosh said.<br /><br />‘No, don’t bother. I will do that. Just show me where the stuff is,’ she replied.<br /><br />‘Come on! You are my guest and, besides, it should not be only women’s duty to cook,’ Comrade Aakrosh replied. ‘While I prepare the tea, you tell me how you found me, how you have been all these years.’<br /><br />‘I stumbled upon Rajeev, our classmate from our college days, or Comrade Raktim as you guys call him these days, she replied, as she sat on the bed near the chair Comrade Aakrosh was sitting on earlier. ‘He told me you were in town and gave me your address.’<br /><br />‘Oh, I see,’ Comrade Aakrosh remarked, as he looked at the boiling water and threw some tea leaves into it.<br /><br />Comrade Aakrosh poured the tea into two cups, brought them to the table and sat on the chair. ‘Here you are! I would like to believe that I still make as good tea as I used to during our college days,’ he said. ‘Remember, you used to be a fan of the tea prepared by me.’<br /><br />Sheela said nothing while she silently sipped her cup of tea.<br /><br />‘It might have been so because we were in love,’ Comrade Aakrosh said with a hint of sarcasm.<br /><br />Sheela seemed to be startled at the remark. ‘No! No! It’s still delicious,’ she said, as she tried to smile.<br /><br />‘So how is your husband? Did you guys have any kids yet? I hope you are happy!’ Comrade Aakrosh asked impatiently.<br /><br />‘I have a son, Adarsha,’ she replied. ‘Pradeep is not with us,’ she sighed.<br /><br />‘Oh!’<br /><br />Sheela quietly sipped her tea, lost in thoughts.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">***</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> Sheela did not have much to complain about her conjugal life. Pragmatism had triumphed over the romantic aspirations of Sheela as she and Aakash broke up. So she had said yes to the marriage proposal from Pradeep. Although the wounds from the break up were still fresh and the scars would probably never heal, she agreed to meet with Pradeep and found him to be affable enough. Pradeep was a government teacher who was posted across the country to teach social studies to secondary level students. A man of great intellect but few words, romantic gestures were not Pradeep’s forte. But he was loyal and did not need much to be happy. Although it was a marriage borne out of pragmatism for Sheela, she quickly learned to love Pradeep for all his simplicity and loyalty.<br /><br />Their eventless life was disrupted by only two events – the birth of their son Adarsha and Pradeep’s acceptance of the government’s order to be posted in a school in a remote village in Sankhuwasabha. The latter brought much discord between the husband and the wife but Pradeep had finally convinced Sheela to move to the village, telling her it was the right thing to do and more importantly, just a temporary move. She would not notice the time passing before it was time to return to an urban area, he had told her.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">***</p><p style="text-align: justify;">‘So, after all it turns out loyalty is very important, eh, Sheela? Who would have thought the guy would leave you, eh? A guy you barely knew when you married him.’<br /><br />Comrade Aakrosh’s sarcastic remarks brought Sheela out of her rumination. Her face distorted as she tried to contain her indignation.<br /><br />‘But isn’t the main question where your loyalties lie rather than whether you are loyal or not, Aakash,’ Sheela retorted.<br /><br />‘Wasn’t it you who put the party above our relationship?’ she asked, staring into his eyes. ‘Wasn’t it you who was all too eager to sacrifice our relationship for your loyalty to the revolution?’<br /><br />Comrade Aakrosh was at a loss for words. ‘But…’ he muttered. <br /><br />‘But Sheela, I had told you it was just a matter of patience, hadn’t I? I told you our revolution would succeed, didn’t I?’ he said, regaining his composure. ‘All you needed was to believe in me, Sheela. Look at me now, I am all set to change the face of this nation and go down in history as one of the comrades who liberated his people.’<br /><br />‘Loyalty is indeed very important, Aakash. But is loyalty to the revolution above everything else? Can’t people put their family above everything else?’ she asked.<br /><br />‘That’s how the unenlightened proletariat thinks, Sheela. They can’t think beyond their own immediate self-interest and their narrow relations such as their families.’<br /><br />‘What did this guy Pradeep do anyway? I never got a chance to meet him.’<br /><br />‘He was a teacher, a government school teacher. He used to teach social studies.’<br /><br />‘Oh, I see!’<br /><br />‘You must have tortured and killed a lot of them, didn’t you?’ she remarked acerbically.<br /><br />‘I am not a soulless killer, Sheela. You know that,’ Comrade Aakrosh looked hurt. ‘But for the cause, I had to kill a few of them. They were spying for the feudal, oppressive, bourgeois king’s army, you see. Some of them were portraying the revolution and us in a negative light in their bourgeois curriculum.’</p><p style="text-align: justify;">***</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The teacher was not supposed to be killed. He had been sympathetic to the revolution and was paying his dues regularly albeit reluctantly. Despite his sympathies for the cause, he was vehemently opposed to the violence. He had been teaching his students how wrong the way of the violence was despite the justifiable ends it intended to achieve. ‘Violence begets violence, my dear students. Once you believe in taking the shortcut of violence rather than persuasion, it is a slippery slope from there,’ he used to tell his students. The party had ordered Comrade Aakrosh to warn the teacher, as it had been receiving complaints from some of the students who were members of the party.<br /><br />To the chagrin of Comrade Aakrosh, the teacher repeated the same arguments when presented before him and refused to take the warning. Comrade Aakrosh was in no mood to hear his arguments or be convinced. How come everyone has started opposing us? He thought with annoyance. First that journalist and now this teacher? The bourgeois accomplices have now started teaching us how to run our revolution.<br /><br />As his seething rage refused to calm down, Comrade Aakrosh decided to teach this teacher a lesson which would serve as a lesson to all the critics of the revolution and its modus operandi.<br /><br />Comrade Aakrosh’s anger finally subsided when he pinned the badge with Mao’s picture and his quote to the shirt of the teacher, as his dead body drooped from the volleyball pole in the school ground to which both his hands were tied. As the pool of blood flowing from his slit throat turned black, Comrade Aakrosh’s spirits lifted. He felt relieved and accomplished. But how was he to know that the events of that day would come back to haunt him for a long time?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">***</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Sheela felt the earth move when she heard of Pradeep’s gruesome death at the hands of the rebels. She felt everything spin around her and struggled to find a footing. She fainted. She had barely slept the night before while she waited for Pradeep to come back. Although she knew he was a supporter of the rebels and was unlikely to be harmed by them, a part of her feared for his well-being every time he went to meet the rebels. The meetings were few and far between and each time Pradeep had come back unharmed. How could she believe that he had been killed gruesomely?<br /><br />When she came back to consciousness, she found herself surrounded by the villagers. They refused to let her go to the site where Pradeep had been killed and where his body still remained, as the rebels had warned the villagers not to touch it or remove it. She acquiesced but remained adamant in her heart to visit the site. It is the fearsome Comrade Aakrosh who must have done it, the villagers whispered.<br /><br />As the day passed and the urgency to dispose of the dead body increased, the fear of the rebels subsided and the villagers started the final rites for Pradeep. <br /><br />Sheela accompanied them adamantly and refused to be left behind. As the villagers cut down the ropes and put the mangled body into a shroud, Sheela reached out to the body and snatched off the badge with Mao’s picture pinned to Pradeep’s shirt.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">***</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The sound of a lightning strike startled both of them and brought them out of their reverie. It started to rain.<br /><br />‘Journalist babu! Oh, journalist babu!’ the neighbor lady shouted again in the direction of Comrade Aakrosh’s room. ‘It’s raining. Do take your clothes inside. I had warned you earlier.’<br /><br />Comrade Aakrosh rushed to the roof. He bundled his clothes in his arms and turned back to go down to his room.<br /><br />‘Babu, what were you doing? I had warned you earlier. Were you busy? Do you have a visitor?’ the neighbor lady inquired.<br /><br />‘Nothing as such. I was reading a book and lost my sense of time. That’s all,’ he replied quickly and rushed downstairs.<br /><br />In the room Comrade Aakrosh found Sheela refilling their cups with tea she had just prepared.<br /><br />‘It was my turn to prepare the tea,’ she said with a smile.<br /><br />‘Thank you, Sheela,’ Comrade Aakrosh replied.<br /><br />He started spreading the clothes on his bed to dry them. Some of his shirts had been soaked.<br /><br />‘I see you still prefer the color red,’ Sheela remarked. ‘What’s that badge that you have on that red shirt?’<br /><br />‘Oh, it’s nothing. Just a pin badge to showcase my loyalty to the revolution. I had them specially prepared for me,’ Comrade Aakrosh replied. ‘Want one?’<br /><br />‘Sure!’<br /><br />Sheela’s fingers trembled as she ran them over the straight-faced Mao and his quote on the badge.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">***</p><p style="text-align: justify;">As soon as he finished his cup of tea, Comrade Aakrosh started feeling dizzy. He felt a strong desire to lie down and sleep. He mustered his will power to fight the urge but failed. He fell asleep.<br /><br />When he woke a while later, he found his hands behind his back and tied to the bedpost. He was still feeling dizzy and was barely conscious. He squinted his eyes to make out the face of Sheela peering over him. A stiletto glinted in her hand. <br /><br />‘Why, Sheela?’ he managed to blurt out.<br /><br />‘Loyalty, Aakash aka Comrade Aakrosh! Loyalty!’ Sheela said in a steely voice. ‘Remember the teacher that you partially beheaded in Sankhuwasabha?’<br /><br />A whiff of regret passed through Comrade Aakrosh’s mind as Sheela slit his throat.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">***</p><p style="text-align: justify;">‘Journalist babu! Oh, journalist babu! The sun is up again,’ the neighbor lady shouted towards Comrade Aakrosh’s room. ‘You might want to bring the clothes up to dry them.’<br /><br />‘The sun is up again’ was the last thought that crossed Comrade Aakrosh’s mind before he closed his eyes forever.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>The End </b><br /></p></div>Surath Girihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227559674369495788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025137708550709075.post-71663707882674949442021-10-22T11:31:00.004+05:302021-10-22T11:31:43.176+05:30The Nepali Economist Podcast: Episode 10: Where did the Poor's 9.3 Trillion Dollars Go?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEJwJLEGNxkqhglXGedclCF502ef5kX1Kn81UegutE8lClK_IjO8SnwLH6GvU1RGBDjT59Qy1oKyRYelLnyvU09pPHvHWTSCGwcNPRLv77bac82n9eH7Z6ezLc4KQNP7ae6XJLLqCqptN8/s1240/thenepalieconomist_rgb.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1240" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEJwJLEGNxkqhglXGedclCF502ef5kX1Kn81UegutE8lClK_IjO8SnwLH6GvU1RGBDjT59Qy1oKyRYelLnyvU09pPHvHWTSCGwcNPRLv77bac82n9eH7Z6ezLc4KQNP7ae6XJLLqCqptN8/w291-h272/thenepalieconomist_rgb.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Dear listeners,</p><div style="text-align: justify;">"Where did the 9.3 trillion dollars of the world's poor go?" <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is the question I discuss in the tenth episode of the Nepali Economist and try to find an answer to it with the help of Peruvian economist Hernando De Soto once again whose work we had discussed in the last episode. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Happy listening!<br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Please do not forget to send me your feedback and comments. You can mail me at nepalieconomist (@) gmail.com to send your messages.</p><p>You can listen to the tenth episode here:</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="102px" scrolling="no" src="https://anchor.fm/thenepalieconomist/embed/episodes/10-Where-Did-The-Poors-9-3-Trillion-Dollars-Go-e191v0e" width="400px"></iframe><br /></p>Surath Girihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227559674369495788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025137708550709075.post-13625081553963568822021-08-01T21:37:00.002+05:302021-08-01T21:38:21.385+05:30Reframing Our Youth Employment Problem <p style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh_xMvqAjhkEWf_jz6YkhwhBkOtt3GcYp66To-o5QU3MbZNWwxy2gPGlki6o1LJxZqlLuIDvvqRihZuQLN9o1BA1piDaNL_xf4QbVMNI-2gL96Ad8vqZx9aW6zZZFZgrVw8Hp8t-f-lR68/s1920/Youth_Unemployment_Nepal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh_xMvqAjhkEWf_jz6YkhwhBkOtt3GcYp66To-o5QU3MbZNWwxy2gPGlki6o1LJxZqlLuIDvvqRihZuQLN9o1BA1piDaNL_xf4QbVMNI-2gL96Ad8vqZx9aW6zZZFZgrVw8Hp8t-f-lR68/w640-h426/Youth_Unemployment_Nepal.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@chaplainphil?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Phil DuFrene</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/youth-india?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>
</td></tr></tbody></table><br />As the nation grapples with the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, its ramifications go beyond its immediate public health impact. Health restrictions inevitable to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 have been <a href="https://cbs.gov.np/gdp-2021/" target="_blank">detrimental to the economy</a>, and are likely to have exacerbated Nepal’s seemingly perennial youth employment problem.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Youth account for about <a href="https://nepalindata.com/media/resources/items/20/bNLFS-III_Final-Report.pdf" target="_blank">40 percent</a> of the 20.7 million working age population, and have an unemployment rate higher than the national average of <a href="https://nepalindata.com/media/resources/items/20/bNLFS-III_Final-Report.pdf" target="_blank">11.4 percent</a>. Unpacking segments within youth shows us that the 15-24 segment faces specific problems, with the highest rate of unemployment, and informal employment compared to other groups. Perhaps more worryingly, <a href="https://nepalindata.com/media/resources/items/20/bNLFS-III_Final-Report.pdf" target="_blank">35.3 percent</a> of 15–24-year-olds were at the risk of social exclusion. The picture changes slightly as we move out from 15-24 to the 25-39 age bracket, which reports one of the highest underemployment rates across segments. This is not surprising given that majority of jobs created over the <a href="https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/33956" target="_blank">last decade (2008-2018)</a> were casual or short term work. The ongoing youth employment challenges have led to outcomes including, among others things, labour migration out of the country. According to the Department of Foreign Employment, labour approvals in FY 2019/19 stood at 236,208, with the volume to India conservatively expected a few times more than this number. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to make things worse. <a href="https://www.ilo.org/kathmandu/whatwedo/publications/WCMS_745439/lang--en/index.htm" target="_blank">Around 1.6 million jobs</a> were disrupted in just the first phase of the pandemic, with the young casual and informal workers predominately bearing the brunt of the unemployment impact. The crux of the COVID-19 employment impact lies in underemployment, which globally has contributed <a href="https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/documents/briefingnote/wcms_767028.pdf" target="_blank">more to estimated job losses</a> (in work hours) than unemployment and whose impact is potentially longer term. Given our pre-existing problem of underemployment, especially among youth in the 25-39 age group, this represents an unprecedented employment challenge considering that we are right in the middle of our demographic dividend. The current challenge will unlikely be overcome by our economy in its current state, as we know businesses even in <a href="https://www.nrb.org.np/contents/uploads/2021/05/2nd-Follow-Up-Report-on-Impact-of-Covid-19-on-Businesses-final.pdf" target="_blank">May 2021</a> were still not operating at pre-COVID-19 levels with important sectors like tourism and hospitality not expected to return to normalcy anytime soon.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Government response to the youth employment challenge has largely been programmatic in the years leading up to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Youth Self-Employment Fund, for instance, has been able to create around <a href="http://www.ysef.gov.np/employed-details.html" target="_blank">78,000 self-employed youths in its total 12 years of existence (around 6,500 annually)</a>. While commendable, it barely makes a dent when an estimated 400,000 enter the labor force each year. In any case, programs like these, although beneficial, are not an adequate response to a youth employment challenge that has been exacerbated by COVID-19.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">With this impending crisis in mind, it is imperative that we start to address structural barriers to improve the enabling environment for decent job creation. Systemic change is a difficult matter with various components that need to be addressed in parallel, however in our view the following two areas might offer a good starting point.<br /><br />First of all, there is no comparable alternative to entrepreneurship for job creation and economic growth. Encouraging entrepreneurship has been a government priority with commendable measures even in the recent budget, for example, to promote startups. The gap lies in the approach, which has largely been piecemeal, rather we need a coherent holistic approach for enterprise promotion if we are to achieve systems change for domestic youth employment that we desire.<br /><br />A holistic approach entails allowing the conceptual space for innovative firms and business models to develop, and grow. A case in point are ride-sharing businesses whose development in Nepal was hampered by regulatory hurdles, and who remain in limbo even after years. However, policy incentives and entrepreneurship support must be delivered in a manner that employment created is ‘decent’. Without this, it seems likely that the predominance of casual employment, and its resultant decent work deficits, will continue onwards into the next decade as well.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Linked to the idea of holistic approach is the need for mindset change. The prevalent narrative seems to equate entrepreneurship largely with youth. However, in a job supply starved economy like ours, we should aim to promote entrepreneurship from every segment of the population. Globally, successful youth entrepreneurs seem to be an exception rather than the norm, with the <a href="https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/age-of-successful-entrepreneurs/" target="_blank">average age of successful entrepreneurs being 45</a>. That does not mean that we undermine the importance of youth entrepreneurship, especially given their accepted importance in building startups that fuel innovation. What it does entail is promoting entrepreneurship from all ages as an important source of wage employment creation, which can then chip away at our overall youth employment challenge.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Secondly, an issue that almost always comes up with any discussions of the private sector or the policymakers on employment is the mismatch between the available labor and the employment opportunities. Youth often complain about the lack of employment opportunities, while employers often complain that they are unable to find the right employees for vacant jobs. Large scale regularly updated labour market data is the key to better linking labour demand to supply.<br /><br />Public agencies are an ideal mechanism to collect this data, which has actually been envisioned but not yet put into practice by the Prime Minister’s Employment Programme (PMEP). Once the data starts to flow in, big data analysis can allow for matching demand and supply at the granular level. What this means is that we can go deeper to say look at what specific competencies offered by job seekers are in higher demand among employers across Nepal. This in turn can help better identify targeted measures for particular segments, for example women and youth from disadvantaged groups that suffer additional barriers to formal employment.<br /><br />The following regular projections on new employment opportunities and remuneration levels can then be used to help students and the academia better plan for entry into the labour market. It can be used to also make vocational training more demand oriented, which could in turn ease school to work transition and movement to formal employment for the 15-24 age group.<br /><br />These suggested ideas ultimately require a sustained national commitment to establishing a technically competent public employment system. This can further be supported by the coherent integrated policy measures we have talked about above, especially if we are to incentivize our youth to move from their existing concentration on low skilled segments to the demand of medium and higher skilled segments.<br /><br />The COVID-19 pandemic has given us an opportunity to rethink our perennial problem and make significant strides towards solving it. It would be a precious opportunity wasted if we consider it business as usual.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>-Surath Giri & Saurabh Shah</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>The authors are associated with <a href="http://www.ktmshapers.org" target="_blank">Global Shapers Kathmandu Hub</a>, a part of Global Shapers Community initiated by the World Economic Forum.</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">(Originally published on <a href="https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/reframing-our-youth-employment-problem/?categoryId=opinion" target="_blank">Republica daily on July 15, 2021</a>)<br /></p>Surath Girihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227559674369495788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025137708550709075.post-12661164282791955742021-05-30T15:36:00.001+05:302021-05-30T15:41:25.010+05:30Policy Reforms for Startups in Nepal<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmkYmvur60IiYRO-37oLmGlOqHWsatzGY2bYZ1awAMI9Eeu7HndkDz8JPh8wNdrMG_WSOgSSboHNKmLb8TUwSOQS70KW5owkCMlMzR0BmzlCyKYa9rou4i6EevzCaRUIyTjQ_L0i0zCU3/s1280/startup_nepal.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmkYmvur60IiYRO-37oLmGlOqHWsatzGY2bYZ1awAMI9Eeu7HndkDz8JPh8wNdrMG_WSOgSSboHNKmLb8TUwSOQS70KW5owkCMlMzR0BmzlCyKYa9rou4i6EevzCaRUIyTjQ_L0i0zCU3/w640-h426/startup_nepal.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy: Helena Lopes (Pexels)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Startups have not only piqued the interest of the policymakers but have also captured the imagination of the Nepali youth. They are, however, fraught with risks and more often than not, fail. For example, in the USA, studies have found that over 90% of startups eventually fail. Around 21.5% of the startups fail within their first year. By the fifth year, half of all the startups are gone. The numbers are likely to be similar in Nepal.</div><p style="text-align: justify;">In Nepal, in addition to the usual risks and uncertainties, startups also face severe regulatory hurdles that make their battle for survival even more precarious. Although creating a favorable environment for startups and entrepreneurship, in general, is a continuous and never-ending process, there are certain steps the government can take immediately to make life easier for novice entrepreneurs.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">First, the policymakers need to change their perception that startups are only for well-educated and privileged people. This perception seems to have arisen partly because generally startups are associated with the information technology sector. If startups are to bring about a broader and more equitable economic change, then they must be accessible to the man in the street. What may seem like a very easy regulatory requirement for a person with access may actually be an insurmountable or a very costly obligation. For instance, spending around two weeks and tens of thousands of rupees for company registration may not mean much to a city resident belonging to the middle class or upper class. The same provision may be highly discouraging to an aspiring entrepreneur without the means and the access.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Therefore, our policymakers must work towards streamlining the regulatory obligations during the registration, operation, and closure of the startups. After having to overcome huge red tapes while registering their business or having to pay thousands of rupees to a lawyer, the entrepreneurs tend to think that they are done with the regulatory obligations and now can focus on their energy on their business. This has led to many startups to default on the various regulatory obligations they are supposed to perform after starting the operation of their venture. They end up paying tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of rupees as fines to the Office of the Company Registrar. One can hardly meet a first-time entrepreneur who has not paid such fines, sometimes even to the detriment of their venture. The initial days of the startups are so full of uncertainty and the entrepreneurs are so occupied with ensuring their venture's survival that it is unreasonable to expect them to be making rounds of government offices rather than focusing on their venture.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The hoops startups are made to jump through while registering their businesses are, however, plain sailing compared to the hoops they have to jump through while shutting down the venture if it fails. If the startups follow the legal provisions to the letter, they can expect to spend years and tens of thousands of rupees just to shut down their company. This not only drains the energy of the entrepreneur, keeping her stuck and preventing her from engaging in a better idea or venture, but it also discourages entrepreneurs from actually starting companies. A difficult exit also means that the assets remain stuck in unproductive sectors rather than swiftly being transferred to more efficient sectors.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The government should streamline the exit process for the startups, more so for the startups that did not commence their commercial operations or whose operations got terminated early. Only about one-third of the total registered companies are estimated to be in operation currently. The need for a more streamlined exit process is currently more than ever as lots of startups and even well-established ventures are shutting down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The government was headed in the right direction with the Companies (First Amendment) Act, 2074 (2017) which had made a provision allowing companies that have been inoperative for years to shut down after paying a fee equivalent to 0.5 percent of their paid-up capital to the government. The provision was, however, made available only for two years since the commencement of the amended Act and made available to only companies that have not commenced business. The provision should be made available for an indefinite period and be extended to all companies.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">For startups that succeed to survive and grow, the regulatory hurdle comes in the form of restrictions on foreign direct investment. The minimum floor of half a million dollars set by the government for foreign direct investment (FDI) has proved to be a huge obstacle for growth-oriented startups who are seeking not just the money but also the international networks and technology. Although Nepali startups are well-ready to take international investments and explore the international markets, the minimum floor of half a million dollars has meant that only a very few, if any, startups have been able to exploit the opportunity. All the investments below half a million dollars that could have helped the startups realize their national and international potential are simply denied to them. FDI is not just about money, it is also about the international networks and technologies. Because of this provision, the startups are having to rely on established Nepali investors with whom many of the startups are actually competing against which has the unintended consequence of enabling the same old faces, same old investors to control their would-be competitors and thereby making the economy the hostage of the same old business houses and investors. The often-cited reason for the minimum floor on FDI is to prevent the misuse of business visas by some foreigners who use FDI to get the visa and then engage in unwanted or outright illegal activities. This is, however, more a security issue rather than an issue of FDI. The government could simply remove the provision or come up with other monitoring and security measures to control such activities.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">For innovative startups, the sword of "lack of policy/regulation framework" keeps hanging over their head. It is not just in Nepal where the policymakers and the regulations are trying to catch up with the rapid changes in the business models and technologies. However, Nepal is among the few places where such lack of policy framework is being used to kill the startups or at least prevent them from growing and keeping them in limbo. For instance, even after a huge controversy over ride-sharing services, all the government has done is a makeshift arrangement without actually providing the legal framework even after years. This has kept promising startups like Tootle/Pathao in constant uncertainty about their future. It is anyone's guess when the policy framework will be developed or when this issue will be the priority of our lawmakers. The government should develop a separate entity or legal framework governing such innovative startups before it is too late, and we lag too far behind the world which we already are to some extent.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>-Surath Giri </b><br /></p>Surath Girihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227559674369495788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025137708550709075.post-15609001628406962902021-05-27T09:50:00.003+05:302021-05-27T09:50:49.914+05:30The Nepali Economist Podcast: Episode 09: The Other Path to Prosperity<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEJwJLEGNxkqhglXGedclCF502ef5kX1Kn81UegutE8lClK_IjO8SnwLH6GvU1RGBDjT59Qy1oKyRYelLnyvU09pPHvHWTSCGwcNPRLv77bac82n9eH7Z6ezLc4KQNP7ae6XJLLqCqptN8/s1240/thenepalieconomist_rgb.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1240" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEJwJLEGNxkqhglXGedclCF502ef5kX1Kn81UegutE8lClK_IjO8SnwLH6GvU1RGBDjT59Qy1oKyRYelLnyvU09pPHvHWTSCGwcNPRLv77bac82n9eH7Z6ezLc4KQNP7ae6XJLLqCqptN8/w291-h272/thenepalieconomist_rgb.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Dear listeners,</p><div style="text-align: justify;">Sorry about the long, long gap after the eighth episode. I finally welcome you to the ninth episode of The Nepali Economist. In this episode, I bring you the story of Peruvian economist Hernando De Soto who sought an alternative path to prosperity for the poor people in Peru and then the rest of the world. How did De Soto find the alternative path and what impact did his findings have on the developing countries around the world? Listen to find out!</div><p style="text-align: justify;">Please do not forget to send me your feedback and comments. You can mail me at nepalieconomist (@) gmail.com to send your messages.</p><p>You can listen to the ninth episode here:</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="102px" scrolling="no" src="https://anchor.fm/thenepalieconomist/embed/episodes/09-The-Other-Path-to-Prosperity-e11kme9" width="400px"></iframe><br /></p>Surath Girihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227559674369495788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025137708550709075.post-37557278031178789252021-05-12T23:17:00.001+05:302021-05-12T23:19:56.355+05:30Annapurna Base Camp Trek After The Pandemic: My Travelogue<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUwfTHllG63UHr_ovN3f9hVWBfUluoWBxDxhz4y9Z5nnCg-SGYOoi1q8HIo1zSxUy4uVWerHJNlw5wLyKrx49LMIGnVU8Gqrjr9OGEgUIYTfzJoccGFIr375BBkrvOb1QXM4jSf908KDt6/s1980/Annapurna-Base-Camp-Trekking.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1980" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUwfTHllG63UHr_ovN3f9hVWBfUluoWBxDxhz4y9Z5nnCg-SGYOoi1q8HIo1zSxUy4uVWerHJNlw5wLyKrx49LMIGnVU8Gqrjr9OGEgUIYTfzJoccGFIr375BBkrvOb1QXM4jSf908KDt6/w640-h480/Annapurna-Base-Camp-Trekking.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annapurna Base Camp<span> </span> Photo by: Surath Giri<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">I cannot tell you how much I missed trekking during the COVID-19 related lockdowns. By the time the New Year rolled around, my desperation to go on a trek had reached new heights. Janak, who too has been bitten by the wanderlust bug, was as desperate to go on a trek as me, if not more. Therefore, we went on a <b>5-day-long trek</b> to Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) from January 19 to 24. Here is how it went for us:</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Brief Itinerary</b></p><div style="text-align: justify;">Day 0: Kathmandu to Naya Pul by night bus</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Day 1: Naya Pul – Ghandruk (by Jeep) – Jhinu Danda – Chhomrong – Sinuwa – Upper Sinuwa (8 hours)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Day 2: Upper Sinuwa – Bamboo – Dovan – Himalaya – Deurali (8 hours)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Day 3: Deurali – Machhapuchchhre Base Camp – Annapurna Base Camp and back to Himalaya (7 hours)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Day 4: Himalaya – Dovan – Bamboo – Upper Sinuwa – Chhomrong – Hilltop – Kimrong Khola (10 hours)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Day 5: Kimrong Khola – Komrong Danda – Ghandruk – Naya Pul – Kathmandu (3.5 hours)</div><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Before the trek</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;">We were not sure if the trekking routes had opened after the lockdowns. We had heard the news about how travelers were being turned away because they did not have PCR reports for COVID-19 negativity. But Janak and I decided to try anyway. We would at least get out of the valley for once, relief from having to spend the better part of the last year constrained inside the home or the city. We were weighing our options for a short but memorable trek when an idea hit me. How about Annapurna Base Camp? I had been postponing ABC in favor of other trekking routes for years because it was a much-commercialized route while I had been looking for more off-the-beaten-path trekking trails. This would be a wonderful opportunity to experience ABC without the crowds. So we decided on ABC.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Day 0: Kathmandu to Naya Pul by night bus</b><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We boarded a night Sajha bus headed to Baglung so that we could get off at Naya Pul. We were apprehensive about the journey on a night bus, that too on a January night, being very cold and uncomfortable. To our pleasant surprise, the bus was quite comfortable and very warm.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The only problem was that the bus would reach Naya Pul too early in the morning. The bus was supposed to reach Baglung by 7 am which meant that our destination would be reached too early in the morning leaving us in the lurch. That's why I was more than happy when there was a delay in departure. Janak and I also made a futile attempt to add to the delays by taking a long time during dinner but to no avail. By the time <b>we reached Pokhara, it was just 3 am</b>. It would take no more than an hour to reach Naya Pul now. I was wondering what we do now. Then, my prayer was answered, sort of.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7FoypdF2GrWOdRwlW090_GPSoU1oI9JoCUnsl3DR6nED-BfBzO66IgI3aFUtAQdk0gzsBhJ1yn52CQF-M-QWTb-_vw1y0YcEEAnNsHLBKcEw2Td0SwPtJsiX300g3Hhn6neiExHEK5voK/s1487/Mane-on-the-way-to-ABC.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1487" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7FoypdF2GrWOdRwlW090_GPSoU1oI9JoCUnsl3DR6nED-BfBzO66IgI3aFUtAQdk0gzsBhJ1yn52CQF-M-QWTb-_vw1y0YcEEAnNsHLBKcEw2Td0SwPtJsiX300g3Hhn6neiExHEK5voK/s320/Mane-on-the-way-to-ABC.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Yatri Design<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">There was some commotion on the bus. A drunkard was refusing to pay the bus fare and was getting belligerent. The driver stopped the bus and demanded that the guy pay the fare or the bus would not move ahead. Secretly, I was jubilant and was looking at my watch hoping some more time would pass. But the drunkard did not buzz and after a while, the driver resumed the journey again. But he did have a trick up his sleeve.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">He stopped the bus at a police checking post and complained to the police. A big policeman with a potbelly boarded the bus. The driver pointed out to the drunkard. The police started asking him questions. When he did not get a proper answer, he began shouting at the drunkard and started dragging him out of the bus. The act seemed to have brought the guy back to his senses. He seemed scared. He paid up the bus fare and was sent to the last seat which he obeyed quietly. The driver thanked the policeman and resumed the journey.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">But my problem was not solved still. We were still early. Then, someone suggested that we take a tea break. I voiced my support for the idea. The driver agreed. We stopped for tea where I chatted with the driver for a while. He seemed like a very nice person. We told him we were going on a trek and will probably returning on the Sajha bus itself. He gave us the contact number of his colleague who would be likely to be heading to Kathmandu on our return date.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Despite our numerous efforts to postpone the moment, the bus dropped us at <b>Naya Pul at around 4:15 am</b>. Well, the place that was supposed to be a bazaar didn't seem like it at all in the pitch darkness. It seemed like the middle of nowhere in the dark. We got off the bus, lit up torchlights, and tried to figure out the whereabouts of the place. There were indeed several shops in a row on the side of the road but needless to say all of them were closed. Luckily, there were no stray dogs around. The shops had open tables in their porches. We went to the tables, put down our bags, and just sat there for a few minutes pointing our torchlights in different directions. It was as if we were in the middle of a forest at midnight. I was sleepy and jumpy.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Then Janak asked me if I wanted to have coffee? I asked him what he meant by that. Of course, I would love a cup of coffee but let's not get our hopes too high in the middle of nowhere that too at 4 am. Then Janak took out a small gas burner, a saucepan, and some packets of Nescafé. I was speechless. I love that guy!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So, we boiled some coffee on the roadside and sipped it while waiting for the dawn to break in. After two rounds of coffee, it was 5 am finally. Suddenly, the light above us lit up and there was some bustle inside the house. A woman came out of the house, noticed us, simply ignored us, and started washing dishes in a small tap on the porch. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidt8TNT2WuF9rusNW6uthfE-FfKuaVB9qpFBzpefUXQyvOPEYnOA8jFRTrFxoLIfZGGUxviE4BizS3Ffo5GjfHAP6GoEQLRdJeUIYDwbAeMlUYnuX_xSZVlKDA9WIE_5H5htNAkLjTxLxi/s800/Coffee_at_Nayapul.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidt8TNT2WuF9rusNW6uthfE-FfKuaVB9qpFBzpefUXQyvOPEYnOA8jFRTrFxoLIfZGGUxviE4BizS3Ffo5GjfHAP6GoEQLRdJeUIYDwbAeMlUYnuX_xSZVlKDA9WIE_5H5htNAkLjTxLxi/s320/Coffee_at_Nayapul.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>It seemed like a stranger turning up at your doorstep at 5 am was a regular thing in this place. We approached the lady and told her we were on our way to ABC and asked her how we should take our journey forward. She told us to either wait for a local bus that would depart at around 8 am or hire a jeep. Or we could walk all the way!<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Janak and I were deliberating on the options we had when all a bus stopped in front of us and a bunch of teenagers got out of it. The way they got out of the bus and the way they crossed the road to reach us told us they are inebriated. A girl from the group approached us. She wanted to know how they could reach…well…she forgot where they were heading. I was hoping they would say ABC so that we could hire the jeep together and pay less per person with more people on it. But alas, the girl remembered after a while that they were actually heading towards Ghorepani and Poonhill. I directed the girl towards the lady who was still washing the dishes.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Day 1: Naya Pul – Ghandruk (by Jeep) – Jhinu Danda – Chhomrong – Sinuwa – Upper Sinuwa (8 hours)</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Finally, we decided to reserve a Jeep up to Ghandruk which would take 1.5 hours. Waiting for the public bus would be too late. We would go to Ghandruk, spend some time there before starting the trek, maybe have breakfast and roam around. But the driver unbeknownst to us assumed that since we were going to the base camp he better drop us off to the farthest point in the trail the Jeep was capable of going to. The point happened to be Motkyu, further ahead than Ghandruk. We realized this only when we reached there. So we postponed our plans for Ghandruk.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>At 7 am, we got off at Madque</b>, paid the driver, and drank a cup of tea. The old lady who served us tea was confused to hear that we were headed to ABC. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>"Did you guys check if the trail has opened yet? I don't think they are allowing people to go beyond Chhomrong. I have not seen any trekkers since the lockdown"</i>, she said.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Our hearts sank. Janak and I looked at each other in dismay. But we were there already, so we decided we will go as far as they will let us go and return.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I looked north and saw the mountains peering across the hills in all their glory. What a joy it was to see the mountains after such a long time. As I felt the cool morning breeze across my face, I was satisfied. Being this close to the mountains was enough reward for this trip already for me. What Ruskin Bond says in one of his stories totally applies to me:<br /></p><blockquote><i>"Once you have lived with mountains for any length of time, you belong to them, and must return again and again."</i></blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFQZKs0zgEXx_q646LXIRVFDrMFkhq_YzIiPGVOCMelxw2vu9rn6vuMaHUEfynDgpkahGQquvZMcyQBBoaVfxW8iEf1bTp8gfb12M7YBvBoOEkWvBVTuUT4ajvdp5rhG4WdpvK8KpUxtY/s1980/Annapurna-range-from-motque.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1980" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFQZKs0zgEXx_q646LXIRVFDrMFkhq_YzIiPGVOCMelxw2vu9rn6vuMaHUEfynDgpkahGQquvZMcyQBBoaVfxW8iEf1bTp8gfb12M7YBvBoOEkWvBVTuUT4ajvdp5rhG4WdpvK8KpUxtY/w640-h480/Annapurna-range-from-motque.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Motque<span> </span>Photo by: Surath Giri<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>We left Motkyu at around 7:15 am.</b> We walked along a quiet trail that gradually sloped uphill. We walked for almost two hours to reach <b>Jhinu Danda</b>. We had our breakfast there at a hotel that seemed to have been closed and some kind of religious ceremony was going on. The owner served us breakfast anyway. We inquired if the trail had opened. The guy was not sure but said he thought the trail should have opened by now. He seemed quite happy to see us which added to our hope that we will be allowed up to base camp itself.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">From Jhinu Danda onward, the trail was quite steep. We walked for another two hours to reach the hilltop. On the way, some community people were repairing the trail together. They asked us if we had brought along Corona with us. Not sure if the question was serious, Janak told them that we left Corona behind in Kathmandu. Luckily, they saw the humorous side of it.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JG73MaJc469C__MvRHjPjJBOUlvYE2oUUKF8haK8sDuhiXBVs3Efg0KQ8KaIFYhCeFmSJbyaUK16K0-DsetfodPsrV1XnNLR-cS_m27mSYaI1Pq_ndnfsaP0Kve9YAsH2vEiVa7b3nbJ/s1200/Janak_at_Jhinu_Danda.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="752" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JG73MaJc469C__MvRHjPjJBOUlvYE2oUUKF8haK8sDuhiXBVs3Efg0KQ8KaIFYhCeFmSJbyaUK16K0-DsetfodPsrV1XnNLR-cS_m27mSYaI1Pq_ndnfsaP0Kve9YAsH2vEiVa7b3nbJ/s320/Janak_at_Jhinu_Danda.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">By the time we reached the hilltop, we were famished. We ordered lunch at one of the teahouses. We sat on a straw mat on the courtyard basking in the January sun and looking at the landscape of mountains beyond mountains we had left behind and a beautiful river meandering across them. The warm sun, the cool breeze, the delicious aroma of food wafting in the air, and the exhaustion of walking up a mountain – we both fell asleep on the straw mat. We must have slept for around an hour when the elderly woman woke us up and served a very delicious dal bhat.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">After a hearty meal, we rested for a while and prepared to leave. A few other customers (locals) arrived at the shop looking for something to drink. They were curious to see two strangers with huge backpacks. They asked us where we were headed. We told them that we wanted to reach Annapurna Base Camp if we are allowed. A woman volunteered to check if the trail was open all the way. She called someone and said something in the Gurung language. She then turned to us and said, the trail is indeed open but the tea houses are open only up to Deurali. The tea houses beyond that, the ones at Machhapuchhre Base Camp and the Annapurna Base Camp were closed. So now the question was: is it possible to reach Annapurna Base Camp and come back to Deurali in a single day? </p><p style="text-align: justify;">They smiled at our question. "Easily", they replied. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUcOe0lQ7P7_1XB2FnfjxAaBfcShYze0VD7q0nVT93rMANdDW-MJYXkZW8QBwhQqC3zQ97-Fz5_v9dahAc9iEkIoKaY9yPiXbvn8C0ymMMhrW4dZTy1hti46-XClJOLCf37ksPeVxbbphM/s1980/mountains-beyond-mountains.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1318" data-original-width="1980" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUcOe0lQ7P7_1XB2FnfjxAaBfcShYze0VD7q0nVT93rMANdDW-MJYXkZW8QBwhQqC3zQ97-Fz5_v9dahAc9iEkIoKaY9yPiXbvn8C0ymMMhrW4dZTy1hti46-XClJOLCf37ksPeVxbbphM/w640-h426/mountains-beyond-mountains.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Maplogs.com<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We resumed our journey at <b>around 1 pm</b>. Another 10 minutes' walk led us to <b>Chhomrong</b>, one of the largest settlements along the trail. We descended along the stone steps observing the village lifestyle. Villagers seemed to be either working or partying. From one of the celebrations, a person emerged and asked us where we were headed. He then gestured us to follow him as he descended further along the path. He took us to the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) office and asked us to register our names and contact details in a register. I noticed that according to the register we were the 6th and 7th person to have gone on the trail after the lockdowns were lifted.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8VRGih2d2wuRwJUb5yELRq-8gW1dojk2aqqMb3FjjS-e3_reAtc-pSU__bGSAz7vdCL3MHrwidJhps1VicQiFtVYx9zA0LNZkLws6q8jQcZ2dob05OzyS-zQlQAQqaHU2bPJW1FzGN4Kf/s1920/Chhomrong-village-annapurna-base-camp.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1386" data-original-width="1920" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8VRGih2d2wuRwJUb5yELRq-8gW1dojk2aqqMb3FjjS-e3_reAtc-pSU__bGSAz7vdCL3MHrwidJhps1VicQiFtVYx9zA0LNZkLws6q8jQcZ2dob05OzyS-zQlQAQqaHU2bPJW1FzGN4Kf/w640-h462/Chhomrong-village-annapurna-base-camp.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chhomrong Village<span> </span>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@traveholics?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Balaji Srinivasan</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/annapurna-base-camp?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>
</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">After the obligations were done, I inquired the guy where he thought we would reach by nightfall that day and if the teahouses at the base camp were open. He turned out to be quite a loquacious person. He started with how he had convinced the villagers to open up the route just a few days back and ended up sharing his life story. He shared how he joined the service and his work-related foreign trips in which they had been taken to foreign national parks to show how they were being managed and promoted. His story was interesting to listen to but we were getting late. Out of politeness all we could do was nod our heads and steal glances at our watches once in a while.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br />But he mentioned two things that piqued my interest:</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>a) Having been abandoned by the humans for a long time during the lockdown, some teahouses had been raided by a bear. The bear had taken off with rice and other food items from these lodges. He advised us not to walk after dark and be careful even during the day while walking through the jungle.</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i><br />b) Since there were no open teahouses beyond Deurali and the road was dangerous with several landslide-prone areas, he advised us to take a local guide with us from Deurali.</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Because of the first point, a fear started to take hold of my thoughts. Janak, however, seemed oblivious. He was focused on catching the guy between sentences so that we could change the subject and ask for his leave. We managed to do that after hearing his story for about 30 minutes.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">As soon as we were let off the hook, we rushed along our trail lest he comes after us to share more of his stories. We descended to a trail bridge over a river that seemed to be the borders of Chhomrong village. We crossed the bridge and started ascending, gently at first and then steeply after a while.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">We walked for about an hour to reach <b>Sinuwa village. It was 3 pm</b>, around two hours until sunset. We kept walking. I was tired by now but not exhausted yet. So I was excited to keep going. Janak, however, to my utter shock, seemed exhausted and was barely trudging. Janak usually is the person who is at least a mile ahead of all the team members during treks because of his strength and his pace. I am usually the laggard. But to my shock, Janak was lagging behind that too on the first day itself. I inquired if he was not well. He said that was not the case.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Our walk slowed down to almost a crawl. I wanted to go ahead but did not want to leave him behind. Besides, the path was passing through a jungle and I did not want to be caught alone by a bear. So we walked together slowly. I walked a few minutes ahead of him and then shouted motivations to Janak – <i>"We are almost there!", "I think 10 more minutes and we can call it a day."</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">It was around <b>5:30 pm when we reached Upper Sinuwa</b>. We found accommodation in one of the several teahouses available there. Once the guy showed us our room, I just took off my bag and my shoes and threw myself down on the bed. As I had not slept properly the night before, I was feeling exhausted and sleepy. The moment I hit the bed I fell into a deep slumber. So did Janak.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Day 2: Upper Sinuwa – Bamboo – Dovan – Himalaya – Deurali (8 hours)</b><br /><br />I woke up at around 7 am the next day. By the time, I woke up Janak had already woken up, performed his daily ablutions, drank a cup of tea, and was warming himself at a fire. It seemed that Janak was back to his original self. All he seemed to need was a good night's sleep. I performed my daily ablutions and asked him why he was so exhausted so yesterday. He shyly pulled up his t-shirt and showed the potbelly he had acquired since our last trek. "Because I am carrying 10-15 extra kilograms with me", he said with a laugh.<br /><br />We settled our bills and <b>started the day's journey at 7:40 am</b>. Our destination for the day was Deurali, the farthest human-inhabited point in the trail for the time being. The trail from Upper Sinuwa to Bamboo is either straight or downhill and passes through a dense forest. There was not much to see nearby but we could get a glimpse of the majestic mountains in the north far away. We walked exactly for <b>2 hours and 20 minutes to reach Bamboo</b>, a small settlement consisting of only a few lodges in the middle of a dense forest. Only one lodge was open when we reached there. The owner seems extremely happy to see us and inquired if we wanted to have dal bhat. We were not hungry enough so we ordered just tea.<br /><br />"We are used to having guests and chatting with them. These several months have been torture for us. I could not sell a single cup of tea. More than that, it was very lonely out here without a single soul to talk to", Maila dai shared. We could relate to him in a way. I inquired him about the bear attack. He confirmed it adding to my uneasiness.<br /><br />Then, Janak announced that was going to make Janak Special Sadheko Chauchau. A few onions, lemons, tomatoes, green chilies, and a knife emerged out of his backpack. He was well-prepared for this as well. He made delicious sadheko chauchau which we had with tea. <br /><br />We resumed our journey at around 10:30 am. As we were about to leave, a foreigner and her guide who were returning from the base camp decided to take a rest at the same lodge. They must be among the 5 people before us in the ACAP register, I thought.<br /><br />From Bamboo, the trail elevated sharply making the walk strenuous. We walked under trees and then in open space consecutively for about <b>one and a half hours to reach Dovan for lunch</b>. In Dovan too, only one lodge was completely open. We ordered dal bhat and rested. The dal bhat was extremely delicious and we ate heartily. At around 1:00 pm we left Dovan for our next destination – Himalaya.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWT3SUZC7iUAuazT5nxFe239QVyhQi_yPy9aif3uL5bU_waz7ixsC0k6z1ZRqVflbJ-MZI3ssI_Jx9Hw8qOLygiA3C3wa_Ty_7BOv48y8UUblX9VwfVgayogb1lhzY5srGbMrDPU-seb62/s2048/108-Chhahara-on-ABC.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1532" data-original-width="2048" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWT3SUZC7iUAuazT5nxFe239QVyhQi_yPy9aif3uL5bU_waz7ixsC0k6z1ZRqVflbJ-MZI3ssI_Jx9Hw8qOLygiA3C3wa_Ty_7BOv48y8UUblX9VwfVgayogb1lhzY5srGbMrDPU-seb62/w640-h478/108-Chhahara-on-ABC.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">108 Chhahara<span> </span> Photo by Surath Giri<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"><br />On our way to Deurali, we came across a breathtaking sight. The place was called <b>108 Chhahara</b>. Several small waterfalls falling from what seemed like a humongous rock. It seemed as if a single rock had formed that hill and there were more than a dozen streams of water falling down that huge rock. With so many water streams falling, the sounds they made were rhythmic like music. I loved the view and wished I could spend hours just observing the waterfall. But we had to keep moving cause our destination lied hours away.<br /><br />The trail got steeper from there. We walked for <b>another 40 minutes to reach Himalaya</b> where we decided to take a tea break. <b>It was 2:30 pm</b> when we reached there but all of a sudden fog had shrouded the whole landscape. It felt like dusk already. We spent around 30 minutes having tea and chatting with the lodge owners there. Upon our inquiry, a young lad showed us where a bear had broken into the lodge during the lockdown and taken away all the food. "The bear took off with a whole tin of ghee", he shared amusedly.<br /><br />I was scared now. It was getting dark and so far we were the only two people on the trail. We had to make sure that we reach Deurali by nightfall. <br /><br />After walking for about an hour from Himalaya, <b>at 4 pm, we reached a place called Hinku Cave</b>. A gigantic rock standing on another smaller rock had formed what appeared to be like an awning of a rock. It was a mesmerizing sight to behold. We rested under the rock for a while. To be honest, I didn’t want to rest. I was eager to reach our destination as soon as possible because the fog was getting thicker and the daylight was disappearing. Janak, however, seemed too exhausted to keep going without rest.<br />From Hinku Cave onward, it seemed like the snowline had started. There were remnants of snow on the trail. It was a lovely sight. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX13OlsqWbMHkhyInfR1s0-FA4OMRMhnP2IPwAVi_4LEKMoxX-Vimwcwbazs9pnXTJYhkQ-BK_anRBFsqK1-fE0nW_qAEV1suCTgiDP_g5VQdvdcYOD8BrGWxJ4lzW0lkumMbpP0lX9hCy/s1980/ABC+near+hinku+cave.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1980" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX13OlsqWbMHkhyInfR1s0-FA4OMRMhnP2IPwAVi_4LEKMoxX-Vimwcwbazs9pnXTJYhkQ-BK_anRBFsqK1-fE0nW_qAEV1suCTgiDP_g5VQdvdcYOD8BrGWxJ4lzW0lkumMbpP0lX9hCy/w640-h480/ABC+near+hinku+cave.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">About to reach Deurali<span> </span>Photo by Surath Giri<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">We crossed two rivers on a makeshift bridge made of bamboos and walked for almost an hour to reach our destination for the day – <b>Deurali</b>. We later found out that last year, several Korean tourists and Nepali guides had been crossing one of these rivers when a landslide occurred killing all of them. They had been trekking during a heavy rainfall followed by snowfall which had led to the landslide. <br /><br />Only one out of the several lodges in Deurali was open but that was good enough for us. The owner was very friendly. He offered us hot tea and showed us our rooms. As we waited for our dinner, we sat at the fireplace and warmed ourselves. There was a lady and a guy who seemed to be her guide. We were not sure whether she was a Nepali or a foreigner but we tried to strike up a conversation anyway.<br /><br />She turned out to be a Nepali. Kesang had studied in India and had been working there until a few years back. She was a passionate trekker and had been hiking across India. She had now returned to Nepal and continuing her passion. I regaled her with my stories of trekking adventure, mostly misadventures and the impossible situations I tend to find myself at times. Janak added to the mix with his colloquialisms and slang. Kessang was doubling up with laughter. <br /><br />While having dinner, we asked the lodge owner how the trail ahead was and also requested him to prepare us packed lunch for the next day to have at the basecamp. He gave us a sales pitch on why we should take along a guide because the road ahead was difficult and there were landslide-prone areas. We expressed our reluctance. He kept making his pitch. When he had gone to the kitchen to get more dal bhat, Kessang muttered, "Guide not needed. The trail is quite straightforward."<br /><br />I thanked her under my breath. We told the guy we will decide by tomorrow morning if we need a guide and asked him to just prepare the lunch pack for us.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Looking forward to an exciting day the next day, we went to sleep. I fell into a deep sleep because of my exhaustion. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Day 3: Deurali – Machhapuchchhre Base Camp – Annapurna Base Camp and back to Himalaya (7 hours)</b><br /><br />On the third day, the day we were supposed to reach the base camp, I woke up at around 5 am. It was too cold outside so I slept for another two hours. By 7 am, there was enough daylight to walk so I woke up. As usual, Janak was already up and ready. He had completed his daily ablutions already and was urging me to hurry up. I obliged. Kessang reiterated that we do not need a guide. So we declined the lodge owner's offer. He did not seem to mind. We decided to leave our stuff behind and carry only the lunch with us. Janak emptied his bag and put the lunch pack and the camera inside it. We bid goodbye to Kessang and started on our way <b>at around 7:30 am.</b><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgnRg5JYnL0v3FkuLfm22-9qEO8mGQ-8xnEQ5eI8OvavcRO6aBvb6Lqz9IVtUqOeffhyphenhyphenh0BGFI2qgGdRnbL4uEzTKXM_lFQ03TF6e46OoEPvxfBCJ5QHBm8B3_l_nqHAMauNu1GHVKJEj/s1980/On+the+way+to+ABC.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1980" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgnRg5JYnL0v3FkuLfm22-9qEO8mGQ-8xnEQ5eI8OvavcRO6aBvb6Lqz9IVtUqOeffhyphenhyphenh0BGFI2qgGdRnbL4uEzTKXM_lFQ03TF6e46OoEPvxfBCJ5QHBm8B3_l_nqHAMauNu1GHVKJEj/w640-h480/On+the+way+to+ABC.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way to Machhapuchchhre Base Camp<span> </span>Photo by Surath Giri<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">We climbed a bit from Deurali and then the trail ran almost straight with minor ups and downs. The trail was straightforward and not precarious at all. And there was a sign that indicated where the landslide-prone area was to begin. From that signboard, we walked briskly until we were sure that we had crossed the landslide-prone region. Since we were not carrying our backpacks, our pace had increased significantly. And the view was breathtakingly beautiful. We were already above the treeline altitude so there were no trees at all. The alpine vegetation was very colorful and beautiful though. Additionally, the rays of rising sun reflecting from the Annapurna massif were giving the mountain a golden glow and dazzling our eyes. A cool breeze was blowing across our faces. We were walking through a high-altitude river valley. A small but ferocious river was rushing past us on our side. Such a bliss!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPKPrsNTxGrZ6pE9kieKBx2ZA5d58vBvJg07IuA0bq7AonuS26aKcFLVtb56L1LWocUE4AJDS7TckmbXgJmycBvm5DDxxtbdRrKKk06wICpQUooFiWni3C4HknAM3RBCUZbJWy5hqQBPi/s1920/Near+Machhapuchchhre+Base+Camp.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1437" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPKPrsNTxGrZ6pE9kieKBx2ZA5d58vBvJg07IuA0bq7AonuS26aKcFLVtb56L1LWocUE4AJDS7TckmbXgJmycBvm5DDxxtbdRrKKk06wICpQUooFiWni3C4HknAM3RBCUZbJWy5hqQBPi/w640-h480/Near+Machhapuchchhre+Base+Camp.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way to Machhapuchchhre Base Camp<span> </span>Photo by Surath Giri</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>At around 10 am, we reached the Machhapuchchhre Base Camp</b>. There were several lodges there but all seemed to have been deserted. There was not a single soul beside us in the vicinity. We took several pictures trying to fit the Machhapuchchre summit and ourselves in a single frame. We spent around 20 minutes at the place before moving on.<br /><br />We kept ascending <b>slowly for another 2 hours to finally reach the Annapurna Base Camp at 12:20 pm</b>. Like the Machhapuchchhre Base Camp, Annapurna Base Camp was also deserted, not a single soul in sight. I reached the Annapurna Base Camp ahead of Janak. I took a few selfies and a few pictures of the majestic Annapurna as I waited for him to catch up. Even after several selfies and waiting for more than 20 minutes Janak was nowhere to be seen. So I decided to go further up. I went up the stone steps, past the lodges, and peered at the moraine below. What a sight it was! I was mesmerized. I do not know why but whenever I look at views like this, I get nostalgic and I yearn for something but I do not exactly know what I yearn for. It makes me sad but I do not want that sadness to go away. I lied down on a truncated spur and looked at the glacial erratic below. I fell asleep.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMIyBJ3wpEZNVwj23Ua6QI_BpDx8POo0mqNA6dCXEEED_iDu-bKx16GkoAFELUO_ZtHr_khf8R6QSjWHf9l6oe6B1cS2WAb86MzUAOd8K3gZOlZ_CNxBji7j6xwgmi81y87NuB2edp8ix/s1920/Annapurna-Base-Camp.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1437" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMIyBJ3wpEZNVwj23Ua6QI_BpDx8POo0mqNA6dCXEEED_iDu-bKx16GkoAFELUO_ZtHr_khf8R6QSjWHf9l6oe6B1cS2WAb86MzUAOd8K3gZOlZ_CNxBji7j6xwgmi81y87NuB2edp8ix/w640-h480/Annapurna-Base-Camp.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morraine of Annapurna<span> </span>Photo by Surath Giri<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">I woke up after about 30 minutes. Janak was still nowhere to be seen. Maybe he didn't come up to the lodges and decided to stay back at the base camp signboard. So I woke up and rushed past the lodges and down the stone steps to the base camp signboard below. Still, I could not see Janak anywhere. I began to be worried. Did he get hurt? Did he get lost? I ran towards the signboard.<br /> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxREE01pK4Du0SdUCntQS3olx5npsSfBDUPKXBjpzP2CoHh4zNyNmna_5WNX_5ebCEPVAuYuYBrFB9e-AU4mRCw-a_im1J6NQqUNONvaskl7uvjddqn0w8uRC9JNxS8a3giLUId-QuBlJ9/s1920/Lodges-at-Annapurna-Base-Camp.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1437" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxREE01pK4Du0SdUCntQS3olx5npsSfBDUPKXBjpzP2CoHh4zNyNmna_5WNX_5ebCEPVAuYuYBrFB9e-AU4mRCw-a_im1J6NQqUNONvaskl7uvjddqn0w8uRC9JNxS8a3giLUId-QuBlJ9/w640-h480/Lodges-at-Annapurna-Base-Camp.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lodges at Annapurna Base Camp<span> </span>Photo by Surath Giri<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">I look around wondering where he could have gone. Then, I noticed a heap of something black near the signboard. It was Janak sleeping in a fetal position. He had arrived and just slept beside the signboard. That's how exhausted he was.<br /><br />I went to him and woke him up and teased him. He reluctantly woke up. It was time for lunch. We were famished by now. I took out the lunch pack – a Tibetan bread with honey and starting eating it. Janak did not want it. Instead, he took out the gas burner and started making coffee. He also cooked some noodles for both of us. Reenergized after filling our stomachs, we started taking pictures. Lots and lots of them. Selfies, landscapes, short videos, TikTok style videos, pictures of both of us using the timer in the camera, video messages for people who had not joined us for the trek, we stopped only after exhausting all the styles that were known to us. We could have spent the whole day there and still not have had enough of the place and its beauty.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8WmgvEuz31QgjCi9SIs8m7jonTdZiVPIc7RL8VB_OkYeLQgOdUE_eBMOxAjIWF5eyFzuDq1xXcOFSShzN55rLJyYcizxJ3QqmwLAbq5jDW4eg0RaMHV-bD35MAo5v8aYD4oeTFZRCIbS/s1421/Surath-at-Annapurna-Base-Camp.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="1421" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8WmgvEuz31QgjCi9SIs8m7jonTdZiVPIc7RL8VB_OkYeLQgOdUE_eBMOxAjIWF5eyFzuDq1xXcOFSShzN55rLJyYcizxJ3QqmwLAbq5jDW4eg0RaMHV-bD35MAo5v8aYD4oeTFZRCIbS/w640-h486/Surath-at-Annapurna-Base-Camp.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surath at Annapurna Base Camp<span> </span>Photo by Janak Sapkota<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>It was 2:15 pm when we finally managed to wean ourselves away from the place.</b> We packed our stuff and started our descent. Our planned destination for the day was either Dovan or Bamboo but we were already late. So the destination for the day was likely to be either Deurali or the Himalaya. The weather which was clear until a few minutes back began to worsen as the fog began to shroud everything around us.<br /><br />We walked briskly, almost ran up to Deurali. We reached Deurali at around 4:30 pm. The owner asked if we planned to stay there. Since we had another hour or so of daylight we decided to keep moving. We settled our bills, packed our bags, and headed towards Himalaya. The fog was getting denser and the dark was descending upon us. I was hoping that we would reach Himalaya before dark.<br /><br /><b>We reached Himalaya at around 6 pm</b>. The daylight barely remained. We stayed at the same place that had served us tea the day before. The young lad was very friendly and gave us tea and hot water free of cost. The food was also delicious. Exhausted by the physical exertion of the day, we went to bed immediately after dinner.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Day 4: Himalaya – Dovan – Bamboo – Upper Sinuwa – Chhomrong – Hilltop – Kimrong Khola (10 hours)</b><br /><br />The next day I woke up at around 7 am as usual. And as usual, Janak was already up. The day's journey was relatively easier because we would be mostly descending. We started our trek for the day at around 7:40 am. We rushed downhill along the trail. On our way, we were glad to see one Indian guy and then a young couple on their way to the base camp. So more people are on their way, I thought. <b>We reached Sinuwa at around 1 pm where we had our lunch.<br /></b><br />Then we walked down to the trail bridge and then up the Chhomrong village for another 2 hours to reach the top of the village. We were retracing our way until this point. From here on, however, we would be embarking on a new trail. We decided to go to Ghandruk through Kimrong Khola. So we took the right turn from there.<br /><br />The trail to Kimrong Khola was easy and the walk was quite pleasant. We passed through a small village and then through a forest the majority of the time. It was dark before we reached Kimrong Khola. We had about another 30 minutes of walk to reach the lodge in Kimrong Khola. We were following a map on my phone to figure out which way to go. Janak was probably 10 minutes ahead of me. The map showed a fork in the trail and advised to take the left one because it was the shorter one. I was not sure what to do. Besides Janak had taken the longer trail and was quite ahead of me. I shouted to get his attention. No reply. I shouted with all my might. Still no reply! <br /><br />Annoyed I ran along the longer trail and finally caught up to Janak. But by this time we had already come too far to return so we took the longer trail. <b>We reached a lodge at around 7 pm</b>. The people there seemed overjoyed to finally have visitors after such a long time. They served us delicious dal bhat. I was even more exhausted that day because we had walked the most that day during the whole trek. I was reminiscing the most beautiful views of the trek when I fell asleep.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Day 5: Kimrong Khola – Komrong Danda – Ghandruk – Naya Pul – Kathmandu (3.5 hours)</b><br /><br />Maybe because we were too exhausted or maybe because we now did not have the pressure to reach anywhere by a certain time, we woke a bit late the next morning. At around 7:15 am. We completed our daily ablutions, had breakfast, and settled our bills. Then, <b>we started our trek for the day at around 8 am</b>. Kimrongkhola village is situated on a slightly raised base of the hill. So we had to descend a bit to reach the river. We crossed the trail bridge to the other side and then started uphill towards Komrong Danda. This part of the trail was not that memorable except the various moments when monkeys startled us as we were walking lost in our thoughts or intensely focused on political discussions. We reached <b>Komrong Danda at around 10 am</b>. There we stopped for a cup of tea.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg9JfQLx4gfNdAkQPTMtdfMjS9IMb__qBpU0g1-PX2on-TtYRUHUweRnCaKHVy_X-hEEXl-uH3-Ch__OAjQ2KiRaM60H4eMOLdNC3TBM0GXwIRT8svPSwvnyLo-3WGvxWLiQEAxaxvOgO5/s1920/Kimrong-Khola.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1437" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg9JfQLx4gfNdAkQPTMtdfMjS9IMb__qBpU0g1-PX2on-TtYRUHUweRnCaKHVy_X-hEEXl-uH3-Ch__OAjQ2KiRaM60H4eMOLdNC3TBM0GXwIRT8svPSwvnyLo-3WGvxWLiQEAxaxvOgO5/w640-h480/Kimrong-Khola.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kimrong Khola<span> </span>Photo by Surath Giri<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Then we walked for another one and a half four to reach <b>Ghandruk at around 11:45 am</b>. We ate lunch in one of the lodges there. The lodge owner turned out to be a mata (god woman) whom the villagers visited to hear their astrological predictions. The lady and her sister kept stealing glances at us and laughing but refused to tell us our astrological predictions. The view of the mountain range from the village was magnificent though.<br /><br />At 2:15 pm, we resumed our trek. We walked for around 15 minutes downhill to reach the Ghandruk bus stop. Reaching there we found out that we had to wait at least an hour for the next bus. Luckily, however, we found a reserved bus that was about to depart for Pokhara. Some women from Pokhara had reserved a bus for a day trip to Ghandruk and they agreed to take us along with them. We thanked them for the help. Several of the women, however, were inebriated with alcohol. They sang and danced loudly throughout the journey. I was amused to see them expressing themselves so unhesitatingly. <br /><br />After about two hours of bus ride, we got off at <b>Naya Pul at around 5 pm</b> where we drank several cups of coffee and waited for our night bus to Kathmandu. The bus arrived at around 8 pm. We eagerly boarded the bus looking forward to our regular life in Kathmandu after having been re-energized by this amazing trip.<br /></p>Surath Girihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227559674369495788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025137708550709075.post-46827272890393656862020-12-20T14:31:00.001+05:302020-12-20T14:31:28.398+05:30The Nepali Economist Podcast: Episode 08: The Story of Markets<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEJwJLEGNxkqhglXGedclCF502ef5kX1Kn81UegutE8lClK_IjO8SnwLH6GvU1RGBDjT59Qy1oKyRYelLnyvU09pPHvHWTSCGwcNPRLv77bac82n9eH7Z6ezLc4KQNP7ae6XJLLqCqptN8/s1240/thenepalieconomist_rgb.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1240" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEJwJLEGNxkqhglXGedclCF502ef5kX1Kn81UegutE8lClK_IjO8SnwLH6GvU1RGBDjT59Qy1oKyRYelLnyvU09pPHvHWTSCGwcNPRLv77bac82n9eH7Z6ezLc4KQNP7ae6XJLLqCqptN8/w291-h272/thenepalieconomist_rgb.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><p>Dear listeners,</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Welcome to the eighth episode of The Nepali Economist. In this episode, I talk about the marvel of the markets - what they are, how they work, and why they are important.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The following are the references I have used:</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The Reality of Markets by Russel Roberts</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Spontaneous Order by Norman Barry</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I, Pencil by Leonard E. Read </p><p> Please check out the episode and let me know what you think. Also, please let me know what topics would you like to see covered in upcoming episodes. You can mail me at nepalieconomist (@) gmail.com to send your messages.</p><p>You can listen to the eighth episode here:</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="102px" scrolling="no" src="https://anchor.fm/thenepalieconomist/embed/episodes/08-The-Story-of-Markets-eo11ae" width="400px"></iframe><br /></p>Surath Girihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227559674369495788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025137708550709075.post-31494548096277148732020-10-29T19:53:00.000+05:302020-10-29T19:53:11.596+05:30The Nepali Economist Podcast: Episode 07: The Value of Money<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEJwJLEGNxkqhglXGedclCF502ef5kX1Kn81UegutE8lClK_IjO8SnwLH6GvU1RGBDjT59Qy1oKyRYelLnyvU09pPHvHWTSCGwcNPRLv77bac82n9eH7Z6ezLc4KQNP7ae6XJLLqCqptN8/s1240/thenepalieconomist_rgb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEJwJLEGNxkqhglXGedclCF502ef5kX1Kn81UegutE8lClK_IjO8SnwLH6GvU1RGBDjT59Qy1oKyRYelLnyvU09pPHvHWTSCGwcNPRLv77bac82n9eH7Z6ezLc4KQNP7ae6XJLLqCqptN8/s320/thenepalieconomist_rgb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Dear readers,<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">After a long hiatus of almost four months, I am finally back with another episode of my podcast - the seventh episode. In this episode, I discuss the concepts of inflation and deflation and how they impact our lives. I also discuss the ways to shield ourselves from their adverse impacts. I have presented examples of hyperinflation of Zimbabwe and the deflation of Japan and explained why the prices of bitcoin is likely to keep rising.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Please check out the episode and let me know what you think. Also, please let me know what topics would you like to see covered in upcoming episodes. You can mail me at nepalieconomist (@) gmail.com to send your messages.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">You can listen to the seventh episode here:</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><iframe src="https://anchor.fm/thenepalieconomist/embed/episodes/Episode-07-The-Value-of-Money-elmnlp" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><br /></p>Surath Girihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227559674369495788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025137708550709075.post-1200901321266780772020-10-18T13:06:00.000+05:302020-10-18T13:06:13.214+05:30Social Media and the "Perfect Lives": Podcast<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq_GeRWKC0820jSMM4-T1myyjLSTZd9DK0heCGFQM4I9NGxT53uolpMzNPpcCvO8w9NF_hEPM8PtVmuca-a5SiYLaWfquBI-laNQRpdjpi64Lu3drnQeKWMJkL76OCHk7ZnKTB42vDq7kQ/s480/Manka_Kuraharu_Podcast.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq_GeRWKC0820jSMM4-T1myyjLSTZd9DK0heCGFQM4I9NGxT53uolpMzNPpcCvO8w9NF_hEPM8PtVmuca-a5SiYLaWfquBI-laNQRpdjpi64Lu3drnQeKWMJkL76OCHk7ZnKTB42vDq7kQ/w320-h320/Manka_Kuraharu_Podcast.png" width="320" /></a></div>Dear readers,<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Global Shapers Kathmandu Hub of which I am a part of (Currently the curator) has started a new podcast on mental health and well-being. For the first episode, five of us gathered and discussed an unprecedented event in our lives - the pandemic and the lockdown. We discussed how our lockdown experience went and what lessons we learned? We talked about how there is a trend to present your life as perfect in social media and the pressure it is creating on us and what can be done about it. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Please do check out our first episode and let me know what you think.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="102px" scrolling="no" src="https://anchor.fm/global-shapers/embed/episodes/01-The-Learnings-of-the-Lockdown-el1q86" width="400px"></iframe></p>Surath Girihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227559674369495788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025137708550709075.post-37650684278066521842020-10-10T14:04:00.003+05:302020-10-10T18:23:43.791+05:30साम्यवाद किन असफल भयो ?<div><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>(My Nepali translation of the article <a href="https://bit.ly/3jLZoff" target="_blank">"Why Communism Failed"</a> by Bettina Bien Greaves) </b><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">रुसी क्रान्तिको तीन वर्षपश्चात् एकजना अस्ट्रियाली अर्थशास्त्री लुडविग भन मिसेसले साम्यवाद असफल हुने तर्क गरेका थिए र त्यसको कारण पनि व्याख्या गरेका थिए । सन् १९२० मा मिसेसले लेखेका थिए, साम्यवाद वा समाजवाद सफल हुन सक्दैन किनभने यसले स्वतन्त्र बजारलाई उन्मूलन गर्दछ जसले गर्दा बजार मूल्य हुँदैन र अधिकारीहरूलाई उत्पादनसम्बन्धी योजना बनाउँदा मार्गदर्शन गर्ने केही पनि हुँदैन । यो विवादास्पद भविष्यवाणी गर्दा मिसेस खासै चिर-परिचित थिएनन् तर पछि गएर अर्थशास्त्रको अष्ट्रीयाली (स्वतन्त्र बजार) विचारधाराको प्रमुख पैरवीकर्ताको रूपमा उनी चर्चित भए । सन् १९७३मा उनको मृत्यु भएपछि उनको सिद्धान्तका नयाँ अनुयायीहरू थपिए जसमध्ये केही पूर्वी यूरोपबाट समेत थिए ।</p><p style="text-align: justify;">सोभियत संघ निकै उच्च आशाका साथ प्रारम्भ गरिएको थियो । केन्द्रीय समितिले योजना बनाउने र सबैको लागि यथेष्ट भएको सुनिश्चित गर्ने सोच थियो । कालान्तरमा राज्य विलय भएर जाने भन्ने थियो । तर सोचेको जस्तो भएन । सोभियत राज्य छिट्टै नै निकै शक्तिशाली हुन गयो र संसारकै सबैभन्दा बढी दमनकारी मध्येको बन्न गयो । १९२० र ३० को दशकमा लाखौं रुसी जनता भोकमरीले बिते ।</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2ei0Ik5Psgl5iOP50fHa1p8pSMpl7-bPz6vdQexl-RgCPwKZZ7fXu3zVAAaXva4MkKAkafrp14V7JtT_F0-bIHMskd2qMNUAKXT_EYFqhIE0Le_PGmsWltd8q_uXKfGmOdDgXV2K2tyu/s1920/why_communism_failed.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="1920" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2ei0Ik5Psgl5iOP50fHa1p8pSMpl7-bPz6vdQexl-RgCPwKZZ7fXu3zVAAaXva4MkKAkafrp14V7JtT_F0-bIHMskd2qMNUAKXT_EYFqhIE0Le_PGmsWltd8q_uXKfGmOdDgXV2K2tyu/w640-h420/why_communism_failed.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by: Steve Harvey/Unsplash<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br />मिसेसले औल्याए जस्तै, समाजवादी उत्पादनमा प्रयोग हुने कच्चापदार्थ, श्रम, औजार, तथा यन्त्रहरू बजारभन्दा बाहिर हुन्छन् । तिनीहरू सरकारको स्वामित्वमा हुन्छन् र सरकारी योजनाकारद्वारा नियन्त्रित हुन्छन् । कसैले पनि तिनलाई किन्न वा बेच्न सक्दैन । तिनीहरूको बजार मूल्य उत्पन्न हुँदैन किनभने तिनीहरूको विनिमय हुँदैन ।</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br />आधुनिक उत्पादन अत्यन्त समय लाग्ने र जटिल हुन्छ । उत्पादकहरूले के उत्पादन गर्ने भन्ने निर्णय गर्दा विकल्पहरूलाई पनि ध्यान दिनुपर्ने हुन्छ । र उनीहरूले कसरी उत्पादन गर्ने भन्ने निर्णय गर्दा उत्पादनका विभिन्न माध्यममाथि विचार पुर्याउनुपर्ने हुन्छ । कच्चापदार्थ, औजार, तथा यन्त्रहरूलाई सबैभन्दा अत्यावश्यक परियोजनाको लागि छुट्याउनुपर्ने हुन्छ र कम आवश्यक परियोजनामा खेर फाल्नु हुँदैन ।</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br />उदाहरणको लागि, एउटा नयाँ रेलमार्गको नियोजनलाई हेरौं । के यो बनाइनुपर्छ ? यदि पर्छ भने कहाँ ? र कसरी ? के रेलमार्ग बनाउनु एउटा पुल बनाउनु, विद्युत उत्पादनको लागि बाँध बनाउनु, तेल खानीको विकास गर्नु वा थप जमिनमा खेती गर्नुभन्दा बढी महत्वपूर्ण छ ? कुनै पनि केन्द्रीय योजनाकारले यी असंख्य सम्भवनाहरूलाई मध्यनजर गर्न सक्दैन भलै उसले तथ्यांकशास्त्रीहरू कर्मचारी राखेको किन नहोस् ! श्रमको सट्टा केही हदसम्म यन्त्र प्रयोग गर्न सकिएला, फलामको सट्टामा काठ, अलमुनियम, वा नयाँ सिन्थेटिक सामग्री प्रयोग गर्न सकिएला । तर योजनाकारले कसरी निर्णय गर्छन् ?</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br />यी निर्णयहरू गर्नका लागि योजनाकारलाई यसमा संलग्न असंख्य उत्पादन कारकहरूको सापेक्षिक मूल्य – विनिमय अनुपात वा बजार मूल्य - थाहा हुन जरूरी छ । तर जब यी कारकहरू सरकारी स्वामित्वमा हुन्छन्, तिनीहरूको कारोबार हुँदैन जसले गर्दा बजार मूल्य हुँदैन । बजार मूल्यविना, योजनाकारहरूलाई फलाम, अलुमिनियम, काठ, नयाँ सिन्थेटिक वा रेलमार्ग, तेल खानी, कृषियोग्य जमिन, ऊर्जा केन्द्र, पुल, वा आवासको सापेक्षिक मूल्य थाहा हुँदैन । उत्पादनका कारकहरूको बजार मूल्यविना योजनाकारहरूले उपभोक्ताको सबैभन्दा बढी महत्वपूर्ण आवश्यकताहरूलाई सम्बोधन गर्नका लागि कसरी उत्पादनलाई समन्वय र दिशानिर्देश गर्ने भन्नेमा अन्योलमा हुन्छन् ।</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Xp1k4NF7Uzahf4RzmbKdtNeQcJ4F3dS6x5e2ufi5bDejfQSypy8QTEqkgJcIDImDk_Gtr16zBZ6OeBaX9VJjrKS9QEBYeX31Zcy9t4SyFFNX6VYMp_PWG7Is6UOu15StMic6s2Itq_sc/s1280/old_soviet_car.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="847" data-original-width="1280" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Xp1k4NF7Uzahf4RzmbKdtNeQcJ4F3dS6x5e2ufi5bDejfQSypy8QTEqkgJcIDImDk_Gtr16zBZ6OeBaX9VJjrKS9QEBYeX31Zcy9t4SyFFNX6VYMp_PWG7Is6UOu15StMic6s2Itq_sc/w640-h424/old_soviet_car.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by: Jonas Jovaisis/Unsplash<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> रुसी क्रान्ति भएको ७० वर्ष बितिसक्यो र दोस्रो विश्वयुद्ध सकिएको पनि ४५ वर्ष बितिसक्यो । तर पनि किन रुसी जनताले आजसम्म पर्याप्त आवास वा दैनिक प्रयोगका सामानहरू पाएका छैनन् त ? किन फसल काट्ने र ढुवानी गर्ने उपकरणको अभावमा कृषि उत्पादनहरू खेतमानै कुहिइरहेका छन् त ? कारखाना तथा तेल खानीहरूको किन राम्रो मर्मतसम्भार हुने सकेको छैन जसले गर्दा उत्पादनमा गिरावट आइरहेको छ ? किनभने कच्चापदार्थ, औजार, यन्त्र, कारखाना, तथा खेतहरू निजी स्वामित्वमा छैनन् । निजी मालिकहरूले गर्ने मोलमोलाईविना तिनीहरूको सापेक्षिक बजार मूल्य प्रतिविम्बित हुने मूल्यहरू विकास हुन पाउँदैनन् । र बजार मूल्यविना, उपभोक्तालाई आवश्यक पर्ने वस्तु तथा सेवा उपलब्ध गराउने गरि उत्पादनका क्रियाकलापहरू समन्वय गर्न असम्भव हुन्छ । यसले गर्दा साम्यवाद असफल हुन्छ ।</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br />एउटा प्रतिस्पर्धात्मक अर्थतन्त्रमा, जहाँ उत्पादनका कारकहरू निजी स्वामित्वमा हुन्छन्, यी समस्याहरू दैनिक रूपमा समाधान हुन्छन् जब मालिकहरूले विभिन्न कारकहरूको मौद्रिक मूल्य गणना गर्दछन् र त्यसपछि इच्छाअनुसार किन्ने, बेच्ने, वा सट्टापट्टा गर्ने गर्दछन् । मिसेसले सन् १९२० मा लेखेको जस्तै, "हामीले उत्पादनका कारकहरूको निजी स्वामित्व र पैसाको प्रयोगबाट जति कदम टाढा चाल्छौं, हामी तर्कसंगत अर्थशास्त्रबाट त्यति नै टाढा पुगिराखेका हुन्छौं ।"</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br />आज, साम्यवादीहरूले समेत मिसेस सही रहेको स्वीकार्छन् । सोभियत संघ, निजी सम्पति तथा मौद्रिक गणनाविनाको एउटा समाजवादी समाज, "आर्थिक गणनाको कम्पासविना सम्भावित तथा कल्पनीय आर्थिक सम्मिश्रणहरूको सागरमा हराउनेछ" मिसेसले भविष्यवाणी गरेका थिए सन् १९२० मा । र उनी सही ठहरिए !<br /> </p>Surath Girihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227559674369495788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025137708550709075.post-89212383739993537762020-09-18T10:10:00.002+05:302020-09-18T10:10:15.641+05:30Prosperity Podcast: A look into the state of the state<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAkd_iYEEgVNA8I19nn2d9H80HaWk4KHVeP_aEhThsVt9A8WAdJqCBd1veOy8a2-UqKVhATPpERez-QILvbZ6nL22LrZ2L8Hf8FRP4msJvyKqON33T_Rf-Rjhhyx0yeFlbT_THnLyDg_-E/s400/prosperity_podcast.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAkd_iYEEgVNA8I19nn2d9H80HaWk4KHVeP_aEhThsVt9A8WAdJqCBd1veOy8a2-UqKVhATPpERez-QILvbZ6nL22LrZ2L8Hf8FRP4msJvyKqON33T_Rf-Rjhhyx0yeFlbT_THnLyDg_-E/w186-h186/prosperity_podcast.jpg" width="186" /></a></div><br />Dear readers,<p></p><p>I was recently interviewed by Samriddhi Foundation's Prosperity Podcast regarding my views on the current state of affairs and youth entrepreneurship in Nepal. </p><p>Please check it out!</p><p> <iframe frameborder="0" height="102px" scrolling="no" src="https://anchor.fm/prosperity-podcast/embed/episodes/A-Look-into-the-State-of-the-State-with-Surath-Giri-ejlju4/a-a37fokt" width="400px"></iframe></p><p> </p><p> <br /></p><p><br /></p>Surath Girihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227559674369495788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025137708550709075.post-43404874812247275562020-07-03T19:54:00.003+05:302020-07-03T19:57:43.945+05:30The Nepali Economist Podcast: Episode 06: Where Do Prices Come From?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4m5ywPgcNW2HUW44mgvoWowr3vwl2mJ3jpckpPOrnVf1nHKDfS-J9asOAO_qsEelv_M8s2hPGDScV5B7z1IYqR9a8JofMjBmheh11J3a5S9uuVb2dFOOlgGMNvRrHYxmKsB8kkMMw7Sb/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1240" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4m5ywPgcNW2HUW44mgvoWowr3vwl2mJ3jpckpPOrnVf1nHKDfS-J9asOAO_qsEelv_M8s2hPGDScV5B7z1IYqR9a8JofMjBmheh11J3a5S9uuVb2dFOOlgGMNvRrHYxmKsB8kkMMw7Sb/w320-h300/thenepalieconomist_rgb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Dear readers,</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Welcome to the sixth episode of The Nepali Economist. Why are footballers or fashion models paid more than doctors and health workers? Why is life-saving water cheaper than diamonds? Who determines the prices of goods and services? Is it the seller or the buyer? What happens if we try to control prices?<br /><br />I try to answer all these questions in this episode along with discussing the Diamond-Water paradox and real-life examples from Nepal. Happy Listening! You can send me your comment or feedback at nepalieconomist@gmail.com.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">You can listen to the sixth episode here:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="102px" scrolling="no" src="https://anchor.fm/thenepalieconomist/embed/episodes/Episode-06-Where-Do-Prices-Come-From-eg61or" width="400px"></iframe><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></div>Surath Girihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227559674369495788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025137708550709075.post-23849343267396947222020-06-20T10:33:00.001+05:302020-06-20T10:33:47.476+05:30The Nepali Economist Podcast: Episode 05: The Public Choice Theory<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4m5ywPgcNW2HUW44mgvoWowr3vwl2mJ3jpckpPOrnVf1nHKDfS-J9asOAO_qsEelv_M8s2hPGDScV5B7z1IYqR9a8JofMjBmheh11J3a5S9uuVb2dFOOlgGMNvRrHYxmKsB8kkMMw7Sb/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1240" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4m5ywPgcNW2HUW44mgvoWowr3vwl2mJ3jpckpPOrnVf1nHKDfS-J9asOAO_qsEelv_M8s2hPGDScV5B7z1IYqR9a8JofMjBmheh11J3a5S9uuVb2dFOOlgGMNvRrHYxmKsB8kkMMw7Sb/w320-h300/thenepalieconomist_rgb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Dear readers,</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Welcome to the fifth episode of The Nepali Economist. In this episode, I try to dissect the latest scandals of the government and why politicians behave that way from the viewpoint of the public choice theory. I hope you will like this episode too. Please listen to it and share it with your friends. You can send me your comment or feedback at nepalieconomist@gmail.com.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">You can listen to the fifth episode here:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="102px" scrolling="no" src="https://anchor.fm/thenepalieconomist/embed/episodes/Episode-05-The-Public-Choice-Theory-efl7te" width="400px"></iframe><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></div>Surath Girihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227559674369495788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025137708550709075.post-36699850262270437812020-05-31T17:13:00.003+05:302020-06-20T10:32:37.869+05:30The Nepali Economist Podcast: Episode 04: The Law of Comparative Advantage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4m5ywPgcNW2HUW44mgvoWowr3vwl2mJ3jpckpPOrnVf1nHKDfS-J9asOAO_qsEelv_M8s2hPGDScV5B7z1IYqR9a8JofMjBmheh11J3a5S9uuVb2dFOOlgGMNvRrHYxmKsB8kkMMw7Sb/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1240" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4m5ywPgcNW2HUW44mgvoWowr3vwl2mJ3jpckpPOrnVf1nHKDfS-J9asOAO_qsEelv_M8s2hPGDScV5B7z1IYqR9a8JofMjBmheh11J3a5S9uuVb2dFOOlgGMNvRrHYxmKsB8kkMMw7Sb/w320-h300/thenepalieconomist_rgb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Dear readers,</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Welcome to the fourth episode of The Nepali Economist. In this episode, I talk about the law of comparative advantage, how it was developed, and how it works. I think the law of comparative advantage is particularly relevant in the current times when self-reliance is all the rage. I hope you will like this episode too. Please listen to it and share it with your friends. You can send me your comment or feedback at nepalieconomist@gmail.com.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">You can listen to the fourth episode here:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="102px" scrolling="no" src="https://anchor.fm/thenepalieconomist/embed/episodes/Episode-04-The-Law-of-Comparative-Advantage-eeo09l" width="400px"></iframe><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></div>Surath Girihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227559674369495788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025137708550709075.post-87587769395161091732020-05-09T13:30:00.001+05:302020-05-09T13:30:30.366+05:30The Nepali Economist Podcast: Episode 03: The Unintended Consequences<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4m5ywPgcNW2HUW44mgvoWowr3vwl2mJ3jpckpPOrnVf1nHKDfS-J9asOAO_qsEelv_M8s2hPGDScV5B7z1IYqR9a8JofMjBmheh11J3a5S9uuVb2dFOOlgGMNvRrHYxmKsB8kkMMw7Sb/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1240" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4m5ywPgcNW2HUW44mgvoWowr3vwl2mJ3jpckpPOrnVf1nHKDfS-J9asOAO_qsEelv_M8s2hPGDScV5B7z1IYqR9a8JofMjBmheh11J3a5S9uuVb2dFOOlgGMNvRrHYxmKsB8kkMMw7Sb/w320-h300/thenepalieconomist_rgb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Dear readers,</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Thank you for liking the second episode as well. I am glad to present you the third episode of the podcast. In this episode, I share several interesting case studies of unintended consequences based on real events from around the world. I have shared stories from colonial India, Mao's China, Mexico, USA, and Nepal. I hope you will like this episode too. Please listen to it and share with your friends. You can send me your comment or feedback at nepalieconomist@gmail.com. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">You can listen to the third episode here:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="102px" scrolling="no" src="https://anchor.fm/thenepalieconomist/embed/episodes/Episode-03-The-Unintended-Consequences-edl2jk" width="400px"></iframe><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></div>
Surath Girihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227559674369495788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025137708550709075.post-85706414490995879252020-04-24T19:57:00.002+05:302020-04-24T19:57:45.802+05:30The Nepali Economist Podcast: Episode 02: There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4m5ywPgcNW2HUW44mgvoWowr3vwl2mJ3jpckpPOrnVf1nHKDfS-J9asOAO_qsEelv_M8s2hPGDScV5B7z1IYqR9a8JofMjBmheh11J3a5S9uuVb2dFOOlgGMNvRrHYxmKsB8kkMMw7Sb/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1240" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4m5ywPgcNW2HUW44mgvoWowr3vwl2mJ3jpckpPOrnVf1nHKDfS-J9asOAO_qsEelv_M8s2hPGDScV5B7z1IYqR9a8JofMjBmheh11J3a5S9uuVb2dFOOlgGMNvRrHYxmKsB8kkMMw7Sb/w320-h300/thenepalieconomist_rgb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Dear readers,</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Thank you for your overwhelming response to the first episode of my podcast. I am so glad that you liked it. The second episode is available now. In this episode, I talk about the concept of opportunity cost or what the economists call "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch."I hope you will like this episode too. Please listen to it and share with your friends. You can send me your comment or feedback at nepalieconomist@gmail.com. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">You can listen to the second episode here:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="102px" scrolling="no" src="https://anchor.fm/thenepalieconomist/embed/episodes/Episode-02-There-Aint-No-Such-Thing-As-A-Free-Lunch-ecte42" width="400px"></iframe><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></div>Surath Girihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227559674369495788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025137708550709075.post-65779360912129491552020-04-07T09:57:00.003+05:302020-04-24T19:54:27.339+05:30The Nepali Economist Podcast: Episode 01: Incentives Matter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4m5ywPgcNW2HUW44mgvoWowr3vwl2mJ3jpckpPOrnVf1nHKDfS-J9asOAO_qsEelv_M8s2hPGDScV5B7z1IYqR9a8JofMjBmheh11J3a5S9uuVb2dFOOlgGMNvRrHYxmKsB8kkMMw7Sb/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1240" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4m5ywPgcNW2HUW44mgvoWowr3vwl2mJ3jpckpPOrnVf1nHKDfS-J9asOAO_qsEelv_M8s2hPGDScV5B7z1IYqR9a8JofMjBmheh11J3a5S9uuVb2dFOOlgGMNvRrHYxmKsB8kkMMw7Sb/w320-h300/thenepalieconomist_rgb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Dear readers,</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I am pleased to share with you that I have started a podcast of my own. Titled "The Nepali Economist", this podcast intends to promote economic thinking and generate interest in economics among its listeners. In this podcast, I will be discussing the basic principles of economics and their application in real life, various issues related to Nepalese economy, history of economic thought, and the world economy. I hope you will find it useful. Please listen to it and share with your friends. You can send me your comment or feedback at nepalieconomist@gmail.com. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">You can listen to the first episode here:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe src="https://anchor.fm/thenepalieconomist/embed/episodes/Episode-01-Incentives-Matter-ec9m04" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></div>Surath Girihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227559674369495788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025137708550709075.post-54157267408317276402020-03-31T10:45:00.000+05:302020-03-31T10:46:00.303+05:30डा. हर्क गुरुङको "मैले देखेको नेपाल": केही रोचक प्रसङ्गहरू<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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भूगोलविद्, योजनाविद्,मानवशास्त्री,चित्रकार, राजनीतिज्ञ, संरक्षणविद् लगायतका आफ्नो विभिन्न चिनारी बनाउन सफल डा. हर्क गुरुङले लेखेको पुस्तक 'भिन्नेट्स अफ नेपाल' को नेपाली अनुवाद 'मैले देखेको नेपाल' नेपाल जान्नका लागि पढ्नै पर्ने पुस्तकहरूको सूचीमा अनिवार्य पर्ने पुस्तक हो। धेरै लेख तथा व्यक्तिहरूबाट सिफारिस आएपछि मैले हालै यो पुस्तक पढेर सकें । यो पुस्तक डा. गुरुङले सन् १९६३ देखि १९७८ को अवधिमा नेपाल कुनाकाप्चा, पहाड-कन्दरा भ्रमण गर्दाको अनुभवहरू सँगालिएको नियात्रा हो। तर नियात्राको उपाधि मात्र दिँदा यो पुस्तकलाई न्याय हुँदैन। यात्राको संस्मरणसँगै गुरुङले बाँडेका भूगोल, इतिहास, परम्परा तथा संस्कृतिसम्बन्धी जानकारीले यो पुस्तकलाई एउटा नेपाल अध्ययनको गहकिलो सन्दर्भ सामग्री बनाएको छ। तथापि, यस पुस्तकमा चर्चा गरिएका स्थानहरू पुग्नुभएको छैन वा ती जातजातिहरूका बारेमा जानकारी र चाख छैन भने चाहिँ यो पुस्तक निकै पट्यारलाग्दो हुनसक्छ। <br /><br />आजको यस ब्लगपोस्टमा म यस पुस्तकमा मलाई रोचक लागेका केही प्रसंगहरू यहाँ बाँडन गइरहेको छु। कृपया पढेर प्रतिक्रिया दिनुहोला। बृहत् पुस्तकबाट यी केही अंशहरू मात्र हुन् । तपाईंलाई पूरै पुस्तक पढ्न लागेमा <a href="http://www.kitabkiro.com/books/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%87-%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%96%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8B-%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B2%20/">हिमाल पुस्तकले निकालेको यो पुस्तक</a> काठमाडौँका प्रमुख पुस्तक पसलहरूमा उपलब्ध छ।</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>१. हर्क गुरुङको उपद्रोपूर्ण बाल्यकाल</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"अर्कोपल्ट, ठूलाका जेठा दाजु भारतीय फौजबाट छुट्टी मा घर आएका बखत ठूलाले फेरि सिकार खेल्न जाने मौका पायो। जेठा दाजुले नयाँ बन्दुक किनेर ल्याएका थिए
त्यस बेला सिकार खेल्ने समय नभए तापनि उनलाई आफ्नो तारो हिकाउन सक्ने सीप
देखाउने उत्सुकता थियो । एक दिन ठूलाले गाउँको नजिकै बारीमा कलिलो मकै खादै
गरेको लङ्गुर बाँदरलाई देखाइदियो। जेठा दाजु अति खुसी भए । ठूलालाई साथमा
लिएर जेठो दाजु नयाँ बन्दुक लिई त्यस लङ्गुरलाई हिर्काउन हिँडे । बन्दुक
लिएको मान्छे देखेर त्यो लङ्गुर चाँडोचाँडो नजिकैको जङ्गलमा पसी एउटा अग्लो
रूखमा चढेर बस्यो। ठूलालाई पछाडि नै बस्न भनेर जेठा दाजु चलाकीपूर्वक त्यस
रूखतिर बढ्न थाले । आफूतिर त्यस बाँदरको ध्यान आकर्षण गरी राख्न ठूलाचाहि
उफ्रदै-नाच्दै र अनुहार बिगार्दै बस्यो। यो पडयन्त्र काम लाग्यो। ठूलाले
ढ्याङ्ग आवाजसँगै त्यो बाँदर भुइँमा खसेको मात्र देख्यो। दुई आँखाको बीचमा
गोली लागेर बाँदर मरेछ । ठूलाले त्यसलाई त्यसै छाडी राख्न चाहेन र मरेको
बाँदरलाई पुच्छरमा समातेर तान्दै गाउँको गल्लीमा ल्यायो । त्यहाँ ल्याएर
बाटो छेवैको एउटा ढुङ्गामाथि
पछाडिपट्टिबाट लठ्ठीले अडयाएर त्यस बाँदरलाई बसेको झैं बनाई राख्यो । साँझतिर मानिसहरू कामबाट गाईगोरु र
भँसीहरूसँग फर्केर आउँदा पशुहरू तर्सिएर भाग्न लागे र मानिसहरू एक्कासि
भएको त्यस खैलबैलादेखि अत्तालिए । कही बेरपछि मात्र कारण पत्ता लाग्यो र
तिनीहरू एकैचोटि आफ्ना कोदाली, हलो र लौराहरूसँगै त्यस बाँदरमाथि झम्टिन
पुगे । तर पहिलो चोटमै त्यो बसिरहेको बाँदर पुकलुक्क ढल्दा तिनीहरू झन छक्क
परे । डिलमाथि बसेर ठूला मरीमरी हाँसेको देख्दा मात्रै पो तिनीहरूले आफूलाई
मूर्ख तुल्याइएको कुरा चाल पाए र सबै जना गललल हाँसे।" <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>२. नेपालका भूभागहरू भारत हुँदै जानुपर्ने समस्या</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"सन् १८६६ को जून २७ का दिन आएको भूकम्पले सुदूर पश्चिमाञ्चलका बैतडी,
दार्चुला, बझाङ र बाजुराका अनेक भागमा क्षति पुर्याएको पुर्याएको थियो। रेडक्रसको उद्धार दलको सदस्यका हैसियतले सन् १९६६ को अगस्त
महिनामा मैले बैतडी भ्रमण गर्ने अवसर पाएँ। काठमाडौंदेखि ४८० किलोमिटर
पश्चिममा पर्ने बैतडी पुग्न भारतको भूमिबाट १,२०० किलोमिटर घुमेर आउनु
पर्दा नेपालभित्र यातायातको कति चर्को समस्या छ भने कुरा स्पष्ट हुन आयो।
हामी काठमाडौँबाट हवाईजहाजमा प्रस्थान गरी भारतको पटना,
बनारस हुँदै लखनउ उत्र्यौं। त्यहाँबाट रातभरको रेलयात्रापछि पिलभित पुगी
अर्को चार घण्टाको बसयात्रापछि महाकाली (शारदा नदीको पश्चिम किनारमा भारतीय
रेलको अन्तिम बिसौनीको रूपमा रहेको टनकपर पुगियो। टनकपरमा बस फेरेर
पिथौरागढका लागि सुरु भएको १५० किलोमिटर दरीको हाम्रो यात्रा पूरा गर्न
हामीलाई तीन दिन लाग्यो ।"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>३. नेपालको दासप्रथाको हालसालैको इतिहास</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"हामीले निकलसैनी भगवतीको स्थानीय मान (मन्दिर) हेयौँ । यो मन्दिर जिल्लाका
सातओटा मुख्य भगवती अथवा दुर्गा अथवा मालिका मन्दिरमध्ये एक थियो जहाँ
उहिलेउहिले देवीलाई चढाइएका देउकीहरू बस्थे । सन् १८२७ मा प्रधानमन्त्री
चन्द्रशमशेरले अब उप्रान्त कसैलाई पनि मन्दिरमा देवकन्या (देवताकी सेविका)
का रूपमा चढाइनेछैन भन्ने आदेश जारी गरी दास प्रथासमेत उन्मूलन गरेका थिए ।
नेपालमा त्यस बेला प्रचलित दास प्रथा लिएको ऋण तिर्न नसकी दास हुने खालको
थियो र यो प्रथा धेरै पछिसम्म प्रचलनमा रह्यो । सन् १९५६ मा स्वर्गीय श्री ५
महेन्द्रका भ्रमणका अवसरमा उत्तरी बैतडीबाट १५० जना दासलाई मुक्त गरिएको
थियो ।"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>४. जुम्लालाई योगीको देन</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"जुम्लामा पाइने प्रमुख बालीमा जौ, गहुँ, फापर र आलु हुन् । यसका साथै
भटमास, सिमी, बोडी. सर्य र लट्टे पनि उब्जिन्छन् । जुम्ला र यसको आसपासमा
रहेको सिन्जा उपत्यकामा धान पनि फल्छ र त्यहाँ धान पाँच शताब्दी अघि योगी
चन्दननाथले कश्मीरबाट ल्याएको किंवदन्ती छ। बाली रोपेर हुर्काउने बारेमा
त्यहाँका मानिसलाई विस्तृत समयतालिका दिएका थिए र त्यसलाई अद्यापि स्थानीय
जनता ठाउँठाउँमा केही फेरबदलका साथ अनुसरण गर्ने गर्दछन् । प्रशस्त
मात्रामा सिँचाइ सुविधा भएको जुम्लाका खेतहरू हिउँको अवस्था हेरी माघ १५ देखि चैत १५ गते सम्ममा जोतिन्छन् । खेतका
कुलाहरू सबै चैत ११ गतेसम्ममा मर्मत गरिन्छन् । दुई दिनपछि व्यासमा पानी
लगाइन्छ । धानको बीउ कुलामा चार दिनसम्म भिजाइन्छ र घरभित्र लगेर यसलाई
उम्रनका लागि चुलो नजिक न्यानोमा राखिन्छ । चैत २० गतेका दिन बीउ खेतमा
सारिन्छ र वैशाखमा खेतको डल्ला फुटाई जेठमा धानको बीउ खेतमा रोपिन्छ।"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>५. महिलाको चुल्ठोमाथि कर</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"मुगुका मानिसलाई छिमेकीहरू मुगाल भन्थे । यी मानिसहरू धेरै पुस्ताअगाडि
यहाँ बसाइँ सरेर तिब्बतबाट आएका र सुरुमा बसाइँ सरी दक्षिणतर्फ आउने सात
घरपरिवारको नेतृत्व छिगु रिम्पोचेले गरेको किंवदन्ती छ। भनिन्छ, यिनीहरूले
सन् १८५६ सम्म आफूले छोडेको ठाउँ तिब्बत छिचुम्कोरका 'जोङपेन' (शासक)लाई आइमाईलाई लाग्ने 'चुल्ठो रकम' र स्थानीय नेपाली
शासकलाई अन्य कर तिर्नुपर्यो ।"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>६ शे-फोक्सुण्डो तालको अलौकिक सुन्दरता</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"बाटो छहरामाथि पुग्दा हामील बहुरङ्गी भव्य दृश्य देख्यौं । हिमनदीले छोडेको
शान्त शृंखलामा हरियो सल्लाघारी र रिङ्गमोको खैरो जमिनले नीलो ताललाई
घेरेको थियो। ताललाई वरिपरि घेरेर सुरक्षा प्रदान गर्न चट्टान टुप्पाहरू
हिउँले ढाकिएका थिए । यो दश्य मैले धेरै बेर हेरिरहें र लुकेको यस
उपत्यकामा यसअघि आउने आगन्तुकहरूबारे सोच्न लागें। सन् १८५६ मा यहाँ आएर
डोल्पोमा प्रचलित बोन-पो धर्मको जीवन्त भावनालाई संसारका सामु राखिदिने
डेभिड स्नेल्ग्रोभले यहाँ आइपुगेपछि बल्ल बुद्धको स्वर्गमा 'असीम प्रकाश'
मा आइपुगें भन्दै यसरी बयान गरेका थिए, “पानीको किनारा चाँदीजस्तो टल्कने
भोजपत्रको बनेको छ अनि पानीको अलौकिक नीलो रङको पृष्ठभूमिमा हाँगामा चमचम
गर्दै चम्किने सेतोपना मैले जानेमध्ये सबैभन्दा स्वर्गीय आनन्द दिने वस्तु
हो।” गोसेझिन स्कारले सन् १८६२ मा यहाँ आएका बेला यसरी उद्गार व्यक्त गरेकी
छन्, “यस तालको पानी इटालीका पर्वतीय तालमा छँं विश्वासै गर्न नसकिने गरी
नीलमणिको जस्तो गाढा नीलो रङको छ। शान्ति र सुन्दरताको चरमबिन्दु । ताल यति
शान्ति र सुख दिने दृश्यले भरपूर छ कि म यस्तो सुखको मुहानबाट आफूखुसी
कहिले पनि जान सक्तिनँ ।"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>७. हुम्लामा न्याय माग्ने तरिका</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"सिमीकोटबाट हामी भोलिपल्ट बिहान चारओटा घोडा, दुई जना प्रहरी रक्षक, एउट
पथप्रदर्शक, दुई जना सयस र तीन जना कुल्ली लिएर हिड्यौँ । हामी गाउँको
पश्चिम भागमा पुगेका मात्र थियौं जहाँ हामीले मस्टा मन्दिरमुन्तिर सडकमा एक
जना मानिस पिठयूंमा ढुङ्गा बोकेर हातखुट्टा टेकी घस्रिरहेको देख्यौं । यो
न्याय खोज्ने स्थानीय चलन हो भन्ने कुरा हामीलाई प्रहरीले बताए। यसरी
न्यायका लागि बिन्ती गर्ने त्यहाँको अर्को प्रचलनअनुसार मानिसहरू मुखमा
घाँस हालेर जनावरजस्तै चार खुट्टाले टेकेर हिँड्ने र एक खुट्टा ठाडो गरी हात
जोडेर नमस्ते गर्ने चलन रहेछ । ढाडमा ढुङ्गा राखेर न्याय खोज्न हिडेको त्यस
मानिसका नातेदारहरूले खोल्ची गाउँमा भएको उसको बारी जबर्जस्ती हड्पेको
गुनासो गर्यो ।"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>८. पोखरामा यातायातका साधनको इतिहास</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"हिमालपार व्यापारका लागि पोखरा एक महत्त्वपूर्ण भण्डारस्थल र पुरानो
पूर्व-पत्रिका सडकको उद्भवस्थल भएको छ। एउटा चाखलाग्दो कुरा के छ भने
पोखरामा आधनिक यातायातका साधन उल्टो क्रममा पुगेका हुन् । सबैभन्दा पहिले
सन् १८५२ मा हवाईजहाज पुग्यो, त्यसपछि सन् १८५७ मा जीप पुग्यो र अन्तमा सन्
१८६१ मा गोरुगाडा पुग्यो।"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>९. प्रगतिशील गाउँ धम्पुस डाँडागाउँ</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"प्रगतिशील गाउँलेहरूले साँझमा साक्षरता कक्षा सञ्चालनमा बाधा पारेकोले रोदी
घर (गाउने घर) को प्रथा हटाएको र पाँचदिने पेर्य वा अर्घुं (मृत्यु संस्कार)
लाई फजुलखर्च रोक्न एक दिनमा सिध्याउने चलन बनाएको कुरा मैले थाहा पाएँ।"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>१०. सबै जातको फूलबारी</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"देवघाटमा जात्राका लागि सबैतिरका बाटा आएर मिल्दथे । बस, ट्रक, ट्याक्टर,
डुङ्गा बाट र पैदल आएका अपार जनसमूहको त्यहाँ ओइरो लागेको थियो। सखवाको
बाक्लो जङ्गल मानिसहरूको खल्याङमल्याङ र मोटरको चर्को आवाजले जीवन्त भएको
थियो। नदीतिर जाने बाटोमा रूखपातले बनेका कटेराका लाइन थिए । अनेकौं
कटेराहरू त्रिशूली गण्डकी फराकिला किनारमा नदीका दुवैतिर थिए। राति बगरमा बालेको दाउराको आगो र लालटिनको उज्यालो नदीभित्र प्रतिबिम्बित भई अझ बढी
उज्यालो देखिन्थ्यो। देवघाटमा एकत्र भएका मानिसहरू असङ्ख्य किसिम, थर र
जातिका थिए । लँगाैटी लगाएका माझी र कुमाल थिए, साधारण सुती कपडामा थारू र
दराई थिए अनि चेपाङ, तामाङ, गुरुङ, मगर, नेवार, छेत्री र बाहुन पहाडी
मानिसका वेशभूषामा थिए । आइमाईहरू बढी रङ्गीन पोसाकमा थिए। तामाङ र नेवारका
नीला रङ थिए भने मगर या गुरुङका धमिलो खैरो-रातो अनि हिन्दू बाहुन-छेत्री
रातो रङका लुगा थिए । चुल्ठो राखेका स्थानीय थारू र माझी आइमाईहरूले कौरीको
माला र रङ्गीन प्वाला लगाएका थिए।" </div></div>
Surath Girihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227559674369495788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025137708550709075.post-14904941831800164042020-03-28T17:22:00.001+05:302020-03-28T17:24:36.553+05:30असल अर्थशास्त्र अडियो बूक : खण्ड १ (अर्थशास्त्रका बाह्र प्रमुख सिद्धान्तहरू)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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गत वर्ष मैले <a href="https://bit.ly/2w08YHK" target="_blank">Common Sense Economics: What Everyone Should Know About Wealth and Prosperity</a> नामक पुस्तकलाई नेपालीमा अनुवाद गरेर प्रकाशन पनि गरेको थिएँ ।अर्थशास्त्रका आधारभूत सिद्धान्तहरूलाई एकदमै सरल भाषामा र व्यावहारिक उदाहरणहरू सहित व्याख्या गर्ने उक्त पुस्तक प्रति निकै राम्रो प्रतिक्रिया आयो र हाल पनि उक्त पुस्तक विभिन्न पुस्तक पसलहरूबाट विक्रीवितरण भइरहेको छ । पाठकहरूबाट प्राप्त प्रतिक्रियाले म निकै उत्साहित भएको छु । त्यसैले उक्त पुस्तक अझ धेरै पाठकहरूसम्म पुर्याउन पाए हुन्थ्यो भन्ने लागिरहेको थियो । यसै अभिलाषालाई पूरा गर्ने उद्देश्यले मैले साथीहरू अनमोल बज्राचार्य, सौरभ तिवारी तथा गोविन्द शिवाकोटीको प्राविधिक सहयोगमा उक्त पुस्तकको श्रव्य पुस्तक बनाएको छु र अनलाइनमा नि:शुल्क सुन्न मिल्ने गरी अपलोड गरेको छु । </div>
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उक्त श्रव्य पुस्तकको <b>खण्ड १ (अर्थशास्त्रका बाह्र प्रमुख सिद्धान्तहरू)</b> यहाँ तपाईंहरू माझ तल साझा गरेको छु । सुनेर प्रतिक्रिया दिनुहोला । साथै यो पुस्तक उपयोगी हुनसक्ने कुनै व्यक्ति छ तपाईंको नजरमा भने उक्त व्यक्तिलाई पनि यो पोस्ट साझा गरिद्नुहोला।</div>
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सिद्धान्त १ : प्रोत्साहन महत्वपूर्ण हुन्छ ।<br />
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सिद्धान्त २ : संसारमा केही पनि सित्तैमा आउदैन ।<br />
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सिद्धान्त ३ : निर्णयहरू सीमान्तमा गरिन्छन् ।<br />
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सिद्धान्त ४ : व्यापारलेआर्थिक प्रगति ल्याउँछ । <br />
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सिद्धान्त ५ :कारोबार लागतले व्यापारमा बाधा पुर्याउँछ। <br />
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सिद्धान्त ६ : मूल्यले क्रेता र बिक्रेताको रोजाइलाई सन्तुलनमा ल्याउँछ।<br />
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सिद्धान्त ७ :नाफाले व्यवसायीहरूलाई उत्पादनशील क्रियाकलापतर्फ डोर्याउँछ।<br />
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सिद्धान्त ८ : अरूलाई मूल्यवान हुने वस्तु तथा सेवा प्रदान गरेर मानिसहरूले आम्दानी गर्दछन्।<br />
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सिद्धान्त ९ :उच्च जीवनस्तरको लागि रोजगारी मात्र होइन मानिसहरूले मूल्यवान ठान्ने वस्तु तथा सेवा पनि आवश्यक पर्दछन्। <br />
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सिद्धान्त १० :व्यापार,लगानी,काम गर्ने शैलीमा सुधार तथा कुशल आर्थिक संस्थाको माध्यमबाट आर्थिक प्रगति हुन्छ।<br />
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सिद्धान्त ११ : बजारको 'अदृश्य हात' ले क्रेता तथा विक्रेतालाई लोकहित गर्ने गतिविधितर्फ लैजान्छ।<br />
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सिद्धान्त १२ :प्राय: जसो कुनै पनि कार्यको दीर्घकालीन प्रभाव वा परोक्ष प्रभावलाई मानिसहरूले बेवास्ता गरिराखेका हुन्छन्।<br />
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Surath Girihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227559674369495788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025137708550709075.post-82826809613862596662020-03-24T17:24:00.001+05:302020-03-25T11:23:24.945+05:30Social Entrepreneurship in Nepal: The List of Major Social Enterprises<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Social entrepreneurship is still at a nascent stage in Nepal. Lack of conceptual clarity on what a social enterprise is and what it is not, as well as the lack of legal framework (no separate legal provision for social enterprises), has impeded their progress in Nepal. Additionally, when the overall business environment is so unfavorable, social enterprises are bound to face numerous hurdles. Despite this, the social entrepreneurship scenario is abuzz with lots of startups in different sectors and many of them are performing exceptionally well. I was curious to know which were the major social enterprises of Nepal. Therefore, I carried out a small research. After consulting a few studies and several websites, I was able to find out the following social enterprises in Nepal:</div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://anthropose.com/" target="_blank">Anthropose</a>: An eyewear company that sponsors a free cataract surgery for every ten pairs of sunglasses they sell.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://acp.org.np/dhukuti/tbl_products" target="_blank">Association for Craft Producers</a>: A not-for-profit Fair Trade organization that provides a great variety of services (design training, technical training, management training, and marketing services) to low-income craft producers (primarily women).</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.thebakerycafe.com.np/" target="_blank">Bakery Café</a>: Not exactly a social enterprise but provides employment opportunities to people with hearing disabilities.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa3joBpCO5A" target="_blank">Bhattedanda Women Farmer's Cooperative</a>: Established by Fulmaya Tamang, it provides a loan to female farmers who want to start-up enterprises in the agriculture sector.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://bihanisocialventure.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Bihani Social Venture</a>: Offers innovative and diverse services and activities to promote a society inclusive of elders.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://oursansar.org/work/cafe/" target="_blank">Café with No Name</a>: Situated in Thamel, 100% of the profit made by this café goes towards projects supporting street children in Nepal. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/chhahariproduction/about" target="_blank">Chhahari Services</a>: Caters to women with no skills to generate income by empowering them through capacity building and income-generating training.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://circuskathmandu.com/" target="_blank">Circus Kathmandu</a>: A circus founded by and comprised of trafficking (children sold to circuses in India) survivors.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.communityhomestay.com/" target="_blank">Communityhomestay.com</a>: A network that supports liaison between travelers and communities providing homestay services in Nepal.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://dokorecyclers.com/" target="_blank">Doko Recyclers</a>: Provides a complete waste management solution.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://samriddhi.org/events/entrepreneurial-journey-of-friends-handicraft/" target="_blank">Friends Handicrafts</a>: Provides employment for Nepali women and sustains the ancient technique of felting.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdzpLH1bWsQ" target="_blank">Hampaal Allo Tatha Kapada Bunai Udhyog</a>: Trains women in nettle fiber weaving and employs them. It also trains women to set up similar enterprises in other districts of Nepal. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://hamribahini.org/" target="_blank">Hamri Bahini</a>: Employs underprivileged women to produce eco-friendly products such as reusable bags made of cloths. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.hattihatti.org/" target="_blank">Hatti Hatti</a>: Trains and employs women from marginalized communities to produce various clothing items. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.higherground.com.np/" target="_blank">Higher Ground Nepal</a>: Runs a bakery, café, and a crafts center to provide income generation skills, job opportunities, rehabilitation & counseling for disadvantaged and marginalized women and youth in Nepal.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.iecnepal.org/" target="_blank">Inclusive Empowerment Cyber</a>: Runs cyber café for visually impaired people and provides various other skill development training to them.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.jamarko.com.np/" target="_blank">Jamarko Paper Nepal</a>: Established in 2001 as a small cottage industry, Jamarko helps create awareness about the importance of reducing consumption and waste, and reusing and recycling materials, and provides handmade recycled paper and products as an alternative to consumers. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.jhcnepal.com/" target="_blank">Jawalakhel Handicraft Center</a>: Established in 1960 jointly by the International Committee for Red Cross & Swiss Association for Technical Assistance (now Swiss Development Cooperation) to support the Tibetan refugees in Nepal. It is now one of Nepal's largest manufacture of carpets. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.viewyourchoice.org/2014/06/dipak-prasad-koirala-snasea-2013_1.html" target="_blank">Junar Kendriya Sahakari Sangh</a>: A cooperative representing over seven thousand five hundred Junar (Sweet orange) farmers from across Nepal.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://khndyes.wordpress.com/about/" target="_blank">Kakani Himalayan Natural Dyes</a>: Employs marginalized women while preserving the natural dyeing craft of Nepal. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://onetowatch.nl/portfolio/kalash-milk-industries-pasteurized-milk" target="_blank">Kalash Milk Industries</a>: Provides sustainable livelihood to more than 200 farmers in the region. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://khaalisisi.com/" target="_blank">Khalisisi</a>: A waste management company working with local waste entrepreneurs (who come from extremely marginalized communities) with a mission to build Nepal as the TOP 20 Recycling nations in the world. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://bsc.org.np/success-story/55/sabita-maharjan-kirtipur-hosiery-kirtipur" target="_blank">Kirtipur Hosiery</a>: One of the pioneers in manufacturing and exporting Nepalese handmade knitwear by a group of women. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://krishakraprabidhi.com/" target="_blank">Krishak Ra Prabidhi (R&D Innovative Solution)</a>: Provides support to farmers through information flow and research & development support. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://localwomenshandicrafts.com/" target="_blank">Local Women's Handicrafts</a>: A fair trade textile and handicraft collective offering unique apparel, accessories & gifts made by Nepali women. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://mahaguthi.com.np/" target="_blank">Mahaguthi Craft with Conscience</a>: A not for profit, World Fair Trade Organization Guaranteed Fair Trade Organization which produces, markets and exports Nepal’s crafts. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://maiticafe.com/" target="_blank">Maiti Café</a>: The social enterprise arm of Maiti Nepal, one of the renowned NGOs in Nepal. The café serves freshly brewed coffee along with appetizer and
fast food items. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJjTshxqg04" target="_blank">Matribhumi Urja</a>: Provides clean cooking solutions to rural households in Nepal. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://mayauniverseacademy.org/" target="_blank">Maya Universe Academy</a>: Provides free education to the children of three rural communities with revenue generated from its various social enterprises including a poultry farm and a handicraft center. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.actionworksnepal.org/project/miteri-recycle-center/" target="_blank">Miteri Recycle Center</a>: Collects used clothes from Kathmandu to recycle and resell them to people from low-income groups. Revenue is used to support women empowerment projects. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blincventures.com/my-earth-eco-friendly-bags/" target="_blank">My Earth Eco-friendly Bags</a>: Sells affordable cloth bags.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.nepalconnection.org.np/" target="_blank">Nepal Connection Café</a>: A café run by the famed social entrepreneur and innovator Mahabir Pun. The profits from the café go to National Innovation Center.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.nsd.org.np/index.php" target="_blank">Nepal Society of Disabled Multi-purpose Cooperative</a>: Develops the vocational skills and capacity of people living with disabilities and/or their guardians to help them become financially independent.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.trainhimalayanart.com/index.php" target="_blank">Nepal Traditional Handicraft Training Center</a>: The Center offers seminars, workshops, and exhibitions on the development of traditional art. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pad2go.np/" target="_blank">Pad2go</a>: Offers sanitary napkin vending machines installed in ladies’ washrooms in different places such as banks, malls, schools and so on.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://sabahnp.org/" target="_blank">Sabah Nepal</a>: Works toward strengthening the livelihoods of financially deprived and marginalized women home-based workers in Nepal. Sells textile and handicrafts made by women. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.sarangi.com.np/" target="_blank">Sarangi Vegetarian Restaurant</a>: Created as a social enterprise to support Gaaines, a small caste of musicians who used to earn a living by going from village to village playing music and spreading the news. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.seeinghandsnepal.org/" target="_blank">Seeing Hands Clinic</a>: Provides training and employment opportunities for visually impaired people through massage therapy. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://sevenwomen.org/" target="_blank">Seven Women Center</a>: Teaches women how to produce products for sale locally and abroad.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://smartpaani.com/" target="_blank">SmartPaani</a>: Develops, installs and maintains environmentally friendly rainwater harvesting systems, water filtration, and water recycling. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://sochai.org/" target="_blank">Sochai</a>: Sells educational bracelets (information on nutrition and reproductive health) made by local artisans and uses the revenue generated for women empowerment.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://snasea2013.wordpress.com/2014/03/15/top-10-finalist-ratna-bahadur-newar/" target="_blank">Tamakoshi Community Resin and Turpentine</a>: Working to extract, collect and sell resin from pine tree sap, the venture uses the revenue for forest conservation, to uplift the local marginalized communities, and to conduct other community development activities. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.pasatrade.com/shop/nepal/the-candlestick-woman" target="_blank">The Candlestick Women</a>: Employs women from marginalized communities to produce and sell scented candles.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/HimalayanRabbit/" target="_blank">The Himalayan Rabbit Farm</a>: Promotes rabbit farming among Nepalese farmers and provides the necessary technical support. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://sabahnp.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=20&Itemid=105" target="_blank">The Village Café</a>: Serves various traditional cuisines cooked by the women themselves using the ingredients that they have grown in their own fields. Also provides related training to the women. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.tyretreasures.com/" target="_blank">Tyre Treasures</a>: A green enterprise that produces various household and decoration items using old, used tyres.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://upcyclenepal.com/" target="_blank">Upcycle Nepal</a>: Converts old, used clothing material, along with pre-consumer and post-industrial fabrics into utility products. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://vdrc.org.np/" target="_blank">Vijaya Develoment Resource Center</a>: Runs various enterprises (a community FM, microfinance, consultancy etc.) to generate resources for its community development programs.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.welcometomyyard.com/" target="_blank">Welcome to my Yard</a>: Provides day-tour of Kathmandu. The profits thus made go to its various projects which provide community-based support, practical education, training and savings schemes for at-risk youth and families in the community </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/womensdream12/" target="_blank">Women's Dream Beauty & Multi-Service</a>: Set up with the aim of modernizing the traditional "Dambarkumari" fabric (typical in Newari culture). Trains and employs women to make shawls, baby’s apparel, handkerchiefs, and masks, among others using the fabric.</li>
</ol>
</div>
Surath Girihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227559674369495788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025137708550709075.post-1809993615786798822020-03-09T10:37:00.003+05:302020-03-09T10:39:08.476+05:30The Rebel Barber : A Short Story<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><b>(This short story of mine was shortlisted in the <a href="http://bit.ly/2Xnl72L" target="_blank">Writing Nepal 2019: A Short Story Contest.</a>) </b></i></div>
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"Kathmandu is getting too cold, just like Terai", Umesh Thakur thought to himself as he yawned lazily one November afternoon in his eponymous hair salon in Buddhanagar. The business was slow as usual in the festive months, although the festivals were already over. The rhythmic "snip snip snip" of his assistant's scissors on a customer's hair drove him further into drowsiness. His thoughts turned to Chhath.</div>
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<br />"Those asses ruined Chhath too", he thought. "Politics everywhere. They could not even leave Chhath alone."</div>
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<br />Terai had been simmering with rage and discontent since September as the country promulgated a new constitution. The rage that erupted like a volcano and spread like wildfire had soon engulfed the whole of Madeshi communities. Umesh's village had not remained untouched. There were closed-door meetings, anonymous pamphlets, and hushed up conversations. The environment had reminded people of the times of the civil war. Everyone was scared and apprehensive. Everyone was suspicious of each other. All of it bothered Umesh. He did not want to be bothered with one more bloody revolution, one more deceit by the leaders, more deaths, and more shattered families and dreams. All he wanted to do was pass through this life quietly as if it were a narrow, dark alley that had to be passed through to go to a brighter side.</div>
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But then, the revolutionary fervor caught his younger brother, Mahesh who was susceptible to the fervor as much due to his youth as his disposition. Mahesh had stopped coming home. The infrequency and unpredictability of his visits had compelled the family members to cajole him first and then finally, just ignore him in resignation. Umesh had wanted Mahesh to join him in his shop and earn a living doing what people of his community were supposed to do. But Mahesh was adamant that he would not join his brother. "Who knows what's up with the young people these days?" Umesh thinks with a sigh.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgAxaEyT_dkxm6WuFnrnkXSTUuFPaiueGPfywSnx-WkVN_4IE6XmVZvoK5geosJv5v1Zl0_mGIbCBAP5XjQOkTfIBye9HvDyy6qoTRmpAyA5mg8t4fj7-3g38HkUHw2ko2kCAJhzVHeRM/s1600/the_rebel_barber_short_story.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="800" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgAxaEyT_dkxm6WuFnrnkXSTUuFPaiueGPfywSnx-WkVN_4IE6XmVZvoK5geosJv5v1Zl0_mGIbCBAP5XjQOkTfIBye9HvDyy6qoTRmpAyA5mg8t4fj7-3g38HkUHw2ko2kCAJhzVHeRM/s640/the_rebel_barber_short_story.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by: www.insidehimalayas.com</td></tr>
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"I was never a rebel", he reminisced. He was never the one to complain, never the one to express his discontent. He still remembers how as a child he never complained even when he had to go hungry the whole day as his mother remained busy with the household chores, providing for the family. He remembers how his elder sisters would create a scene or steal mangos from Alok kaka's orchard but he never felt the urge to do so. He still remembers how his Pahade teacher would punish him and his classmates when they failed to correctly recall the grammar rules and make them sit like cocks. Enraged his classmates would find ways to prank on the teacher. But not him, never. Even when he was among the accused by the teacher and got the revenge beating. He still does not understand why he never felt the urge to rebel. It was as if he was a traveler too lost in thoughts, who had only his destination in his mind that all the dogs barking at him failed to register in his mind. </div>
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<br />"If only I had a destination on my mind", he sighs poignantly</div>
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.<br />But then, there were times when he had taken the initiative to express his desires. That one time when he had been swimming in the Berang Khola with his friends, he had an intense urge to hug Bishwash, his friend from the locality and he had just gone ahead and done it. He had hugged Bishwash as one would hug his lover, as a child would hug its mother's leg. Bishwash had quickly recovered from the shock and pushed Umesh away from himself as if Umesh was a water snake that had suddenly stuck on him. Although Bishwash had not said anything out loud, the intense hatred and disgust Umesh saw in his eyes had brought him back to reality and kept him in check for the rest of his life.</div>
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<br />Many years later, one rainy day, when Umesh saw Sandeep being dragged into his salon by his shoulder-length hair by his father, all Umesh could think of was that incident at Berang Khola. The same kind of feeling had simmered in his heart and he had felt the same kind of urge to just go and hug this guy who was red with shame and the pain.</div>
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<br />"Oie Bhaiya, come here! Cut down this hoodlum's hair", Sandeep's father had roared. Umesh had quietly pointed Sandeep towards the empty chair. Sandeep had glanced at his father before quietly sitting down on the chair. His father meanwhile had sat on the waiting bench with his arms crossed and eyes looking at both of them piercingly.</div>
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<br />"What a useless son I have? Does nothing all day except pruning himself and his hair like a girl! Just look at that hair longer than that of a girl!" Sandeep's father had muttered.</div>
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<br />Umesh had tried his best to save the hair but finally gave up under the scrutinizing gaze of Sandeep's father. Umesh had then asked Sandeep if he wanted a massage too. Sandeep had just looked at his father and said nothing. His father also said nothing. Umesh had given him a massage anyway.</div>
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<br />Half of Umesh's heart had expected that Sandeep would push him away and look at him with disgust as Bishwash had done many years ago. But Sandeep seemed to enjoy it and taking it all in albeit with trepidation. When he was finished, Sandeep had silently followed his father out of the salon without even turning back to look at Umesh.</div>
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<br />Umesh had felt a mixture of joy and sadness. "Which father beats up his grown-up son like that?" he had wondered but then quietly filed it at the back of his mind where all his wonderings regarding the world used to go.</div>
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<br />"Will I see him again?" Umesh had wondered. His heart was divided. He would have loved to see him again but then again he was filled with trepidation at the thought of giving in to his temptation.</div>
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<br />It was Sandeep's father who came again. One early morning, right before the festive seasons had started, drunk and in an irritable mood.</div>
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<br />"Oie bhaiya!" he had roared. "Cut my hair! Make sure I look good or you will get a beating."<br />Umesh was too scared to move.</div>
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<br />"Didn't you hear me?" Sandeep's father roared again.</div>
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<br />Umesh picked up his scissors and started cutting the hair. 'Snips, snips, snips', his scissors navigated across the hair.</div>
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<br />"You madise people are whiny, crybabies! You are never satisfied, are you? The country gets a new Constitution after so many years and all you people want is to create chaos?", Sandeep's father had grumbled. "You call our Constitution day a black day? Then, why are you living here? Eating our food, taking our money?"</div>
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<br />Umesh said nothing. He felt nothing. "Which caste do you belong, sir? What makes this country more of yours than ours?" he had wanted to ask out of sheer curiosity more than anything else but could not gather the courage.</div>
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<br />"Now, don't you slit my throat for that, understand?" the drunkard had mumbled. But still, Umesh had said nothing.</div>
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<br />"How would have Mahesh reacted? He would have slit that drunkard's throat", he had giggled at the thought.</div>
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<br />A few days later, to his pleasant surprise, Sandeep came back to his salon. He was not only in a jovial mood but had also smiled pleasantly at Umesh. Umesh had tried to hold his gaze in an effort to take peek into his soul.</div>
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<br />"Dai, I want a head massage", Sandeep had said.</div>
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<br />"Such a lovely boy. Such nice manners. He even calls me dai", Umesh had thought with delight. He was not sure if he liked being addressed as Dai though, at least by Sandeep.</div>
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<br />Umesh had been unable to contain his joy and excitement. His hands had moved through Sandeep's head rhythmically and gracefully as if he were performing magic. As Sandeep has closed his eyes and submerged himself in the pleasure, Umesh had gathered the courage to venture beyond the head and neck.</div>
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<br />The next time Sandeep arrived at the salon a few days later, very few words were spoken. Very few words needed to be spoken. From the next time, the gap between the visits had shortened considerably.</div>
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<br />****<br />Umesh was jolted out of his trance by violent shaking. Someone was catching him by his shirt and pulling him. Before he could make sense of what was happening, a fierce blow of a fist landed on his face. The pain and shock made him feel giddy. But before he could respond, another blow landed on his face and with it, countless punches and kicks followed. Umesh fell from the bench to the ground. He instinctively tried to block his face with his hands but the punches were too forceful for him.</div>
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<br />As the shock wavered and he became able to make sense out of things, he saw the large, red, swollen, and livid face of Sandeep's father coming at him like an out of control truck.</div>
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<br />"You fucking madise! You filthy bastard! How dare you spoil my son? How dare you try to make a eunuch out of him? Didn't you have anyone to fuck because you madises burned all your daughters and wives for dowry?" Sandeep's father was uncontrollable. He, then, caught a broom nearby and started hitting Umesh with it randomly. Umesh's assistant who was over the shock by now tried to stop Sandeep's father. But his frail and emaciated body was no match for Sandeep's father whose energy had been accentuated by the rage.</div>
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<br />The commotion had already attracted a crowd of spectators but none of the people ventured to come forward and intervene. Most of them whispered to each other with curiosity to find out what was happening. A Madhesi getting beaten up was not a new thing for them but such violently and within a business establishment was a rare sight.</div>
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<br />"He is going to kill him. Please help! Someone, please help!" Umesh's assistant pleaded as he tried to match his strength with that of the assaulter.</div>
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<br />The plea seemed to have acted as a trigger to bring the crowd out of its trance. A few of them came forward and caught the assaulter from behind and tore him apart from Umesh.</div>
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<br />"Oh dai, please stop! What's up with you? Why are you beating him like that?" Someone said.</div>
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<br />"What happened here?"</div>
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<br />"Oh, this guy is drunk!"</div>
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<br />"Oh, it's Rameshwor Uncle! He is usually drunk. Not a big deal with that."</div>
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<br />"But why would he beat up the barber? He does not seem to be here to cut his hair!"</div>
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<br />The cacophony rang in Umesh's ears as he tried to recover. The feelings of shame and rejection he had felt in Berang Khola many years ago came rushing to his mind.</div>
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<br />Startled by the crowd closing in on him and the questions, Rameshwor looked around and looked at Umesh one last time with disgust before hurriedly leaving the shop.</div>
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<br />"It must have been the Madise's fault! They are like that. He must have tried to con him or something!" someone in the crowd said. "They are trying to con the whole country, don't you see?" another person remarked.</div>
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<br />Umesh got up from the floor and sat on the bench again silently like an injured dog licking its wounds.</div>
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<br />With no more spectacle to see, the crowd slowly dispersed.</div>
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<br />****</div>
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<br />Umesh peered out of the thin blanket he was covering himself with as his assistant gently poked him awake.</div>
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<br />"Here, drink some soup bhaiya! You must be hungry", he said.</div>
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<br />"What time of the day is it?" Umesh asked peering out of the tiny window. All he could see was the wall of another house.</div>
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<br />"It is evening. Are you feeling any better? It has been almost a week!"</div>
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<br />Umesh nodded. All of a sudden, his mobile phone rang. His maai had been calling. Reluctantly, he picked up the phone.</div>
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<br />"Yes, maai! What is it?"</div>
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<br />He could only hear sobs on the other side.</div>
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<br />"Maai, what happened? Why are you crying?" he sat up concerned and then squinted in pain.</div>
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<br />"Umesh, they say our Mahesh has been arrested", maai managed to say between her sobs.</div>
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<br />"What? When?" Umesh asked.</div>
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<br />"No one knows for sure! A week ago they say. Some say he has already been killed by the police", she started crying irrepressibly.</div>
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<br />"Beta, could you come home immediately please?" she said after a while.</div>
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<br />"Sure, maai! I will take the bus early morning tomorrow", Umesh managed to reply.</div>
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<br />"I told him so many times not to join those groups. Why would anyone with common sense go against the masters, the police?" maai kept crying. "He was always so disobedient. Always asking questions, always questioning the masters. Now, we have to see this day! Why always us, dear lord?"</div>
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<br />"Maai, listen, listen to me! I am coming. I will take care of everything, okay? Now, don't you worry? Keep calm, until I am there", Umesh tried to placate his mother.</div>
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<br />Maai sobbed for a while more before reluctantly cutting off the phone.</div>
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<br />"Why always us?" maai's words kept ringing in his ears as he covered himself up and tried to sleep.</div>
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<br />"I really have to sleep", he told himself.</div>
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<br />"I have to go back home tomorrow. Early in the morning!" he told himself.</div>
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<br />"Is it going to be just another day or truly a new day?" he found himself questioning as he was drifting into sleep.</div>
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<br />"A truly new day? Promise?" his heart asked him.</div>
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<br />But Umesh quickly suppressed the thoughts to the back of his mind and firmly closed his eyes as he tried to sleep.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The End</b></div>
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Surath Girihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227559674369495788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025137708550709075.post-28563983321653696632019-11-02T14:58:00.001+05:302019-11-02T20:16:40.307+05:30How to Trek the Manaslu Circuit in 10 days? My Travelogue!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzNpyKSWQSjHRtV_O2A5K2BsyBiCq9SSdrhu9ZR9R5ZaVDOdp1dZDyAqshjibBfzmkiumI-TJCzS_PoAHEo0xPHiAxttWMMUfVs2Q1cBzEAP2jnJE6m8A1YakccWax46FXrlCNvQ1K6Pd/s1600/1280px-Sunrise%252C_Manaslu.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="1279" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzNpyKSWQSjHRtV_O2A5K2BsyBiCq9SSdrhu9ZR9R5ZaVDOdp1dZDyAqshjibBfzmkiumI-TJCzS_PoAHEo0xPHiAxttWMMUfVs2Q1cBzEAP2jnJE6m8A1YakccWax46FXrlCNvQ1K6Pd/s640/1280px-Sunrise%252C_Manaslu.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by: Ben Tubby Source: Wikipedia</td></tr>
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When an avid trekker like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nabin.wanderlust" target="_blank">Nabin dai</a> could not stop talking about a trekking route, I was bound to take note. Thus was my desire to trek the Manaslu Circuit was born. Therefore, I decided to utilize my Dashain vacation of 2076 (2019) to go round the Manaslu Peak, the eighth highest mountain in the world at 8,163 meters. I trekked the route in 10 days (September 27 to October 6) with six of my friends and colleagues. I must say, it is one of the best trekking routes in n Nepal which naturally means one of the best in the world. The best thing about this trek, in my view, is that it has everything - mesmerizing mountain views, pristine lakes, breathtaking (sometimes literally!) mountain passes, majestic waterfalls, and picturesque villages. </div>
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Notwithstanding its amazing beauty, the trek is not recommended for the beginners though. There were definitely several moments where the beginners among our team members were more than ready to give up the trek and return home (although none of them told me this aloud). But if you have prior trekking experience, you can comfortably get this one done in 10 days. Following is our itinerary. I hope our itinerary and our experience will be a very useful guide for you in your adventure in this route and will inspire you to go on a Manaslu Circuit Trek.</div>
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<b>Our Itinerary in Brief:</b></div>
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Day 1: Kathmandu to Gorkha Bazaar (By Bus)<br />
Day 2: Gorkha Bazaar to Soti Khola (By Bus) and walk to Khorlabesi (6 hours)<br />
Day 3: Khorlabesi to Philim (11 hours)<br />
Day 4: Philim to Bhijam (10 hours)<br />
Day 5: Bhijam to Lho (10 hours)<br />
Day 6: Lho to Samagaun (4 hours)<br />
Day 7: Samagaun to Samdo via Birendra Lake (6 hours)<br />
Day 8: Samdo to Phedi via Larke Pass (15 hours)<br />
Day 9: Phedi to Dharapani (11 hours)<br />
Day 10: Dharapani to Kathmandu (By bus)<br />
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<b>Our Experience:</b><br />
<br />
<b>Day 1: Kathmandu to Gorkha Bazaar (By Bus)</b><br />
<br />
We had planned to take a direct bus to Soti Khola on the morning of 27th but the last-minute new assignment from a client threw our plans into disarray. Nikunja had to travel to Butwal a few days earlier and was supposed to be back by 10 am. He wasn't. So, the rest of us waited and waited until finally, he showed up at <b>around 3 pm</b> at Kalanki. Therefore, the seven of us boarded a night bus to Pokhara because the last bus for Gorkha had already left. As usual, there was a long traffic jam at Thankot, Nagdhunga which further delayed our journey by about two hours. Then, there was another stop for dinner at Muglin. We finally reached <b>Aabu Khaireni at around 9:30 pm</b> where we planned to spend the night if we could not find a vehicle to Gorkha Bazaar. Luckily, as soon as we got off from the bus, a few cab drivers swarmed us offering us a ride up to Gorkha Bazaar. The fare they quoted us was Rs. 1,000 per taxi, which I found incredulous. <b>Just Rs. 1,000 for 24 kilometers</b>? In Kathmandu, a 1,000 rupees would not have gotten us even to the edge of the city. Therefore, we said yes lest the guys changed their minds. We reached Gorkha Bazaar at around 10 pm. The cab drivers took us to a hotel named Satyam right in the middle of Gorkha Bazaar. It was a nice hotel although we had to drive a hard bargain to have them let four of us stay in the same room.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkQGQDb-ISP83GyNTi9C0fcQwFM64NA_9_RHmyVHZqwznAQ_IBPFBuzK9GBdgqDImd0qlx0msb5Qu4ldFFPoMF82D2f9Qk3V5eo-WtbDrfCooFkc3MGg8Mo801eaxLpcA__iBGlg5eyP0/s1600/Manaslu_Circuit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkQGQDb-ISP83GyNTi9C0fcQwFM64NA_9_RHmyVHZqwznAQ_IBPFBuzK9GBdgqDImd0qlx0msb5Qu4ldFFPoMF82D2f9Qk3V5eo-WtbDrfCooFkc3MGg8Mo801eaxLpcA__iBGlg5eyP0/s640/Manaslu_Circuit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Govinda Siwakoti</td></tr>
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<b>Day 2: Gorkha Bazaar - Arughat - Soti Khola (By Bus) and Soti Khola - Lapu Besi - Machha Khola - Khorlabesi (6 hours)</b><br />
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The next day, we got up early at around 6 am and inquired around to find a bus to Soti Khola. We found a bus to Arughat. From there we had to take another bus to Soti Khola. There were only two buses to Arughat each day, and we had already missed the first one. We quickly purchased our tickets and managed to be among the last people to get seats. If you find yourself in this situation, I recommend you to purchase/book the tickets the previous evening if possible or at least reach the ticket counter before 6 am and purchase the tickets. As we squeezed ourselves into the seats of the last row, the bus left for Arughat at 7:30 am. After a few minutes of a smooth ride, the bumpy roads began. The bus trudged along the narrow and winding hilly roads. The views started to get better though. Hills beyond hills with picturesque villages alongside a fierce river down in the valleys and villages on the hilltops engulfed by the mist, what a sight! I can never have enough of it. One interesting thing we noticed was the Muslim settlement along the way. I had read somewhere that the ancestors of these people had helped Prithvi Narayan Shah produce gunpowder, guns and other weapons during his conquest of Nepal in the 1750s and 1760s.<br />
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We reached Arughat after four hours, at around 11:30 am. Arughat is a small market-town alongside the Budhi Gandaki river. As the rest of the team started searching for an eatery, I started inquiring about the bus for the next leg of our journey. Nikunja, however, had already managed to find the counter and book 7 tickets for us. Thanks to his quick action, we managed to get the last remaining seats. It was apparent that the buses in this region are overwhelmed with the number of passengers. Relieved, we had breakfast of sel roti, boiled egg, and tea in a local eatery and boarded the bus.<br />
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One more bumpy bus ride for about one and a half hours took us to <b>Soti Khola</b>, the starting point of our trek. At Soti Khola, we had our lunch of dal bhat, purchased a few snacks, and altitude sickness medicines before embarking on our walk for the day. We started our walk at around 1:30 pm. The trail went alongside the Budhi Gandaki river for the day. In fact, we were supposed to follow the Budhi Gandaki river to its origin walking more or less alongside its banks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEGCPSqORBuGxIqpOLcfrLSbKsqW1UaCVATMW4myRsYFlfNfBLxrq8UwbYf76v_3zxYHlbTYi-9N8E2mhO-t2CMe8CDmGaNs6JlhHJ51DbK2MuiUOYnYyJNi3Hx02P_sc1UbgVmR4PtPD7/s1600/Traditional+Water+Mill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEGCPSqORBuGxIqpOLcfrLSbKsqW1UaCVATMW4myRsYFlfNfBLxrq8UwbYf76v_3zxYHlbTYi-9N8E2mhO-t2CMe8CDmGaNs6JlhHJ51DbK2MuiUOYnYyJNi3Hx02P_sc1UbgVmR4PtPD7/s640/Traditional+Water+Mill.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional Water Mill. Photo by Surath Giri</td></tr>
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Less than 30 minutes of our walk, we encountered a mesmerizing sight - a humongous waterfall on the other side of the Budhi Gandaki river. The waterfall was so tall that the water falling off the cliff was turning into a mist swayed away by the wind. We stopped there and took a few photos, just a dozen or so. My friends and colleagues, especially the first-timers were super excited to see the waterfalls. But soon the excitement mellowed to some extent when they realized that such waterfalls are a dime a dozen in this region. One waterfall, however, seemed to be the king of the waterfalls. Called "Shivaling Waterfall", the waterfall was huge even compared to the huge waterfalls in the region.<br />
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In about an hour, we reached a place called <b>Lapu Besi</b> where we stopped for a while and drank tea before resuming our journey. At around 5 pm, we reached <b>Machha Khola</b>. Well, I reached Machha Khola and waited for the rest of the team for about 30 minutes.<br />
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As the rest of the team dragged themselves (too tired by now I guess) to Machha Khola, I wondered if we should call it a day and stay in Machha Khola. We were, however, already behind our schedule because of our late departure from Kathmandu. I wished to keep going and stop at the next destination but wanted to know what the rest of the team thought. As they rested for a while and ate some snacks, they recuperated and therefore, voted to keep going.<br />
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We resumed our walk. The night was setting in and it slowly started getting dark. From Machha Khola, we crossed a trail bridge and continued our journey alongside the Budhi Gandaki River towards its origin. As it got darker, I asked some of my friends to turn on their headlights and torch lights. Only 3 or 4 of us turned on the lights. I asked the rest not to do so and instead conserve the batteries for the coming days.<br />
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I was walking ahead with two other people when all of a sudden my walking stick got tangled into something. It was too dark to see but suddenly someone's headlight turned to the direction and...oh my God! <b>"Aabuiii"</b>, I let out involuntarily and froze along with the other two for a few milliseconds which felt like a minute or so.<br />
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A huge snake was entangled in my walking stick. It was the largest snake I had ever seen outside television or a zoo. I was so shocked and my whole body was trembling with fear. But then I recovered and I jerked my walking stick against the snake and threw it off a few feet. Startled the snake slithered away across the trail. It took us a few more seconds to fully recover from the incident. I quickly took out my torchlight and turned it on.<br />
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We walked for another 30 minutes or so. The trail was getting scarier. Small rocks and stones were falling down. We were moving ahead carefully. We stumbled upon two people coming from the opposite direction. They told us that the road ahead was blocked due to a landslide and one had to trudge through a knee-deep sludge to get across. Besides, the rocks were still falling/sliding and could come crashing down anytime. We were so scared.<br />
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Nikunja was quite apprehensive and wanted to go back to Machha Khola but the rest of the team was reluctant to go back after having walked for almost an hour already. We stopped at the next house we found on the way and asked the owner there to verify what we had heard earlier. A middle-aged lady told us all that we heard was true, and we had to go through that particular place to reach Khorlabesi. We inquired if she could host us for the night. She said yes but told us that the accommodation was not good enough. Nikunja went and checked. He came back disappointed. When we decided to keep going, the lady assuaged our fears by saying that there was an alternate and safer way. She told us to take a trail down towards the river immediately before the landslide started and walk along the banks of the river and rejoin the main trail after crossing the landslide area.<br />
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So as we continued our journey, we kept looking out for the tell-tale signs of the start of the landslide area. We need not have worried. We could see the whole road blocked for afar. So we took a trail that was not so obvious down to the river and walked along the bank. Most of the team members were at the limit of their patience and willpower now. I wished our destination would arrive soon.<br />
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We walked for another 30 minutes or so before we reached our destination for the day - <b>Khorlabesi</b>, a small settlement comprising around half a dozen houses. The whole group was too tired to do anything else besides eat and go to sleep. I made sure that I charged my torchlight fully.<br />
<b><br /></b> <b>Day 3: Khorlabesi - Tatopani - Dobhan - Shyauli Bhatti - Yaru Bagar - Jagat - Salleri - Sridibas - Ghatte Khola - Philim (11 hours)</b><br />
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The next morning, we started out at around 7:30 am after having tea and some biscuits for breakfast. We continued our walk alongside the river on a trail cut out of the hill. The trail was amazing, not just views but also the way it had been carved out of the huge rocks and stones within the hill. The mountains in the distance were shrugging off the mist and Budhi Gandaki was roaring as loudly as ever. Once in a while, the rhythmic "ting, ting" of the bells worn by the mules managed to emerge above the roar of Budhi Gandaki. The trail was bereft of any people besides our team. I loved the walk. It was like a walking meditation for me.<br />
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At around 8:45 am, we reached <b>Tatopani</b>, the tap with incredibly hot water. It felt like turning only the knob for hot water in the shower, a bit too hot for bathing. We took a few pictures there. No one ventured to take a bath though. After a few pictures, we continued our journey.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijN8jX215JPyf3LOepJlpoFAomEWLngSuLnb3bfgZy9XmqYLawHjo39DDDko8R44y59SbguEyFdJ0GTbW8Nn7ANLj3IjQke1Mc_0qL8YhsTEHmijUIZ3Ce1Gm3q47wCrswLawZe4vjt-HQ/s1600/Surath_Manaslu_Circuit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijN8jX215JPyf3LOepJlpoFAomEWLngSuLnb3bfgZy9XmqYLawHjo39DDDko8R44y59SbguEyFdJ0GTbW8Nn7ANLj3IjQke1Mc_0qL8YhsTEHmijUIZ3Ce1Gm3q47wCrswLawZe4vjt-HQ/s640/Surath_Manaslu_Circuit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way to Dobhan. Photo by Govinda Siwakoti</td></tr>
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Another one and a half hours of walk got us to <b>Dobhan</b>, a confluence of the Budhi Gandaki river with one of its tributaries. We crossed the river on a trail bridge to get to Dobhan. Dobhan is relatively a large settlement with several hotels and a school. We stopped at one of the hotels for our lunch. The lunch was delicious, especially the pickle. Even the basic dishes taste so good in the villages, maybe because of the freshness of the vegetables. We spent about one and a half hours for the lunch break and the rest before resuming our journey.<br />
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We continued our trek alongside the Budhi Gandaki river, on the right side of the river this time. We reached another settlement called <b>Shyauli Bhatti</b> after walking for about an hour. We continued walking. After walking for another two and a half hours, we reached an incredibly scenic place called <b>Yaru Bagar</b>, a settlement on the banks of Budhi Gandaki river. The river had flattened and spread wide in this place, therefore it was called a 'bagar' I guess. It was also the confluence of Yaru Khola and Budhi Gandaki. As I crossed the settlement, I realized that Yaru Bagar was a special place. It was the place where <b>the first cantilever bridge of Nepal</b> was built with the assistance of DFID. I remembered translating a press release about this place. I was very excited to get photographed in this place. My team, however, was way behind me. So I asked a foreigner to click a few pictures of me standing on the bridge. The bridge is not only a marvel of technology but also very beautiful. Definitely, one of the highlights of the trail.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwH12xNdQHJeBOnyQk0-cIHmOkJgd4dHrZErHya6Phb50GKgXrEle5zX0snIweYdy0fgzeGcun0kg_2BWN6QUW1784VBcaUDa3HAQLrxseuNOcvk58kJLsGOepGS08PszE4UxBAF4o2j_V/s1600/Nepal_first_Cantilever_Bridge_Yaru_Bagar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwH12xNdQHJeBOnyQk0-cIHmOkJgd4dHrZErHya6Phb50GKgXrEle5zX0snIweYdy0fgzeGcun0kg_2BWN6QUW1784VBcaUDa3HAQLrxseuNOcvk58kJLsGOepGS08PszE4UxBAF4o2j_V/s640/Nepal_first_Cantilever_Bridge_Yaru_Bagar.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nepal's first cantilever bridge at Yaru Bagar, Gorkha. Photo by Govinda Siwakoti</td></tr>
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It was almost 4 pm when I reached <b>Jagat</b>, a relatively large settlement for the region and the starting point of the Manaslu Conservation Area. The foreign tourists have to show their permits at the checkpoint here. I rested on a roadside stone and ate the moong dal I had with me as I waited for my friends. They arrived half an hour later. All of us were famished and exhausted by now. Therefore, we had some snacks at a restaurant there. The team was divided on whether to continue the journey or call it a day and stop there. After a short deliberation, we decided to keep going as we were still behind our schedule. So at around 5 pm, we resumed our trek with the aim of reaching Philim which was supposed to be 2 hours of walk away.<br />
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It turned out to be almost 4 hours of walk away for us. Maybe because we were too tired. As the sun took a break for the day and the darkness rushed in to envelop the world, we rushed towards Philim with our tired legs and exhausted bodies. We passed <b>Salleri</b> in less than an hour and then <b>Sirdibas</b> in about two hours. Then, we passed the <b>Ghattekhola</b> village to reach a large trail bridge. At every village, my teammates were tempted to call it a day and spend the night there. It took quite a lot of convincing to get them moving. The uphill stretch, although less than half a kilometer, was too steep and tiring for them though. The trek must have felt more like a punishment in a communist gulag rather than something you would do for entertainment. I reached <b>Philim</b> at around 7:30 pm and waited for the rest of the team for half an hour before realizing that they were way behind and I had to go back to get them. At around 8:30 pm, all of us reached Philim. We hit the bed as soon as we finished our food. We were that tired!<br />
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<b>Day 4: Philim - Ekle Bhatti - Pewa - Dyang - Rana - Bihi Phedi - Bhijam (10 hours)</b><br />
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The next morning, we dragged our tired bodies out of bed at around 6 am and got ready for the day. We drank tea and ate the remaining biscuits for breakfast. We started the trek at 7:30 am. We were expecting to have the same scenery as the last day to continue for today as well. But less than two hours into the trek, we were pleasantly surprised. As soon as we passed <b>Ekle Bhatti</b>, we came upon a spellbinding waterfall. I tried to look at the top of the waterfall but almost fell down backward. It was that tall. I took a few snapshots and a video to capture the beauty and resumed walking as I knew more of such sights were waiting for us.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBcZYs8GSOCJQLC93Jx4vcJw9AL9si4pdubGa9oe8DrW8hhHUv0gkd-1N8BaSWvsv0x-mePVYH5dG6U80PCR620lAEDnSs9dy3XbTf42nwDAO79IcfqiaTyJ94GskK1R2JvQ6DjwFFpYx/s1600/Waterfall_Manaslu_Circuit_Trek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBcZYs8GSOCJQLC93Jx4vcJw9AL9si4pdubGa9oe8DrW8hhHUv0gkd-1N8BaSWvsv0x-mePVYH5dG6U80PCR620lAEDnSs9dy3XbTf42nwDAO79IcfqiaTyJ94GskK1R2JvQ6DjwFFpYx/s640/Waterfall_Manaslu_Circuit_Trek.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The spellbinding waterfall. Photo by Surath Giri</td></tr>
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<br />
Walking for an hour more, I reached a fork on the road. The right fork would lead us to Tsum Valley, another great trekking destination on its own right. We, however, were supposed to take the left one down to the river and beyond. I crossed the river and waited for my teammates to appear on the horizon. But even after 20 minutes, only Govinda and Raseela appeared. Therefore, I kept walking.<br />
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Since Khorlabesi, I had been listening to the audiobooks of Nepali novels through the recordings of Shruti Sambeg, a book recital radio program. As I neared Nyak Phedi, I was totally submerged into the listening as the novel was an engrossing thriller. The musical breaks in between were equally amazing.<br />
<br />
<i>"Rangi Sari Gulabi Chunariya Re...</i><br />
<i> Mohey Maare Nazariya Sawariya Re...</i><br />
<br />
<i>Rangi Sari....."</i><br />
<br />
"What the f*ck!!", I jumped in shock and almost fell off the trail down the precipice. I could hear my heart beating beyond its optimal capacity. My whole body was trembling.<br />
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A large snake was slithering on the wall of the trail. I swallowed my spit and slowly turned toward it. The snake was basking in the sun, I guess and was slowing slithering upwards towards the bushes. The guy did not pose any threat to me and was actually just chilling out. But hey, who cares? It scared the shit out of me.<br />
<br />
"Two snakes in a row, in a single trek? What are the odds? What the hell is going on?," I thought to myself incredulously. In more than a decade of trekking and more than 15 such adventures, I had never encountered one snake, one single snake, not even a tiny one. And here, two huge reptiles scare the shit out of me in two days. When I shared the incident with my teammates, they were more than happy to pull my legs. They thought that I should perform <i>pooja</i> to appease the snake god on returning to Kathmandu.<br />
<br />
I recovered and kept walking. I passed Nyak Phedi in another 10 minutes and then kept walking through the trail as it passed through a denser forest. Now, I was alert enough to look around properly before putting down my bag and resting on the side of the trail.<br />
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As I walked for one hour more I came into a trail bridge. I crossed the bridge and waited for my teammates for a while. They showed no signs of showing up. So, I continued my journey. At one place, I stopped in the middle of the trail to rewind the audiobook. As I was scenery too, I had failed to register some portions of the audiobook. As I was doing that, I felt someone patting me on my back. A shiver ran through my back. I turned around quickly to see who it was.<br />
<br />
<i>"Oh hello there, Mr. Mule! Sorry for blocking your way! You see, I didn't notice you were just behind me. I am sure you must be in a rush. Let me get out of the way. Such a lovely morning, ain't it?"</i><br />
<br />
I reached <b>Pewa village</b> at around 12 pm. Before I could inquire if they served lunch, a guy came running down from the wooden terrace of his hotel and took me to his hotel. He offered me a glass of juice and told me that the food was ready whenever we were ready. I nodded and waited for my teammates. A cold breeze was making shivers run down my body. I wore my jacket. As I looked at my shoes, I noticed that the top piece of my shoes was about to come off. I purchased a superglue and pasted it while waiting for my teammates. They arrived in 30 minutes. The dal-bhat at Pewa was probably the most delicious lunch we had throughout the journey.<br />
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The journey after lunch was relatively uneventful. We walked for about two hours to reach <b>Dyang aka Deng village</b>. Then, we crossed the river to the right side and followed the trail uphill to reach a picturesque village called <b>Rana village</b>. Looking from afar, I could see a red and pink tinge in the village which turned out to be the color of the Amarnath, the local crop also called <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-superfoods-of-the-andes-and-the-himalaya/">t</a><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null">he superfood of the Himalayas</a>.<br />
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Beyond Rana village, the trail passed through a dense forest before emerging on a trail bridge. 20 minutes from the bridge, I reached <b>Bihi Phedi</b> where we were supposed to stay for the night. It was still daylight though. So when the rest of the group joined me, we had tea and some snacks and resumed our trek to the next destination - <b>Bhijam</b>. We walked for around 35 minutes to reach Bhijam. Bhijam has just one hotel. Therefore, it is advisable to confirm the availability before head towards it for the night.<br />
<br />
We reached Bhijam at around 6:30 pm. We were relatively less tired today. Therefore, we decided to drink some rum and chitchat for an hour before going to sleep.<br />
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<b> Day 5: Bhijam - Ghap - Namrung - Barzam - Lhi - Sho - Lho (10 hours)</b><br />
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On the 5th day of our trek, we woke up earlier than usual because we had gone to bed earlier the day before. We got ready and ate a local breakfast - Champa aka saatu in other parts of the country. We departed Bhijam at around 7 am intending to reach Lho village by the end of the day.<br />
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Walking for two hours we reached an exquisite village called <b>Ghap</b>. Full of similar-looking little houses with blue corrugated sheets as roofs that were glistening in the early morning sun, the village looked like it belonged to a fairy tale. I was thirsty when I reached the village. Bhimsen and I went to a hotel to get some drinking water. The hotel owner inquired where we were headed and where we had come from. Then she brought out two apples and gave them to us. Boy, were they delicious? When I offered to pay for the apples, she refused and said that she gave them to us as a gift. We were moved by the generosity of the lady.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghrbTr3zMTZuW5nCGI3yT57Pm8KdNrrEY6ATqJdLGgK6Cc-IPd0-94Wgt2NtgOQQG8f6V_0V2-EOANcVeSaS7bgepwzZPerNRZDLLxgw_P92-FP8Rg6oxn6mQlBf6XoNBjzpOiMHMg5sFi/s1600/Ghap_Village_Manaslu_circuit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghrbTr3zMTZuW5nCGI3yT57Pm8KdNrrEY6ATqJdLGgK6Cc-IPd0-94Wgt2NtgOQQG8f6V_0V2-EOANcVeSaS7bgepwzZPerNRZDLLxgw_P92-FP8Rg6oxn6mQlBf6XoNBjzpOiMHMg5sFi/s640/Ghap_Village_Manaslu_circuit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ghap Village in Manaslu Circuit. Photo by Surath Giri</td></tr>
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The trail which had been more or less plain until Ghap suddenly began to go uphill considerably slowing down our pace and increasing the pace of our hearts. I walked for another two hours and reached <b>Namrung</b>, a large and beautiful settlement with lots of hotels including some fancy ones. Namrung also has a resort that serves international standard food and international dishes provided that you are willing and able to shell out the same level of money. I stopped at one of the ordinary hotels and ordered dal-bhat for seven people. As the hotel had a television with movie channels, I started watching a movie as I waited for my teammates. It was 45 minutes before they arrived, exhausted and famished.<br />
<br />
Priya seemed not only exhausted but also annoyed, irritable, and seemed shaken to the core. Upon inquiring I found out that, she had narrowly escaped a dangerous situation. While giving way for the mules, she mistakenly stood on the edge of the trail rather than on the side towards the hill. Dear reader, please remember that this is a dangerous thing to do. Always, always remain on the side of the wall when giving way to the mules. So as it happened, one of the mules carrying LPG gas cylinders pushed Priya with the cylinders and she fell down the slope. Luckily, the guys were alert and caught her by her legs instantly. A slight delay could have meant injuries, even serious injuries.<br />
<br />
But once she recovered from the shock, we started teasing her saying that she had gotten a second life and that she should be more generous and spiritual from now onwards.<br />
<br />
We left Namrung at around 1:30 pm. We walked along muddy trail getting our shoes all wet, no thank you mules! Upon walking for about an hour, we reached an incredibly beautiful place called <b>Barzam</b> aka Bhanjam. Barzam is a narrow valley on the banks of the Budhi Gandaki river. There are just a few houses and the rest of the land is cultivated with local crops. When we reached there, the crops looked all green. It looked as if it was a huge football ground. The green crop was swaying rhythmically with the breeze. What a wonderful sight it was! Nikunja and I took several pictures and video clips. After 15-20 minutes we tore ourselves apart from the place and resumed our walk. We realized that if we let ourselves be then we could spend hours at the place just looking at the crops swaying in the wind.<br />
<br />
From Barzam, the trail went steep uphill. As I climbed the trail for about 15 minutes, I was tired. So I rested on a rock and looked down at the Barzam valley from above. It looked even more beautiful. A few girls and a middle-aged lady, probably their mother, were also resting nearby. They looked at me and then looked down at my friends far away and then began giggling. They teased me saying that my friends were too slow and would not be able to make it to Larke Pass. I teased them back that maybe they should help us by carrying my friends on the <i>dokos</i> (bamboo baskets) they were carrying.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvaLlBHJW5tqQxDSfNckYhU9ncbtfTMz-D6pG6q3YRRl6TIL7opsRSexDMhCw1uNTfmzD8mlUPIXcxS9KPaaEfHr18pGtMsaIn-oumio6WY2bxd-FtotEk_x7f3g8AGi7m0DPcVPOFopgZ/s1600/View_Of_Barzam_from_Lhi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvaLlBHJW5tqQxDSfNckYhU9ncbtfTMz-D6pG6q3YRRl6TIL7opsRSexDMhCw1uNTfmzD8mlUPIXcxS9KPaaEfHr18pGtMsaIn-oumio6WY2bxd-FtotEk_x7f3g8AGi7m0DPcVPOFopgZ/s640/View_Of_Barzam_from_Lhi.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Barzam from Lhi. Photo by Surath Giri</td></tr>
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<br />
At 4 pm, I reached the <b>Lhi</b> village and waited for my teammates. Lhi is a beautiful village with a monstery. After a break of about 15 minutes, we resumed our journey towards Sho village. This stretch of the trail was quite easy as we were walking on a straight road. The exhaustion was catching up, however. On the way, I stumbled upon three men who were striding off towards Sho. The men rested for a while and we chitchatted. They hailed from Sindhupalchok district and were going to Lho village to do some carpentry related work. They came from Helambu village, a popular trekking destination and thereby had quite a lot of experience of constructing tea houses and lodges. With the increase in the number of tourists visiting the Manaslu circuit, the demand for lodges and guesthouses had gone up and so had the demand for carpenters. The development of tourism was creating employment opportunities for not just the local people but also for people from other districts. I was jubilated.<br />
<br />
We reached the <b>Sho</b> village at 5:30 pm. The sun had set already and darkness was engulfing the world. We were not sure whether to continue our journey to Lho village or to stay at Sho. To utter disappointment of Nikunja, the majority of us decided to continue walking and reach Lho village for the day.<br />
<br />
The trail was almost flat until <b>Lho </b>village with only minor uphills and downhills. It was already 7:30 pm by the time we reached Lho. We had to wake up a family and ask the father to show us a decent hotel. He was drunk and sleepy but he managed to guide us to a hotel. The caretaker of the hotel, Mr. Dinesh Katuwal gave us a warm welcome and started preparing food. Dinesh was an amazing host. He had quite a sense of humor and regaled us with his adventure (mostly misadventure!) stories during his travel to different districts of Nepal in course of employment. He served us a delicious dinner. With a full stomach and a tired body, we went to bed. I fell asleep the moment I hit the bed.<br />
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<b>Day 6: Lho - Shyala - Samagaun (4 hours)</b><br />
<br />
On the morning of day 6, we woke up earlier than usual with the hope of observing the Manaslu peak. Dinesh had told us last night that Lho was the best place to view the top of Manaslu. Unfortunately, the weather was not on our side. As the distant mountains were engulfed in the mist, we could see nothing, not even the shape of the mountain. Therefore, we had our breakfast of Champa and Tibetan tea and embarked on our journey for the day. As we were exhausted by the long and arduous trek of the past five days, we had decided to just reach Samagaun that day and visit the nearby attractions. It turned out that nature wanted us to just rest that day.<br />
<br />
It was already 9 am when we left Lho village. We tried to observe Manaslu from the top of the village near the Ribum Monastery which was supposed to be the best viewpoint for watching Manaslu. Still, we were unable to see the mountain clearly. We took a few photos and continued our journey, a bit dejected. We passed through a dense forest and crossed Budhi Gandaki once again to reach the village of <b>Shyala</b> at around 11:30 am.<br />
<br />
We walked for another one and a half hours to reach <b>Sama Gaun</b> which is probably the largest settlement in the region and is culturally and commercially very important. But before we could reach Sama Gaun, it started to drizzle and pretty soon, the drizzle grew into full-fledged rain. We book rooms in a lodge which turned out to belong to one of the girls who had teased us in Lhi village. We ate our lunch and then waited for the rain to subside. The rain seemed to be adamant about not letting us go anywhere that day. It kept raining until the evening and it grew very cold. So we decided not to resist. Therefore, after lunch, we just went to our rooms and slept. I was well-prepared for a situation like this. I watched a movie on my phone before going to sleep. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDm999ud26xe175MfitvhiePLsDNnvfzTSUdCZ27weXPqomOBDnVMVFO69HKMvtxi4YIAO8dhwxus2ALACqmDW5sGkJNz94_T_JelzIXTR2WqvBpfXEOyMA4Ab8wYpYxnUQ4AxRCN15BVc/s1600/Samagaun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDm999ud26xe175MfitvhiePLsDNnvfzTSUdCZ27weXPqomOBDnVMVFO69HKMvtxi4YIAO8dhwxus2ALACqmDW5sGkJNz94_T_JelzIXTR2WqvBpfXEOyMA4Ab8wYpYxnUQ4AxRCN15BVc/s640/Samagaun.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Samagaun, Gorkha. Photo by Govinda Siwakoti</td></tr>
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<br />
We slept for the whole day and woke up only for dinner. The rain had subsided but it was freezing and a cold wind was blowing that ran shivers down our spine. We quickly ate our dinner and went back to sleep hoping for a better day tomorrow. The rest was an opportunity for us to recuperate as well.<br />
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<b>Day 7: Samagaun to Samdo via Birendra Lake (6 hours)</b><br />
<br />
Thanks to the rest of the day before, we were full of energy when we woke up the next morning. I woke up at around 6 am to a majestic view of the mountains all around me. Everyone started posing and taking photographs. The mountains looked as if they were in our backyard rather than many kilometers away. It felt as if one could run and just climb them like a small knoll. Well, it always feels that way.<br />
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It was quite difficult to lure away my teammates from the mountains and towards breakfast. Again, we ate Champa and tea for breakfast and embarked on the day's walk at 7 am. We were strolling rather walking savoring all the beauty around us. Walking for an hour, we reached <b>Birendra Lake</b> at 8 am. The lake, like every lake, was beautiful enough but not especially captivating. We were a bit disappointed but hey, we had a lake with the reflection of a mountain range. Who can resist taking a hundred pictures at such a spot?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMalt0brx3cQXVQtdOBe1WqzYXJjA9xHnPzC9TY9yhcJB6aF48tsM-qs9TRbrRTKnm0C5XPhDnAoGXcZP1zxwLHTGEUoixAzdFV6pPZ5I5kcJR9mHWR-MYnR8p208KJU6kY70CYZOYvMO/s1600/Birendra+Lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMalt0brx3cQXVQtdOBe1WqzYXJjA9xHnPzC9TY9yhcJB6aF48tsM-qs9TRbrRTKnm0C5XPhDnAoGXcZP1zxwLHTGEUoixAzdFV6pPZ5I5kcJR9mHWR-MYnR8p208KJU6kY70CYZOYvMO/s640/Birendra+Lake.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birendra Lake from on the way to Manaslu Base Camp. Photo by Surath Giri</td></tr>
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<br />
After 40 minutes that passed too quickly, we decided to resume our walk. The locals had told us to retrace the trail back for half an hour and join the main road to continue the journey. "There is a shortcut but you will have to cross a river originating from the lake to take it. You guys will not be able to cross the river", a woman had told us.<br />
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The river did not look that big and we were reluctant to waste half an hour of our time just going back. Bhimsen decided to give it a try. He said if he was able to cross the river, he was ready to carry all of us one by one across the river if need be. He crossed over the river and came back. "The water is freezing", he remarked. "The river can be crossed but it is too freezing for a person to do it more than once."<br />
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"How freezing it could be?" I thought and ventured into the river carrying my shoes in my hands.<br />
<br />
"Oh my my! What the hell!"<br />
<br />
The water was indeed freezing. I could feel my feet go numb and the riverbed was too slippery. I strode across the river as fast as I could. On reaching the other side of the river, I threw my shoes and sat do down rubbing my feet and calves trying to warm them up.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKPLzmeaZRr9nACHRtGtlgfMrJi31hRlEAcAqKMl_iDCU3uIW0-9rRFQ3_j_o74V2DPT_AAcvZAFmWCOTnKVW4CDqeT1R8LmZWXd2sFdUxg0BdodOsyGZj0lP8j9_6NuZSNEyxhcLZ8Z6/s1600/Crossing_The_River.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKPLzmeaZRr9nACHRtGtlgfMrJi31hRlEAcAqKMl_iDCU3uIW0-9rRFQ3_j_o74V2DPT_AAcvZAFmWCOTnKVW4CDqeT1R8LmZWXd2sFdUxg0BdodOsyGZj0lP8j9_6NuZSNEyxhcLZ8Z6/s640/Crossing_The_River.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the river. Photo by Surath Giri</td></tr>
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<br />
Then, the others started crossing the river. It was hilarious to see their reactions the moment they put their foot into the river.<br />
<br />
Anyway, one by one all of us crossed the river. Here I decided to propose splitting the group. Whoever wanted to go to Manaslu Base Camp could be in one group. The group would go to Base Camp and then go to Samdo. The other group could go to Samdo directly. Priya and Sunita chose to skip Manaslu Base Camp and go to Samdo directly whereas I, Govinda, Raseela, Nikunja, and Bhimsen chose to go to the Base Camp before going to Samdo.<br />
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So the two groups departed. The two girls joined the main trail which was flat almost until Samdo whereas the second group took the precipitous trail towards the basecamp. After walking for an hour or so, I looked down towards Birendra Lake. I was mesmerized! The ordinary-looking lake of the morning was now looking ethereal. It looked like an emerald ground surrounded by small hills. Govinda took several photos of us overlooking the emerald lake.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjebzFxfjjYt2nedzE2uDcm6mx4tvgzAoiqRP_xCN9_ndbD1xQnlNtRvY8-GqH5lrPBPlHjLVhvGlV1K5DeZGaD4GPDNcGWEj5UXIXKHpGTrMgih7hHvblsztqjoLH7_28t84o3eNEDDqqh/s1600/On_the_way_to_Base_Camp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjebzFxfjjYt2nedzE2uDcm6mx4tvgzAoiqRP_xCN9_ndbD1xQnlNtRvY8-GqH5lrPBPlHjLVhvGlV1K5DeZGaD4GPDNcGWEj5UXIXKHpGTrMgih7hHvblsztqjoLH7_28t84o3eNEDDqqh/s640/On_the_way_to_Base_Camp.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost at the Manaslu Base Camp. Photo by Govinda Siwakoti</td></tr>
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<br />
At around 12 pm, we reached a place called <b>Bhatti</b>, a small eatery in a tent. We drank tea and rested for a while. Then, we put down our bags there and resumed our journey. We walked uphill for another one hour before we were told that we were now halfway to the base camp. The weather, however, was deteriorating as we could see the sky and the mountains covered in the mist. We waited for a while to see if the sky would clear up because there would be no point going to the base camp if the weather persisted. Unfortunately, the weather got worse. The mist got thicker and it began to drizzle. The people we passed told us that the weather was unlikely to improve now and that we would not be seeing anything even if we reached the base camp.<br />
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Dejected, we took as many photos as we could from the spot and started making our way back downhill. We ate super delicious "potato Mo:Mo:" at the Bhatti before resuming our journey downhill.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96p73wRtHY_o57LLv3pucvPgi_KYmExR6eEHO-DWnhsEb9DtdmnMXhG0gCF11ccf8soQDHiajWIBvekpCbIYrlPANcnDiEiIfjDJGZlZMTbxNcHTmEiTjhz2scfI9VKsRfaboJS-4XMoA/s1600/Momo_Manaslu_Basecamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96p73wRtHY_o57LLv3pucvPgi_KYmExR6eEHO-DWnhsEb9DtdmnMXhG0gCF11ccf8soQDHiajWIBvekpCbIYrlPANcnDiEiIfjDJGZlZMTbxNcHTmEiTjhz2scfI9VKsRfaboJS-4XMoA/s640/Momo_Manaslu_Basecamp.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying Potato Mo:Mo on the way to Manaslu Base Camp. Photo by Govinda Siwakoti</td></tr>
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<br />
After reaching the main trail in about an hour, we made our way towards Samdo. We reached <b>Samdo </b>at 5 pm. Priya and Sunita had booked a hotel already. The hotel was run by a sprightly old man who regaled us with his adventure stories while we waited for our tea. He claimed that he was one of the earliest hoteliers in that village and that too as an outsider. He recalled locals telling him that he was an asinine person to be setting up a hotel in this village alongside this trail which no one visited when he set up his hotel there more than 2 decades ago. "Now, I make the most money around here and the locals want to buy back the land and the hotel from me! Now, who is the foolish one here?", he chuckled. "I have a 17-roomed house in Kathmandu", he boasted.<br />
<br />
Then, Govinda made the mistake of asking a 'wrong' question to the man. "Baje, how long will it take us to cross the pass tomorrow?" he asked. The man stared at him before retorting, "Are you someone who hasn't even passed SLC exams?"<br />
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Govinda was puzzled. So was everyone else. The old man broke the pin-drop silence. "A person who is educated would not ask such a question. Is that even a question to ask? It may take me 9 hours. It may take you 12 hours. You just walk. You don't worry about whether it can be done."<br />
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By this point, the rest of us were doubling over with laughter and making fun of Govinda who was annoyed like hell but could not help himself from chuckling. Throughout the rest of the evening, we taunted Govinda asking him if he had passed SLC or not. The dinner was delicious enough. We informed the old man that we would be leaving at 3 am in the morning and requested him to prepare Champa for us before we leave. He readily agreed and we went to our beds after setting up at least half a dozen alarms.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 8: Samdo - Larke Bazaar - Dharmasala - Larke Pass - Phedi (15 hours)</b><br />
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<b><i>(Note to readers: It is not recommended to cross Larke Pass in one day directly from Samdo unless you know what you are doing. You run the risk of getting altitude sickness. If you feel unwell at any point in time - nausea, vomit, headache, the difficulty of breathing, etc. then you should stop your journey and come down to a lower altitude. Usually, people stop at Dharmasala for a night before crossing Larke Pass.)</i> </b><br />
<br />
It was the day we were going to cross the Larke Pass, the toughest day as well as the most interesting day of the trek. Trekkers usually stay the night at Dharmashala and cross the pass the next morning. We were, however, in a precarious situation. We would be reaching Dharmashala too early with nothing to do for the rest of the day but too late to cross the Larke Pass. So we decided to leave early in the morning, too early in fact, at 3 am. We managed to wake up at 2 am and get dressed and fed by 3 am. This way, we would reach Dharmashala latest by 9 am and would have reached there early enough to cross the pass the same day.<br />
<br />
So we turned on our lights and started the journey at 3 am. We walked for about 30 minutes to reach <b>Larke Bazaar</b> which has just one hotel. Walking in the dark was not that interesting. At one point, a yak scared the hell out of me when I just saw a pair of shining eyes in the distance. I was eager to see the sunrise over the Himalayas though. At around 5:30 am, two and a half hours after we started walking, the rays of the sun started peeking over the Himalayas. We could see the sky turn yellowish in the distance and the mountains turn golden. It was such a majestic view! I sat down for a while and savored the moment. Moments like this make all the troubles of a trek worthwhile.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWpbtg1hX3-tvnOI0bTo_l_zFwkmXR9Z3UKkUDks91g0SfUHZAyCYaD9hTa-cwXA5fH4m2mEvcFPEFfdvL4cf_KFH8KfeldlodO6fwDLNZPbrGya8Wh7Ls8PB1nVNcZaJcyTPXaVwWpnPG/s1600/Dharmasala_Manaslu_Circuit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWpbtg1hX3-tvnOI0bTo_l_zFwkmXR9Z3UKkUDks91g0SfUHZAyCYaD9hTa-cwXA5fH4m2mEvcFPEFfdvL4cf_KFH8KfeldlodO6fwDLNZPbrGya8Wh7Ls8PB1nVNcZaJcyTPXaVwWpnPG/s640/Dharmasala_Manaslu_Circuit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dharmasala, the last stop before Larke Pass ascent. Photo by Govinda Siwakoti</td></tr>
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We reached <b>Dharmasala</b> at 6:45 am after almost 4 hours of walk from Samdo. We were about to gain significant altitude (more than 1200 meters) today so as per the suggestion of the locals we kept ourselves hydrated. We drank soup at Dharamshala and refilled our water bottles before resuming our trek. Deciding not to stay a night at Dharmasala was a prudent decision from our side because the accommodation was very basic and both food and accommodation seemed too expensive.<br />
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From Dharmashala the trail climbed quickly. The view of the mountains surrounding us was getting even more majestic. We took several photos with the mountains in the background.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVDjxkoFmHDEdGTOQa_VuLbdRzr8f85BbYLFOsrV2_BWgw6Sw0uAgaYI97vYoqxo4GipyMLyDBTC_6cTAm7FFLLEGV1Cvrr9fhO0vPrhrKaqm8dQ7e5ErZtbLhGiA8bdQrMIq2ad1ePSO-/s1600/Beginning+the+ascent+of+Larke+Pass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVDjxkoFmHDEdGTOQa_VuLbdRzr8f85BbYLFOsrV2_BWgw6Sw0uAgaYI97vYoqxo4GipyMLyDBTC_6cTAm7FFLLEGV1Cvrr9fhO0vPrhrKaqm8dQ7e5ErZtbLhGiA8bdQrMIq2ad1ePSO-/s640/Beginning+the+ascent+of+Larke+Pass.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beginning the ascent of Larke Pass. Photo by: Govinda Siwakoti</td></tr>
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At 9:55 am, I came across an <b>extremely beautiful lake</b>. The lake looked very blue as if someone had poured gallons of kerosene into it. It looked so serene, pristine, and ethereal. I put down my bag and sat beside the lake looking at it, totally captivated. I waited for the team members to arrive so that I could take at least some photos by the lake. The locals later told us that the lake does not have a definite name. Some call it Larke Lake whereas some call it Mattitel Pokhari meaning the kerosene lake. After a few minutes, Nikunja and Priya arrived. We took at least a dozen photos each. Slowly the other two couples also arrived. I left them at the lake to continue my journey ahead.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEh7KkIjpxuUgDfHahUq4v5Yox2NIuWzx4bbsvbJsbajr3NRBEjICiZ8Zaf51-sPpPPJmNmJoSv49tTVb_nK8UD_AjdpELl_yVR5kerVK_uYSpQZz1AF_3VKr0MDt77dqzfScGCsIeBxn/s1600/Larke+Pokhari+aka+Mattitel+Pokhari.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEh7KkIjpxuUgDfHahUq4v5Yox2NIuWzx4bbsvbJsbajr3NRBEjICiZ8Zaf51-sPpPPJmNmJoSv49tTVb_nK8UD_AjdpELl_yVR5kerVK_uYSpQZz1AF_3VKr0MDt77dqzfScGCsIeBxn/s640/Larke+Pokhari+aka+Mattitel+Pokhari.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Larke Pokhari/Mattitel Pokhari. Photo by Surath Giri</td></tr>
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The trail was not very steep but I was continuously ascending and it was getting harder and harder to get enough oxygen as the altitude was nearing 5,000 meters. The exhaustion and hunger were also catching up by now. Although I had carried a few dry foods with me, I was in no mood to eat. I kept walking. The desolate beauty of the place was mesmerizing. There were heaps of stones washed rough by the snow as far as my eyes could see. It seemed more like a valley than a mountain pass. My body and my lungs were tired almost to the breaking point but my heart my delighted. Once in a while, I would close my eyes and just try to take it all in - the cool breeze, the whisper of the mountain, the desolate quietness of the place, and my racing heart.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2MQE4dH9hpFAJREu-uomK8JN_PLEA-WetdGg49bhhhB6AnsRrBKSgNU5gcijAJc-c65sAC1r3t5_ykjegYm8T837CLHKilvhpspbnP3b-yGUcBg9QYcJI7d-CCRokrZJr4ZpTnGkWE7EF/s1600/Larke_Pass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2MQE4dH9hpFAJREu-uomK8JN_PLEA-WetdGg49bhhhB6AnsRrBKSgNU5gcijAJc-c65sAC1r3t5_ykjegYm8T837CLHKilvhpspbnP3b-yGUcBg9QYcJI7d-CCRokrZJr4ZpTnGkWE7EF/s640/Larke_Pass.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The desolate beauty of Larke Pass. Photo by Surath Giri</td></tr>
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The false ridges were annoying though. There were several times when I thought I had reached the top only to have my hopes dashed by another soaring ridge ahead. And there were too many of them. But I kept walking. At around noon, the weather began to deteriorate. Dillydallying on a mountain pass is never a good idea. The weather is fickle and it can get inconvenient or even dangerous quickly. I saw rain-laden clouds headed my way. Therefore, I gathered my willpower and quickened my pace. My teammates quite far behind and I began to doubt if they could make it to the other side of the pass. I decided to keep going rather than wait for them. That way, I could at least get help if needed.<br />
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Not finding a thick layer of snow as we had expected was another disappointment. As I neared the pass, however, I began to notice remnants of snow under the rocks. It was good enough for me. I found one pristine slab of snow and wrote Kamala's name on it. I was missing her badly. As I finished writing her name and took a picture of it, I was filled with renewed vigor that helped me push further.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTuqlFO2xw-OtexyveQdMMOyR73CrrlRHH-skEA4nVZ10eVcnJ1pWPP-1_CtycJJUjBdqzdlJb7Mkl4RodPUrnTiqhobutkE-mPqxZ303JRVxMzJgpfbr39zet9Z3eJ8DICUWMQEtyDbga/s1600/Surath_at_Larke_Pass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1078" data-original-width="1440" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTuqlFO2xw-OtexyveQdMMOyR73CrrlRHH-skEA4nVZ10eVcnJ1pWPP-1_CtycJJUjBdqzdlJb7Mkl4RodPUrnTiqhobutkE-mPqxZ303JRVxMzJgpfbr39zet9Z3eJ8DICUWMQEtyDbga/s640/Surath_at_Larke_Pass.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I definitely deserved a selfie!</td></tr>
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It was 1:43 pm when I reached the top. <b>Larke Pass</b>, finally!! I was euphoric. I had been walking for almost 11 hours now and I was completely drained. I took a few selfies as I was alone. I rested for a while and waited for my teammates but they were quite far behind were unlikely to get there for at least another hour. The rain-laden clouds and what seemed like a snowstorm was quickly engulfing the surrounding. Therefore, I squeezed out all the remaining energy I had left and began the descent. I was to reach a human settlement and then come back to get my teammates if need be.<br />
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The descent was equally tiring though. The way the ascent tested my lungs and my muscles to the breaking point, the descent was testing the strength of my knees. I was also worried about my teammates. Therefore, I asked every person coming from behind me if they had noticed my friends and where they had seen them last. Most of them told that they were very far behind making me worried further. I finally breathed a sigh of relief when one mule shepherd said that all of my teammates had reached the top and were now descending. That meant I did not need to worry about them getting altitude sickness or being unable to ascend. Now they could come down by any means necessary. I descended for almost two hours to reach the bottom of the hill. I was now in Manag district, finally! The journey was far from over though. I walked for another one and a half hours (totally downhill) and reached a small settlement of two households called <b>Phedi</b>. There I drank tea and waited for my teammates. I was hoping to walk more and reach another settlement called Bhimthang but my teammates were nowhere to be seen yet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRtR3LdXw7a6Bon1yD-ObkJQvnJshyZpIoiU7JAOjMceoEcKSkaGGZrtC05T2W0kV0KjSwLAgEw12yguxxsWFND2hZ1fh24fGf86F8w1Q3GlUn5RUsD-8R13lP4pFsbLjIiq6bQF2FVc9H/s1600/Mountains_galore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRtR3LdXw7a6Bon1yD-ObkJQvnJshyZpIoiU7JAOjMceoEcKSkaGGZrtC05T2W0kV0KjSwLAgEw12yguxxsWFND2hZ1fh24fGf86F8w1Q3GlUn5RUsD-8R13lP4pFsbLjIiq6bQF2FVc9H/s640/Mountains_galore.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountains Galore. Photo by Surath Giri</td></tr>
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I waited for almost an hour and then decided to go back for them. I was worried that some of them might have been injured. But as I was about to leave Nikunja and Priya appeared on the distance. They look ravaged and debilitated. I told them to rest and went out for the rest. Govinda and Rasila arrived sometime later. They were also as exhausted. Then after sometime Bhimsen and Sunita arrived. They told me that Bhimsen had bouts of nausea and vomiting and was exhausted. So I carried their bags and we slowly walked toward the hotel. It was already dark by now and everyone was on the brink of their patience. Therefore, we decided to call it a day and stay the night there. We hurriedly ate our dinner and went to bed. One good thing that came out of the arduous day was that Sunita who had been unable to fall asleep past several nights managed to get a good night's sleep.<br />
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<b>Day 9: Phedi - Bhimthang - Habu- Chauli Kharka - Surki - Gowa - Tilche - Dharapani (11 hours)</b><br />
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On the ninth day of the trek, all of us woke up around 6 am. In fact, Govinda and I woke up at around 5 am and started discussing our next trek- where should we go, when should we go, etc. Our discussion woke up the others as well, especially the girls in the next room. Nikunja and Bhimsen, it would have taken a blast to wake them up from their slumber. But by 6 am, everyone was awake and ready to move. We ate rotis and jam for breakfast and started our journey at 6:20 am. The hotel owner told us that Ponker Lake is nearby if we wanted to visit. We decided to skip it because we were short on time and we had seen too many lakes already.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSLZxTNcD3gXHyCa9pIA-E7ClmRUXbT0WCccNolwRfE5CmGbQ3w75guQiz1zvaVIvAbY534dTZ-NOv2UGVuxyrbEEk3_yz40Ixh0LVF3bVglTp4vOg8eRUWs6DwQaTyI8j2zGXPeBoRDy/s1600/Bhimthang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="938" data-original-width="1600" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSLZxTNcD3gXHyCa9pIA-E7ClmRUXbT0WCccNolwRfE5CmGbQ3w75guQiz1zvaVIvAbY534dTZ-NOv2UGVuxyrbEEk3_yz40Ixh0LVF3bVglTp4vOg8eRUWs6DwQaTyI8j2zGXPeBoRDy/s640/Bhimthang.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bhimthang. Photo by Surath Giri</td></tr>
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Full of energy, we strode downhill for one and a half hours to reach <b>Bhimthang</b> which in our view was the most beautiful village in the whole of Manaslu circuit. It reminds you of the song <i>"Himalko kakhma chha sano mero gaun..."</i>. Nestled in the foothills of the Manaslu and other mountains, Bhimthang looks like something out of a fairy tale book. Little houses with blue tin roofs are gathered around in a small valley and a small rivulet flows beside the village. Exactly like what we used to draw in our childhood. I never thought there would actually be a village like this. Moreover, we saw it in the morning as the sun rays were turning the mountain peaks golden and the chimneys of these little houses were spewing light blue smoke. What a sight it was! It prompted us to take another dozen or so photographs.<br />
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Although the major attraction of the journey, the Larke Pass was behind us, the trail was enjoyable nonetheless. A different landscape and a different kind of vegetation made the journey equally rewarding. At 9 am, we reached <b>Habu</b> where there is nothing! I wonder why they bothered to give this place a name. I could not find anything remarkable nor a settlement in this place.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGIY-j8X41rpuI8KsJkIpw6bLrFjrH5maOJAQC-ogJeHFesXtLsmoUErvbkaVoNWEYlJJOgw2FhTNgU9-_4r1AXDMUDzhHa3R5_m0QcdLGV97-XA9umQ_caPF-ZG6LQ6a2M2782VSAckr/s1600/View_from_Habu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGIY-j8X41rpuI8KsJkIpw6bLrFjrH5maOJAQC-ogJeHFesXtLsmoUErvbkaVoNWEYlJJOgw2FhTNgU9-_4r1AXDMUDzhHa3R5_m0QcdLGV97-XA9umQ_caPF-ZG6LQ6a2M2782VSAckr/s640/View_from_Habu.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Habu. Photo by Govinda Siwakoti</td></tr>
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Anyway, we walked for another hour and a half to reach <b>Chauli Kharka</b>, a small settlement where we had our lunch with the hottest chilies of the trip. After lunch, we walked for about one hour and fifteen minutes to reach <b>Surki</b> and two hours more from there to reach <b>Gowa. </b>Yes, Nepal also has Gowa which may not have beaches but is equally breathtaking. From Gowa, it took us about two hours to reach <b>Tilche</b>, one of the relatively larger settlements there. We were finally able to get back the network and with that wifi access as well. We wanted to reach Besi Sahar that day if possible. So we inquired with some people at Tilche. They said that we might have a chance of getting a vehicle that would take us to Besi Sahar from Dharapani but it was quite slim as it was already 5 pm and we were still at least one hour's walk away from Dharapani. One guy made a phone call to his friend at Dharapani asked him to keep seats reserved for us and then told us to hurry.<br />
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So we gathered our remaining energy and shot towards Dharapani. Alas, it was 6:30 pm but the time we (I, Sunita, Bhimsen) reached Dharapani. There were no vehicles left and four of our teammates were still behind. Therefore, we decided to stay the night at Dharapani. The hotel owner was really nice to us. When I mentioned that a few years back, I had eater a very delicious bamboo pickle in this route, he searched for and brought us some bamboo pickle.<br />
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At the hotel, we met a guy whose exploit we found very hard to believe. A thin and emaciated looking guy told us that he had come to Dharapani that day from Samdo. "What was he? A marathon runner?" I thought to myself. He had walked as much in a day, in fact, less than a day, as we had in two days. Even the guides and porters were incredulous. He then explained to us that he is a policeman and he had been assigned to go to Manaslu Base Camp to check on the Polish lady who had died due to altitude sickness. I wished I had his stamina and strength. I would complete trekking trails in half the usual time taken.<br />
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At the hotel, a guide/entrepreneur offered to book a vehicle for us. His vehicle was supposed to return to Besi Sahar with some of the mountaineering equipment but all the equipment had not arrived. So he offered us to use that vehicle which we readily accepted.<br />
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<b>Day 10: Dharapani - Besisahar - Kathmandu (By bus)</b><br />
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On the final day of our journey, we took the jeep from Dharapani to Besisahar. There was a landslide on the way and therefore we had to change vehicles. The arrangement had been made beforehand. In about four hours, i.e. at around noon, we reached <b>Besisahar</b>. From there the group split. Bhimsen and Sunita boarded a bus to Pokhara whereas Nikunja and Priya accompanied us until Muglin and parted ways toward Jhapa. Govinda, Rasila, and I headed towards Kathmandu. I was jubilated to go back home and was looking forward to a wonderful Dashain celebration. Conquering Manaslu Circuit was not a small feat and I definitely deserved to treat myself.<br />
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At the end of the trek, I was overjoyed to have done the trek and was thinking to myself: well, I guess that's it, that's all the trekking for this year! </div>
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Turns out, it was not the only trek I would be doing this year! But that's another story!</div>
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<b>Some Useful Information:</b><br />
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Total Cost of the Trek: Rs. 12000 per person<br />
Total Days Taken: 10 Days<br />
Need to Carry Tents? No<br />
Need to Carry Sleeping Bags? No (unless you are finicky about where you sleep)<br />
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<b>Things to Carry:</b><br />
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1. Warm clothes (2-3 pairs and a jacket)</div>
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2. Comfortable and sturdy trekking shoes<br />
3. Raincoat/umbrella<br />
4. TorchLight (Of good quality) + a few lighters + headlight (can be purchased in Thamel)<br />
5. First aid (basic medicines) plus if you have any medical condition-specific medicines<br />
6. Sleeping Bag (Optional)<br />
7. A DSLR with lots of batteries<br />
8. A Swiss knife (Optional)<br />
9. A map (Can be purchased in Thamel)<br />
10. Walking stick ( Optional)<br />
11. 4-5 pairs of socks ( the more the better)<br />
12. Water bottle +Sun-cream +sunglasses + Toiletries like tooth-brush, paste, soaps, shampoos<br />
13. Watch (To keep track of time in absence of cellphone)</div>
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14. A woolen cap</div>
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Surath Girihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227559674369495788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025137708550709075.post-15097907562008283002019-07-02T23:33:00.003+05:302019-07-02T23:34:53.171+05:30Entrepreneurship and Emotional Resilience in Nepal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>By Surath Giri & Saurabh Shah</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1FVkZoO7G3sMKu-Qq4gkXfPj5OwkYKpeqEGJbWNEEE8U-O-pQrQtuqdmshSpjH0dEaNfHEgkdBitvze9RAT_TYxZlWUzGCkg0jCFw0CJfLjZKF2djn_GZ2sNOa4_EcrvHABGwg7-bBNS2/s1600/emotional_resilience_entrepreneurship.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1115" data-original-width="1600" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1FVkZoO7G3sMKu-Qq4gkXfPj5OwkYKpeqEGJbWNEEE8U-O-pQrQtuqdmshSpjH0dEaNfHEgkdBitvze9RAT_TYxZlWUzGCkg0jCFw0CJfLjZKF2djn_GZ2sNOa4_EcrvHABGwg7-bBNS2/s640/emotional_resilience_entrepreneurship.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Entrepreneurship and innovation have become the agenda of the world. The rapid development in information and communication technology has not only reduced the traditional barriers to starting a business and therefore, enabling even people with lack of huge capital and resources to venture out, but also helped create hubs and communities around the idea of entrepreneurship. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, an estimated 582 million people, around eight percent of the global population, are engaged in entrepreneurship. Nepal has not remained an exception. Entrepreneurship which until a decade ago was seen as a vocation of a selected few is now becoming a popular career choice and noble aspiration among youth and young graduates. Entrepreneurship is being seen as a solution to our economic underdevelopment and high rates of unemployment.<br />
<b><br />Untold stories</b><br />
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Entrepreneurship, however, is not just glitter and gold. When people hear the word ‘entrepreneur’, they usually think about confident risk takers who innovate their way out of problems to success. Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and our very own Binod Chaudhary are some whose stories may inspire us. What the current narrative leaves out is the mental health cost that entrepreneurs pay. Like every other overhyped issue, the gap between the popular image and the stark reality in entrepreneurship is huge. Contrary to the popular portrayal of the entrepreneurial journey as a journey full of wealth, resources, fame, and extravagance, it has its fair share of struggles, sleepless nights, anxieties, ruins, and devastations. But these aspects are rarely highlighted in discussions of entrepreneurship. There is no shortage of setbacks an aspiring entrepreneur can run into. This is more so in case of Nepal where the entrepreneurial ecosystem is at its nascent stage, the negative perception toward entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship is yet to change, the political situation and the regulatory environment is precluding. Combination of this presents a unique set of challenges that could baffle and discourage even the most seasoned entrepreneurs. Most entrepreneurs in Nepal are struggling to survive and scaling up and building a world-class business is a far cry for many of them. <br />
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This had led to a surge in a mental health crisis in the entrepreneurial community. According to a study by the University of San Francisco researcher Michael A Freeman, approximately one half (49 percent) of entrepreneurs suffer from at least one form of mental health condition during their lifetimes. As per the study, entrepreneurs are twice as likely to suffer from depression, six times more likely to suffer from attention-deficit /hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), ten times more likely to suffer from bipolar disorder, and twice as likely to have suicidal thoughts. Although concrete studies are yet to be carried out, one could argue that the condition is as bad, if not worse, in the context of Nepal where challenges to success are far more than in the developed economies.<br />
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<b>What we found </b><br />
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A few weeks back, when <a href="http://www.ktmshapers.org/">Global Shapers Kathmandu Hub</a>, an initiative of the World Economic Forum, in partnership with <a href="http://nepalleadershipacademy.org/">Nepal Leadership Academy</a>, a signature component of the Daayitwa Abhiyaan that aims to inculcate mindset and behavior change through the understanding and exercise of adaptive leadership, facilitated a meeting of early-stage entrepreneurs to discuss the wellbeing of entrepreneurs and the importance of emotional resilience, young Nepali entrepreneurs expressed a plethora of challenges affecting not only their businesses but also their mental wellbeing. <br />
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From making their parents understand the rationale behind their choosing entrepreneurship as a career to navigating the regulatory hurdles, most entrepreneurs seemed to have faced it all. Almost all of them expressed their challenges of keeping their business afloat and having their bills and employees’ salaries paid in an uncertain environment like that of Nepal. Many of the entrepreneurs also expressed that their entrepreneurial endeavor has consumed them and the status of their enterprises played a vital role in determining their state of mental wellbeing. <br />
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Many women entrepreneurs also faced additional challenges like having to take care of the family as well as their enterprises. Several of them said that their leadership and ability to succeed were doubted by the older generation, especially the men. The predicament of many entrepreneurs has been made more precarious by the fact that failure is highly stigmatized in our society. Nepali society abhors failure as much as it deifies success. Many Nepali entrepreneurs, therefore, feel compelled to succeed at any cost or risk being ostracized for being a failure. The legal and regulatory environment of Nepal also exacerbates this predicament as the entrepreneur who has failed is required to go their myriads of hoops to restart her entrepreneurial endeavors. Additionally, poor intellectual property protection, lack of enforcement of contracts, ineffective protection of domestic industries and unavailability of adequate human resources were the other issues that added to stress for the Nepali entrepreneurs.<br />
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The internal struggles faced by entrepreneurs and the mental crisis they go through has neither been acknowledged nor addressed in Nepal. There is a dire need for the entrepreneurs to be more open about the challenges they face and the internal struggles they go through. There is a need for Nepali entrepreneurs to think of their identities and roles beyond their enterprises. Most of all, there is a need to create a platform where entrepreneurs can help each other become emotionally resilient in their entrepreneurial journey. Only with a resilient state of mind can entrepreneurs succeed, especially in a challenging environment like that of Nepal.<br />
<i><br />The authors are associated with the Global Shapers Kathmandu Hub, an initiative of the World Economic Forum</i></div>
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<b>(Originally published as "Scaling up entrepreneurship" in <a href="https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/68121/">Republica national daily on 26 June 2019.</a>)</b><i> </i></div>
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Surath Girihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227559674369495788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025137708550709075.post-49365962176885239512019-04-07T13:39:00.005+05:302023-05-22T03:34:17.638+05:30Numbur Cheese Circuit Trek : My most adventurous trek! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I might have a hard time answering if someone asks me which my best trek is so far. But if someone asks me what my most adventurous trek so far is, I will not have to think twice.<br />
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After having trekked a very popular and crowded trekking route the year before, in 2014 I was yearning for a more unknown and pristine trekking route. After a few Google searches, I stumbled upon Numbur Cheese Circuit, a newly opened trekking route. This relatively unheard of trekking route offered beautiful ponds at over 4000 meters of altitude, days of complete wilderness, exquisite views, a mountain pass of almost 5,000 meters high, and extreme proximity to the Numbur Himal. Needless to say, I was immediately hooked.<br />
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Impressed by my tales of travel adventures, my Sri Lankan friend Dhananath Fernando had also asked to join me on this year's trek. I was super excited at the prospect of having my foreign friend with me on my trek but I was also worried that this would be too tough a trek for a first timer.</div>
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"What the highest altitude you have been to, Dhana?", I asked with anticipation.</div>
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"I don't know. Maybe 2,400 meters", he replied. My heart sank. We would be reaching as high as 4,880 meters. I wondered if he would be able to make it and what I would do if he didn't. But days passed in the blink of an eye in the feverish excitement and the day for the commencement of the trek was in front of us. On 21st September, the day before the trek, all five of us (I, Govinda, Dhananath, Manish, & Anil) were discussing our final preparations when Ranjit happened to drop by our office. He was sad that he came to know of the trek at that moment only and was going to miss it.<br />
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"You're welcome to join us but we have already purchased our tickets and I don't think you can get a ticket at this last hour, especially since it's Dashain and people are queuing for days to get bus tickets," I said.<br />
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"So if I manage the tickets, I can join you guys, right?", Ranjit inquired.<br />
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"Why not?"<br />
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<b>Day 1: Kathmandu to Shivalaya (By Bus - 12 hours)</b><br />
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Ranjit failed to show up. So, the rest five of us boarded the bus for Shivalaya and departed at 7 am in the morning. I was excited about this bus ride because we would be passing through Jiri, a place I had always wanted to go but had never managed to because of one thing or the other. People call Jiri the Switzerland of Nepal. I was eager to see if it was true.<br />
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The journey turned out to be too long. It was already past noon when we reached Charikot, the headquarters of Dolakha district. Throughout the journey, Dhana and I talked about many things from the excitement regarding the trek to career plans. I told Dhana about Nepal, its customs and traditions and also mentally prepared him for the tough trek that was ahead of us. The discomfort of the bus seats was compensated by the ethereal scenery outside. The lush green fields on the hills, the meandering rivers of Koshi tributaries, the small traditional homes in the middle of the fields. Time passed sooner than we thought.<br />
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We reached Jiri at around 3 pm. The bus stopped for a refreshment break. I got out of the bus to look around. Oh boy, were they right! Jiri is exquisite. We drank local tea and clicked dozens of photographs. Dhana noted that the hills around us were much higher compared to the hills in Sri Lanka.<br />
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As we were about to board our bus after half an hour to resume our journey. We saw someone familiar. Lo and behold! It was our very own Ranjit. He had managed to get tickets for another bus. He had informed Govinda about it. One more friend in the team, that too a professional photographer. My excitement knew no bounds.<br />
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The road beyond Jiri was horrible though. It was a mud track until Shivalaya itself. The bus moves at a snail's pace and wobbled continuously. I have come to enjoy such wobbly bus journeys though.<br />
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We reached Shivalaya at around 7 pm. We got out of the bus. Ranjit was already there and joined us as we reached. It was already dark but still, we decided to walk for a while and go further before calling it a day. Asking around, we found out that we could reach a village called Kharanitar in about an hour. Staying there, we could have a head start tomorrow. So we decided to move. But we were famished. So, we decided to empty the stock of chowmein a small eatery in Shivalaya. The owner, an old lady, was quite happy to serve us but I wished she wasn't so eager to get rid of her stock of chili powder along with the chowmein. With our mouths burning, we armed ourselves with a bottle of water each and started walking. Despite the darkness, the walk was a pleasant one. We passed through small waterfalls on the way and the moon was shining brightly giving the sleepy villages a serene aura.<br />
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On reaching Kharanitar, we knocked a few doors before we were finally accepted into one. It was not a proper lodge but was good enough to serve our purpose.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by: Mark Jack Johnson (Wikitravel)</td></tr>
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<b>Day 2: Kharanitar to Pani Pakha (3108 meters) </b><br />
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The next morning we woke up to a lovely sight and sound of it raining over the valley. Peering out of the door, I saw the valley looked so beautiful. It was raining heavily and I could see the drenched traditional houses spewing blue smoke from their chimneys. As much as I loved the rain, I wished it would stop soon. Otherwise, our head start would go down the drain. As we finished our traditional breakfast of boiled egg, tea, and bhuteko makai, the rain came to a halt. I peered out once again. Oh my-my, the valley looked even more beautiful. All the houses looked fresh and crisp with mist rising from them.<br />
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At 8 am, we departed. On our way, we bought improvised plastic rain covers for each of us as rain is quite unpredictable in the mountains. We followed a trail alongside a rivulet towards the hills. We crossed paths with lots of school children in their bright sky blue shirts and navy blue pants. Walking for about two hours, we reached the Khahare village. We stopped at the last house of the settlement and inquired to see if we could get food there. An elderly Sherpini (Sherpa lady) welcomed us. She served us Tibetan tea and asked us to wait for an hour as she prepared dal bhat for us. We decided the time would be well-spent fighting with our despicable, blood-sucking enemies and taking a few photographs.<br />
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With the increase in elevation and moistness due to the rain, the menace of leeches had started. They were everywhere. Quite familiar to most of us. But for someone like Dhana who was encountering them for the first time, they were both sources of amusement and panic.<br />
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The food was okay. A bit bland for our taste but that was expected. On Anil's inquiry, Sherpini didi managed to find us local ghee which, in my view, always make the dal bhat better no matter what. Joining us for lunch was Rabin, a 12-year-old kid. Rabin seemed famished probably because of all the running and climbing while shepherding his goats. Wearing shabby clothes with large, protruding dirty fingernails, an unkempt hair, and yellow teeth, Rabin's only saving grace was his bright smile and curious eyes.<br />
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I asked Rabin why was he not going to school. His answer made me incredibly sad and restless. Rabin said he used to go to school but he didn't enjoy classes. So he used to flunk his classes a lot. Tired of this, his parents decided to take him off the school and bestowed him the stewardship of the goats and the buffalo. His uneducated and dark future ahead made my head spin with sadness and helplessness. Sadder is the fact that Rabin is just one of the representatives of hundreds of thousands of school children who drop out midway in this country. All I could do was offer Rabin a gift, a packet of instant noodles.<br />
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After lunch, we started walking uphill. We crossed a trail-bridge, passed a temple on the side of the river, and reached a steep trail that seemed to go almost vertically upwards. We had planned to reach Mane Danda by nightfall but our pace was too slow to even reach Pani Pakha that evening. We were too tired already but the trail kept getting steeper and steeper. It was also raining lightly.<br />
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Moreover, the number of leeches had increased drastically. They were everywhere. I was so tired and out of my breath that I stopped caring. I could see a few of them inching up towards my hand on my walking stick. But all I could do was watch helplessly, hoping they would fall down before reaching my hand. I was too tired to shake them off my walking stick. And the rain was not helping at all. Anil, the energetic was a few meters ahead of us. Govinda and Ranjit were behind him taking pictures and walking slowing but steadily. Manish, Dhana, and I were the laggards who needed to be waited for every 15-20 minutes.<br />
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At times like these, I feel kind of sadistic pleasure. I was tired as hell. Leeches were attacking me here and there. And yet, I somehow tend to enjoy these moments a lot even if not at real time. I always look back at these moments fondly.<br />
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For Dhana, it must have been a shock to have to walk so much with so much load on the back with entertaining the leeches on the very first day. He also did not harbor any penchant for masochistic endeavors. He walked silently at the end of the queue.<br />
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As the day passed on and our energies drained on, our pace became slower. Even Anil was walking at a snail's pace now. The trail seemed to be endless and meandered through the hill. We were so eager to reach our destination. But whenever we took a minute's break and look back at the valley we had left behind, a feeling of pride warmed our heart. We could see the beautiful valley of Kharanitar far away reminding us how far we had come.<br />
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I shouted with joy at around 6 pm when Anil announced that we had reached Pani Pakha, our shelter for the night. What a relief it was.<br />
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At Pani Pakha, we found two sheds on either side of the trail. A woman and her three children along with their cattle were living in one of the sheds. We occupied the other empty shed. The joy of finding the shelter filled us with enough energy to clean out the shed and set up our tents. The roof of the shed was leaky. Therefore, we had to make special arrangements to stop the leak. We set up our tents, drank coffee, ate some biscuits and Satu and promptly went to the bed for a blissful sleep. We were too tired to cook anything or chat with each other.<br />
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<b>Day 3: Pani Pakha (3108 meters) to Mane Danda (39400 meters) to the rock</b><br />
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The next morning I woke up at around 6 am. Definitely not the usual me! But I had slept too early yesterday. Some of our gang's early risers were already up. Anil with his boundless energy needed to be doing something. Therefore, he started preparing coffee for all of us. The remaining team also rose one by one and took turns to complete their daily ablutions.<br />
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Manish and I helped pack the tents. I teased Dhana if he still wanted to keep going. He laughed and said he was totally ready to keep going. We ate our breakfast of coffee and Satu along with some army biscuits and at around 8, we left Pani Pakha with the aim of reaching Panch Pokhari by the nightfall.<br />
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Before we go further, let me tell you how I had prepared the schedule for this trek. Well, it's the way I usually do. Search for a normal, "tourist" itinerary for a route and then divide it by half. That is, allocate one day for two days of "tourist" itinerary. So far it has worked very well for us. Normally, tourists either walk too slow or walk for just a few hours and call it a day. So, we Nepalese can easily cover two days of their itinerary in one day.<br />
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While preparing this trek itinerary too, I divided the itinerary given in tourist maps by two. But turns out, the itinerary provided by the maps were greatly underestimated. This route being a newly opened route, the map makers must not have enough data to prepare the itineraries. So they must have asked the locals. The locals, as we all know, run through these easily even when they are walking. So they must have told their timings. The mapmakers must have doubled the times to adjust for the tourists. But, it turned out they should have multiplied the timings at least three-fold.<br />
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As a result of this miscalculation, we reached Mane Danda by 4 pm only although as per our schedule we were supposed to reach there by 1 pm. The trail was too steep and it rained the whole day causing us to walk very slowly. When we reached the shelter at Mane Danda, a desolate hilltop with just two small sheds and big rocks, at 4 pm, we were in dilemma. Should we call it a day (and lose a day in our schedule) or keep going (risking our prospects of finding a proper shelter and increasing the risk of getting lost in the middle of nowhere)?<br />
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The adventurous spirits we were, we unanimously chose to keep going. We wanted to reach Panch Pokhari anyhow that day. We thought that the daylight would light for at least another 2 hours. Then we could use torch lights and walk for another 2-3 hours and reach Panch Pokhari.<br />
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The trail descended for a while and then started going uphill. We walked for another two hours. The drizzle grew into a downpour but we kept walking. Soon the darkness descended upon us. We turned on our torch lights and kept walking. With the heavy rain and pitch darkness, our pace was reduced to almost a crawl.<br />
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But the trail showed no sign of ending and Panch Pokhari was nowhere to be seen. We started getting worried now. We were soaking wet in heavy rain with occasional lightning and we had no shelter and no idea how far it was. We had already left the last human settlement and we knew there would no further human settlement for at least another 3 days. I, personally, was scared, very scared. How are we going to survive this heavy rain, lightning, cold and wild animals?, I wondered. Rest of the team was also exhausted, scared and worried. There was hardly a single piece of dry cloth on our bodies or our bags despite using umbrellas and raincoats. And we were using the last drops of our energies to take a step forward.<br />
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I was worried about Dhana the most. This was one of the most arduous hikes for me till date. I wondered how Dhana, who was in the mountains for the first time, was taking it. He must be tired like hell. But being the wonderful person Dhana is, he did not show his tiredness or any bitterness. Instead, to my pleasant surprise, he began cheering us! "Come on guys! Move! Move!", he shouted at regular intervals. Everyone laughed on hearing his cheering and took a few more steps. A while later, the rest of us also joined him in the chorus.<br />
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But the trail seemed to never end. We were drenched and exhausted. Our torch lights were about to give up. If our torch lights failed, we could neither move ahead nor go back. We would be at the mercy of the endless rain and the cold night.<br />
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All of a sudden, Anil shouted that we have found a huge rock. It was large enough to provide shelter from the rain. If we could sit under it, we would be safe from the rain. But the rock was not large enough for us to sit comfortably. So all the six of us squatted under the rock and tried to find a piece of dry cloth and wrap ourselves with to stop the cold and shivering. After settling down, we sat there and waited for the night to pass, for the rain to stop, for the wind to stop, for the dawn to come sooner. We sat very close together to warm up our bodies and stop our hands and feet from freezing with partial success. We had a portable stove and some coffee but no one was willing to come out of whatever little warmth they had. After much cajoling, finally, Ranjit relented and prepared coffee. We collected the rain dripping from the rock for the water to prepare coffee with. We drank coffee as if we were drinking juice and waited for the dawn. I think that was the most delicious coffee I had till date.<br />
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We were so exhausted that we managed to catch some sleep even in that setting. I slept for an hour or so. Rest of the time, we made jokes and planned for the rest of the trek to spend the time. At around 4 am, the dawn began breaking and the rays of sun peeped from the mountain tops. The starry sky, the rays of sun peeping from the silhouette of the majestic mountain. What an ethereal sight it was! One of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. All the last night's trouble was totally worth it.<br />
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<b>Day 4: The Rock to Panch Pokhari (4607 meters)</b><br />
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The next day arrived with relief for us. The sun shone brightly and the sky was clear. No more walking in the drizzle. We got up and looked around. The rock we had slept under was pretty much the only big enough rock to shelter 6 people and we were lucky to have found it. I looked around to see what kind of trail we had been walking on. Oh, my-my, what a pretty sight it was. The slopes were full of colorful vegetation with different kinds of flowers and shrubs. So we were basically walking in paradise. All the tiredness, all the fatigue disappeared. We made one more round of coffee, ate some more satu and started preparing for another day of adventure.<br />
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But the another of adventure was not for every one of us. Anil had caught a fever and yesterday's arduous journey was too much for him. He said he did not want to go further and instead wanted to return home. Every one of us was shocked and sad to hear this. We did not want Anil to go back. We asked Anil to reconsider his decision but he had made up his mind. So we said our goodbyes and parted our ways.<br />
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The five of us continued our journey uphill. The sight was too beautiful to ignore. We took dozens of photographs. After walking for half an hour, we reached an extremely beautiful, picturesque place. And lo and behold, we could also see a lake in the distance. If only Anil had come with us for 30 minutes more, I lamented.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by: Mark Jack Johnson (Wikivoyage)</td></tr>
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But the place was too picturesque to be sad and mournful. I had to climb up a few rocks and pose for a dozen or so photographs. Ranjit and Govinda, being the true photographers they were, were only too happy to take lots of pictures for us. I was happy to see Dhana as jovial and energetic as always. Good for him, I thought.<br />
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Walking for an hour more, we reached Jata Pokhari. What a pristine lake it was! Its calm and serene waters seemed to have been formed just a moment before and the lake seemed to never have been touched by any human. I jumped with joy and roamed around the briskly. What a wonderful sight it was.<br />
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After we had enough of Jata Pokhari, we resumed our trek to Panch Pokhari which was just beyond a tall cliff nearby but the steep trail took us about two hours to traverse.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCdputz3BrfF6Yd-It2smgQ3OZnu5cWpdpWKHmTTRbyFTQMXYj7NMW_Fl4XrfoaXZenLx_lmXwBTqwv0hzQSbk1Sv7dlNMuEdx97YBqy9j_kS69fQP3rbTAEQG7eBslsy8UAYira42qRf/s1600/Panch_Pokhari_Ramechhap.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCdputz3BrfF6Yd-It2smgQ3OZnu5cWpdpWKHmTTRbyFTQMXYj7NMW_Fl4XrfoaXZenLx_lmXwBTqwv0hzQSbk1Sv7dlNMuEdx97YBqy9j_kS69fQP3rbTAEQG7eBslsy8UAYira42qRf/s640/Panch_Pokhari_Ramechhap.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Laying my eyes on Panch Pokhari for the first time was like a dream. Perhaps also because I was sleep deprived. It looked so serene and looked like a saint contemplating life. A mist was rising from the lake and only half of the ponds were visible because of the mist. I threw down my bag and my walking stick and just sat there to savor the beauty and serenity of the ponds. I told the guys that we were going to rest for a while before walking to the other side of the lake where we would be setting up our tents for the night.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbf2pmjFvpjzEbC_sfbbgnFbCm0N3NHthSptrd2tjn6o_zT69ccY0e9TlE5KLNIE_sTX_2BvNFdowCBqAsAwrcBJTEQ2Q55gEql5QI9jOl1HnYfQwub96cDTXUfEdqD-__tI_aS94_lGf/s1600/surath_at_Jata_Pokhari.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbf2pmjFvpjzEbC_sfbbgnFbCm0N3NHthSptrd2tjn6o_zT69ccY0e9TlE5KLNIE_sTX_2BvNFdowCBqAsAwrcBJTEQ2Q55gEql5QI9jOl1HnYfQwub96cDTXUfEdqD-__tI_aS94_lGf/s400/surath_at_Jata_Pokhari.jpg" width="400" /></a>So I just sat there looking at the lake. I do not know when I fell asleep. Imagine sleeping on the grass beside a serene lake with a soft breeze blowing over. Such a blissful sleep it was. It is for moments like this, I yearn to go on treks. When I woke up after about two hours, I noticed that Dhana was also sleeping beside me. Govinda and Ranjit were off searching for a good location to set up our tents and also to click pictures. Manish was also roaming around listening to music. I felt delighted to see everyone enjoying the moment. We decided to try the Sri Lankan alcohol Dhana had brought him. Arrak, it was called. It was quite strong. We all had a peg each.<br />
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After enjoying our time for about three hours beside the lake, we resumed our journey. Govinda and Ranjit informed us that they had found a perfect place for setting up our tents. Under their guidance, we walked up to the ridge of the hill overlooking the ponds and set up our tents there. It was indeed a perfect spot. We could see the Numbur mountain on one side and the ponds on the other.<br />
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We set up the two tents side by side beside a large rock taking shelter from the wind. Govinda and Ranjit slept on one and Dhana, Manish, and I slept on the another. We were too tired to cook anything, even coffee. So we just drank water and ate some chocolates and biscuits and went to sleep. We were too tired to pass anything between the tents too. So we ate whatever was available in each other's bags. Moreover, with the nightfall, it was getting too cold outside. To have an early start tomorrow and to compensate for last night sleep deprivation, we went to sleep at around 6 pm.<br />
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<b>Day 5: Panch Pokhari (4607 meters) to Tare Kharka (4140 meters)</b><br />
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On the morning of the fifth day, we woke to a pleasant surprise. It has snowed in the night. Our tents were covered with a thin layer of snow. The moisture seemed to have accentuated the color of our tents. They looked beautiful on the backdrop of distant mountains. We hurried to take dozens of photographs before the snow melted.<b> </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdd8jViQxjf8gCLK59bKbtWaXYwVodjUj-N4SZcQU1OwF109Lcc_R2UnW8Xu00bI7sjw6WXavGweAprB2kmxMsBkLL81tK4jjRCQ6byLDa8RmNfDs54XXl8Wvwf-f_y674CjsElAQFZbN-/s1600/Panch_Pokhari_Pass.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdd8jViQxjf8gCLK59bKbtWaXYwVodjUj-N4SZcQU1OwF109Lcc_R2UnW8Xu00bI7sjw6WXavGweAprB2kmxMsBkLL81tK4jjRCQ6byLDa8RmNfDs54XXl8Wvwf-f_y674CjsElAQFZbN-/s640/Panch_Pokhari_Pass.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Then, we also noticed Panch Pokhari down below. It looked different, more beautiful. As the mist had cleared, we could see all the five ponds clearly. We took turns to stand on a rock posing for a photograph overlooking Panch Pokhari. Dhana, Manish, and I could never have enough photographs of ourselves and Govinda and Ranjit were very happy to oblige.<b> </b><br />
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After about an hour of photo sessions, we packed our tents. Ate the same breakfast as the day before and the day before that. Then, we started walking downhill. In just a few minutes after we started walking, the mist expanded and covered the whole trail. Our visibility got constrained to a mere few feet. Additionally, the trail being trodden so little was hard to distinguish. But we kept walking in enjoyment.<br />
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After walking downhill for about 3 hours, we reach a small hut beside a fast flowing river. The hut looked so beautiful. It reminded me of the watercolor box I used to own when I was in kindergarten. It was red in color and had the picture of a girl drawing something sitting beside a small hut beside a river. I used to think that the place was for real and had promised myself to go there when I grew up. I guess it was the day I fulfilled that childhood dream.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVSnUfXnueR_t2RjQp6Z5HwkW8KEAYSpDlc328XBZmvGmyOh7XKjhwKOh2Hh3DDvzHH953BvEaBXVfPBSgk2ElFWMAyXLQLH0uJXkSo1I6jHpCUtmpRUpfP7pOGkD_Ve7FlkFCqkiNXBJb/s1600/beyond_Panch_Pokhari.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVSnUfXnueR_t2RjQp6Z5HwkW8KEAYSpDlc328XBZmvGmyOh7XKjhwKOh2Hh3DDvzHH953BvEaBXVfPBSgk2ElFWMAyXLQLH0uJXkSo1I6jHpCUtmpRUpfP7pOGkD_Ve7FlkFCqkiNXBJb/s400/beyond_Panch_Pokhari.jpg" width="400" /></a>Sitting beside the hut, we ate our lunch. We had some apples, chocolates, beaten rice and dalmoth. Someone had also brought <i>gundruk</i> with them. Oh boy, I love eating gundruk and beaten rice. We had a feast.<br />
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We resumed our journey downhill. The trail and the surroundings were as desolate as ever. Soon we were passing through shrubs as tall as us. We descended further and then continued upstream alongside another river. The river was so fierce that we had to shout to be heard.<br />
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Walking for about two hours we reached a makeshift bridge. The trail seemed to bifurcate at this point. Should we continue straight or cross the bridge? There was no signs or indications at all. And we were days away from any human settlement to ask the locals?<br />
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"What the hell? Is this how the Nepal Tourism Board wants to promote this new route? They can't even put up a simple road sign. And they expect to develop this trail as a tourism destination.", I thought angrily. The tiredness added to my anger. I was livid. Nepal Tourism Board must surely have gobbled up the money allocated for the development of the trail. I blurted out a stream of expletives at Nepal Tourism Board. I rarely swear. This was definitely not me. All of the team members were surprised to see me this livid.<br />
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We discussed for about 15 minutes. We tried to logically determine the right path to take.<br />
"This looks like a makeshift bridge so we should not cross it and go straight ahead instead."<br />
"But why would they make a bridge at this point if we were not supposed to cross it?"<br />
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I was annoyed that we were having to waste our precious time on such frivolous matter. We might have to stay under a rock again, I worried. Finally, we decided that the safest choice would be to continue straight ahead and ignore the bridge.<br />
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So, we continued for another 2-3 hours on the trail along the river. Then, another bridge appeared. But this time, the bridge seemed permanent and the trail passed through it. So, we went along and crossed it. We climbed a hillock. The dusk was upon us and we were super tired by now. We were looking for a plain ground to set up our tent and call it a day.<br />
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As we crossed the hillock, we saw a valley, the kind of valley that is formed by a glacier. And .. there were three small houses there which looked so picturesque. Oh, my-my what a beautiful sight. We had found our destination for the day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRF1D7OyQaTXxWNWWz26ZJrzdEW1IbT5P2xjB87WXarHYL9fIfD0N6UOfPcVjDmqwYHlbOSaP1YAnnqGQW34WiYhGs7wJstX3mW90OBSdhjow_5Gi1-hyhvvttoOXJAZd_Zj76eqYdYTGL/s1600/Paradise_Numbur_Cheese_Circuit_2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRF1D7OyQaTXxWNWWz26ZJrzdEW1IbT5P2xjB87WXarHYL9fIfD0N6UOfPcVjDmqwYHlbOSaP1YAnnqGQW34WiYhGs7wJstX3mW90OBSdhjow_5Gi1-hyhvvttoOXJAZd_Zj76eqYdYTGL/s640/Paradise_Numbur_Cheese_Circuit_2.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
As we walked for another 30 minutes and reached the houses, we noticed that the place was called Tare Kharka and it was our destination for the day as per our schedule. Thankfully, the Nepal Tourism Board has installed a small sign with the name.<br />
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All the houses were empty. Some of them were in disrepair. They were temporary shelters for shepherds when they brought their cattle up here during the summer season. Now, with the start of the autumn season, the shepherds had moved down to their villages with their cattle.<br />
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We looked into each of the houses to find the best one. The one we chose had lots of hay inside. That would make warm and soft beds for us. And beside the house, there was a small creek where we could fetch water from. We set up our tents inside the house over the hay. To make a fire, we collected firewood from around the place. We also took a few pieces of woods from the roof of a house that was in disrepair. Sorry shepherds!!<br />
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So, we made a fire inside the house outside. Govinda and Ranjit set up the tents. We fetched water from the creek. Then, we made coffee, cooked some instant noodles, and enjoyed a feast of coffee, noodles, and fruits. Before going to sleep, I went outside to wash the dishes with Manish. I looked up at the clear night sky. The sky was glittering with millions of stars. The sight was so beautiful that I sat outside for a while looking at the sky. A kind of sadness passed over me. The grandness of the universe and the permanency of its existence compared to mine brought a kind of existential sadness. But then, I was happy that I was alive to see this majestic sight and to be a part of this wonderful universe no matter how insignificant my existence was.<br />
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I went to a blissful sleep trying to savor every bit of the beautiful moment.<br />
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<b>Day 6: Tare Kharka (4140 meters) to Ngeju (3690 meters) via Gyazo-la Pass (4880meters)</b><br />
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On the sixth day also, we woke up to a beautiful sight, although much different than previous days. The small valley of Tare Kharka was covered in the mist. Ranjit started preparing coffee on our small portable stove. I was so glad that he made it to the trek. Govinda was out taking photographs. Dhana was also outside marveling at the pristine natural beauty around him. Meanwhile, Manish and I were still inside our tents coming up with excuses one after another to keep sleeping for a few more minutes. We finally forced ourselves to come out when the coffee was ready.<br />
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We drank our coffee, ate some Satu, and biscuits and packed up our bags to move for the day. We came out of the hut and started on our path. But we had to stop just after a few minutes of walking. The trail was not clear. In fact, one could argue there was no trail at all. We direction should we take, we debated. Should we walk towards the origin of the glacier or take the steep path towards the nearby summit of the hill.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15wN6jGrYKVS2QQaSL254xgsLo3UGLB0V_QZH498JhrlqZgkpEDO_5RPupkLCXiRiSZwPNN5zvV03dbjPhGfLx7y-Bz8Ut2rYB69VZslJRYw8sk-NpV7Z8i_Yet3z7VE9bRuuFoMQeG1k/s1600/Tare_Kharka_to_Gyazo_La_Pass.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="960" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15wN6jGrYKVS2QQaSL254xgsLo3UGLB0V_QZH498JhrlqZgkpEDO_5RPupkLCXiRiSZwPNN5zvV03dbjPhGfLx7y-Bz8Ut2rYB69VZslJRYw8sk-NpV7Z8i_Yet3z7VE9bRuuFoMQeG1k/s640/Tare_Kharka_to_Gyazo_La_Pass.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
My fury which has subsided on finding our shelter yesterday evening returned. I blurted out a snowball of expletives at the Nepal Tourism Board. When they gobble up millions of taxpayers' money, they couldn't put up one single sign indicating the right direction?<br />
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We finally settled on the steep path towards the summit of the hill. We started walking towards the summit. Well, it was more like we were climbing towards the summit. The path grew vaguer every passing minute but we kept pushing on. Soon, we found ourselves climbing over large rocks surrounded by red shrubs that looked like fern plants. The rocks were quite slippery due to mosses on them. At one point, I slipped and fell on the rock abruptly on my butt. Ouch, it was quite painful.<br />
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After climbing this way for about two hours, we were pretty sure that we were lost, we had taken the wrong way. The correct way was towards the origin of the glacier. We couldn't turn back to Tare Kharka. That would waste another two hours jeopardizing our schedule for the day. So we decided to walk along the slope in the correct direction hoping to cross the right trail. We did so after walking for another two hours.<br />
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From the origin of the glacier, we started climbing uphill. The trail here too was barely visible but there were piles of small stones set up by human beings every few feet directing us in the right direction. We slowly climbed up the hill. I was leading the pack, for a change. Probably, the first time in the trek so far.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJ3sQjigsRqjlW5EnZQxhbjtNI8k8kWHYjTG2mp3-aWTZSsTVbvRhP-BehW1czxMntR0YSnKwCSCRSCwW38wmpgmj0GMP0hdoS3y_exJhNRCfJvuJPBgHFC72uZPbN-9LOxAX1R39FaJq/s1600/Numbur_Mountain_Range.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJ3sQjigsRqjlW5EnZQxhbjtNI8k8kWHYjTG2mp3-aWTZSsTVbvRhP-BehW1czxMntR0YSnKwCSCRSCwW38wmpgmj0GMP0hdoS3y_exJhNRCfJvuJPBgHFC72uZPbN-9LOxAX1R39FaJq/s640/Numbur_Mountain_Range.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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A cool breeze was blowing drying away our sweat. The Numbur mountain was growing in size as we came nearer to the pass. At around 2 pm, we reached the Gyazo-la pass, the highest point on the trek. The pass had an amazing view of the Numbur mountain and the adjoining mountain range. There were several cairns on the flat surface at the pass. Once everyone arrived, we sat down on the cairn and rested. I sat on one of the cairns and closed my eyes savoring the moment, the cool breeze, the complete silence except the whispering of the wind. I opened my eyes to see the majestic Numbur mountain in front of me. It seemed so near as if I could extend my hand and touch it. The cool breeze felt as if it had come directly from the Numbur mountain. What an ethereal moment it was.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkILwBSaf7-V64c6q0V4WUWnvZapUu39JAZIhiZE9KU8Q4qDwhSCrH2zs_-AwBljw_VjKRSlL3hS0gy1M0oejyzF2xKfmu8XhyphenhyphentG8SH22wp05aU0z9Io45AYpnaU6crQjx5EOMxQqRKjqb/s1600/Gyazo-la+Pass.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkILwBSaf7-V64c6q0V4WUWnvZapUu39JAZIhiZE9KU8Q4qDwhSCrH2zs_-AwBljw_VjKRSlL3hS0gy1M0oejyzF2xKfmu8XhyphenhyphentG8SH22wp05aU0z9Io45AYpnaU6crQjx5EOMxQqRKjqb/s400/Gyazo-la+Pass.jpg" width="400" /></a>Having conquered the highest point of the journey, I proposed we celebrate it. Everyone jumped with joy and Govinda tried to capture a photograph with all of us on air. Then, I proposed that we eat the most delicious food we had with us, the spicy, dried fish. Who could say no to that? Well, except Manish, of course, who at the time was a strict vegan. You could even call him a vegan evangelist for the fervor with which he advocated for veganism.<br />
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After spending about an hour at the pass, we resumed our journey which now included walking downhill along a green slope. Opposite the slope we could see the rocky mountains, the view was so amazing that I am at loss of words to fully explain what it looked like. The mountain was made up of huge black rocks. On its bottom was what looked like a river of small rocks and stones. It was as if a river of rocks originated from this mountain and flowed down. I guess it's called a moraine. I stood for several minutes trying to capture the view into my memory. It was one of the most unique and majestic sights I had ever seen. Unfortunately, our camera batteries had died. So, I tried my best to capture the image in my memory. I wish we had taken some more batteries.<br />
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As we walked down for another two hours, the darkness began to descend on us. It started raining lightly. We increased our pace. We had to reach Ngeju by nightfall. After descending on a slope continuously, we suddenly reached a plain, sort of a plateau. The place seemed to have houses in the past, we could see the remnants of walls, and piles of firewood. But it was abandoned now. There we saw two trails again- a horizontal one and a vertical one. We chose to go with the vertical one towards the bottom of the hill. It was getting darker very fast so we quickened our pace.<br />
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After descending for another 30 minutes, by when it was completely dark, we took out our torch lights and kept moving. Far across, on a distant mountain, we could see a lake that seemed to be shining. It was like a round piece of glimmering light in the middle of total darkness. A river originated from that lake and was rushing downhill making fierce noise. The image of that lake still haunts me to this day. It's as if that lake is calling me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Uf-5ghUe0Z-fZ3NnCpTMpk9_tXbphRVQEfFd1JsolhetUT3jIPiZDs4_I6yQWVBrJFH1IKKEvKKJpjxTcEgWrS20I36nUFlzvuocOFhzgAgyefQGo3CTitYO_Wb0OCwM9qupI7zTUcrZ/s1600/Paradise_Numbur_Cheese_Circuit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Uf-5ghUe0Z-fZ3NnCpTMpk9_tXbphRVQEfFd1JsolhetUT3jIPiZDs4_I6yQWVBrJFH1IKKEvKKJpjxTcEgWrS20I36nUFlzvuocOFhzgAgyefQGo3CTitYO_Wb0OCwM9qupI7zTUcrZ/s640/Paradise_Numbur_Cheese_Circuit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It was almost eight in the evening when we reached the bottom of the hill to a river bank. According to our map, this was supposed to be Ngeju and there were supposed to be rest houses here. But all we could find was a fierce river and a stony bank. There was not even a plain surface enough to put a tent, let alone a rest house.<br />
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Should we cross the river and go further to see if there is a rest house? We debated. Although Govinda and Ranjit wanted to go and check, the rest of us were too tired to join. So, all of us decided to remove the stones and clear an area enough for two tents and spend the night there. Despite our efforts, we could not find a plain area that could accommodate the two tents. So we set up the tents on the best surface we could find. Well, I ended up sleeping in a tilted position.<br />
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<b>Day 7: Ngeju (3690 meters) to Kyama (2380 meters) via Lahachhewar (2665 meters)</b><br />
On the seventh day, we woke to the melodic sounds of the river. We quickly packed up our tents and started on our way. We wanted to cross the river and find a plain surface and a source of fresh water to perform our daily chores.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63SssM2CZTiyy2Aw8DZljV8C1M1C74e8tshpn774fQJaGu1rhh-4_FmDoYaDHE2cXJpfQK8WMXnOvMt2BC7HxGQHh8F2wggKjmbNe39qL8Fz71JoBzM1L-jEEeZv6VfXbS0uD_KX8KWK8/s1600/Numbur_cheese_circuit_river.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63SssM2CZTiyy2Aw8DZljV8C1M1C74e8tshpn774fQJaGu1rhh-4_FmDoYaDHE2cXJpfQK8WMXnOvMt2BC7HxGQHh8F2wggKjmbNe39qL8Fz71JoBzM1L-jEEeZv6VfXbS0uD_KX8KWK8/s640/Numbur_cheese_circuit_river.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by: vanofbrothers.exposure.co</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We crossed a makeshift bridge of bamboo and wood to get to the other side of the river. After walking for about ten minutes on the other side of the river, we reached...wait for it... a few rest houses. This seemed to be the real Ngeju!<br />
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We laughed at our silliness, rested for a while, drank coffee along with some biscuits and resumed our trek. We wanted to reach Lahachhewar, a beautiful Sherpa village for our lunch. After four days of complete wilderness, we were finally going back to human civilization.<br />
<br />
The trail passed through a deep forest. The fatigue of the past four days must have caught on, I was really tired at this point even though I had just walked for an hour for the day. I walked slowly making an effort to take an additional step. Dhana was equally tired. But the view was amazing. We were descending along with another river.<br />
<br />
After walking for about two hours, in the middle of the forest, we found a small hut. Upon inquiring, we found that a shepherd family was living there. We asked if we could get tea. They were happy to serve us tea. The family was one of the families that lived there during the summer to look after their cattle. The forest provided a good pasture for the cattle during summer. In winter they went to their home in Lahachhewar village. The guy was making chhurpi from yak milk. After nice chitchat over tea and noodles, we bid them goodbye and continued on our journey.<br />
<br />
We reached Lahachhewar at around 1 pm. Well, that's when I reached there. The rest of the team had reached there by noon and had been waiting for me. When I didn't show up almost an hour, they had been thinking of coming back to get me.<br />
<br />
The village of Lahachhewar was incredibly beautiful. Govinda had asked around to find out a house that would cook dal bhat for us. While the food was being cooked, I took a nap. I was too tired. The others asked the host to boil potatoes for us and ate them with the pickle (ground paste of red chilies and salt).<br />
<br />
It was already 3 pm when we were ready to resume our journey. The host suggested to us that perhaps we should spend the night in Lahachhewar. We politely declined the proposal and resumed our trek. For us, who walked until 9 or 10 pm, 3 pm was too early to call it a day.<br />
<br />
We descended the village through the stone trail and walked along the river once again. It was completely dark by the time we reached another village. The villagers had seemed to have gone to sleep already. We asked them if this was Kyama village. They said no. We asked how far it was. They said we had to walk another 30 minutes maybe.<br />
<br />
Turned out we had to walk almost an hour. By the time we reached Kyama, it was almost 8 pm. The village has gone to sleep already. We knocked on the doors of one of the houses to see if they could take us in for the night. The guy was reluctant to host us. But he called a fellow villager and told him that we were looking for a shelter for the night. The other guy said he would host us. Great! There was just one problem- this guy looked drunk and the way he talked and acted we suspected he was mentally challenged.<br />
<br />
Well, we had no choice. Therefore, we started following him. His house seemed to be on the other end of the village. We followed him with skepticism, keeping our distance. I was ahead of the pack.<br />
<br />
After walking for about ten minutes, he abruptly stopped. There were no houses around. My skepticism meter went off the charts. I stopped clutching my walking stick tightly ready to wield it as a weapon if required. My silliness was evident the very next moment when the guy started peeing on the roadside. Relieved and laughing at my silliness, I too took a leak.<br />
<br />
We walked for about another 30 minutes before we left the main trail and entered a narrower trail on the borders of the fields. The path was quite slippery, probably because of the drizzle about an hour earlier. I was walking at the end of the line now. Two of our team members slipped and fell down. I think it was Govinda and Manish. I laughed at them heartily. Dhana and Ranjit also joined me. Then, just a few steps more and I also slipped and fell down. All of them were laughing at me this time.<br />
<br />
Anyway, we reached the guy's house in another 10 minutes. He arranged beds for us. His wife had gone to her parent's house taking along their children, probably for the Dashain holidays. Therefore, he didn't have difficulty arranging beds for all the five of us. We went to bed at around 10 pm. I was so tired that I fell asleep the moment I lied down and closed my eyes.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 8: Kyama (2380 meters) to Shivalaya (1790 meters) via Serding (3360 meters)</b><br />
<br />
We were aiming to reach Shivalaya today. Therefore, during breakfast, we tried to finish whatever food we had left with us. We gave some of the remaining food to the guy. At around 8 am, we started our trek for the day. We walked through the beautiful Kyama village and then through a forest for an hour or so before reaching another village Gumdel.<br />
<b><br /></b> We stopped at one shop to have lunch. We drank a bottle of beer each and resumed our walk. Walking through rural villages was pleasant but nothing compared to the past few days. We stopped and rested for a while at a beautiful monastery in Gumdel village. Then, we followed the trail through a dense forest.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5xnafDQA4eS5tfTEhVcSwhOsW9nOjzLat9JRM_LnJlHjQOClfSE-hCd2fxeT5wXX0McH0FwzbwWMcKUM-q4edzNBhdiKciBSnJlv5zpCbJv51ImyKY8GbD9VXZYzB1sNSwVxg4ffYjw9/s1600/Gumdel_Village.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="1280" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5xnafDQA4eS5tfTEhVcSwhOsW9nOjzLat9JRM_LnJlHjQOClfSE-hCd2fxeT5wXX0McH0FwzbwWMcKUM-q4edzNBhdiKciBSnJlv5zpCbJv51ImyKY8GbD9VXZYzB1sNSwVxg4ffYjw9/s640/Gumdel_Village.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by: Mark Jack Johnson (Wikitravel)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
People we met along the way seemed particularly interested to talk to us. They were curious why we were here and that too, during the greatest festival in the country. We tried our best to keep our answers and interactions short. And for the most part, we succeeded. Then, we met one guy who was so chatty and unavoidable that we had to talk to him for 30 minutes before he let us resume our journey. Most of the people we met were doubtful that we would make to Shivalaya by nightfall. We, however, were determined to reach there anyhow.<br />
<br />
At around 5 pm, we reached a beautiful settlement on the top of a hill called Serding. There was a beautiful green pasture where cattle were grazing. Surrounded by elevated landmass on all sides full of trees, this green pasture seemed like an oasis. There were a few houses with smoke coming out of them. We went to one of them to find out that it was a small eatery. We drank tea, asked how long would it take us to get to Shivalaya and the directions to there and resumed our trek. I missed our camera once again.<br />
<br />
The guys at Serding told us that it would take us around 2.5 hours to reach Shivalaya even if we walked slowly. But pretty soon, night descended on us and it grew quite dark. We were unable to find the trail they had advised us to take. We turned on our torch lights and took whichever path we could discern. As a rule of thumb, we took only the path that led downhill. We were supposed to reach Shivalaya by around 8 pm but it was already 11 pm when we actually reached there. The trek from Serding to Shivalaya was the toughest stretch of the trek for me in my life. There were more than a dozen moments where I felt like giving up and just sitting there whatever happens. But when we reach Shivalaya after walking for five hours, completely exhausted, I knew I could do, I could tolerate more than I thought I could.<br />
<br />
Reaching Shivalaya was a triumph for us. All of us were not only completely exhausted, but our feet were swollen too. We decided to celebrate the triumph. We asked the hotel owner to cook local chicken for us. Oh boy, the food was too delicious and special. Well, except for Manish whom the local chicken didn't make a difference. But he enjoyed the celebration equally. After eating like a starved person, I went to bed and fell asleep immediately. The trek had come to an end and it felt like a triumph more than any treks I had been in the past.<br />
<br />
<b></b> <b>Day 9: Shivalaya (1790 meters) to Kathmandu (1400 meters)</b><br />
<br />
We took an early morning bus to Kathmandu. We slept through most of the way and didn't talk to each other that much as we were exhausted. One thing, however, was bothering me a lot. I was sure that Dhana, once he goes back to his country, would never speak to me again. He has asked me to take him on a trek (a pleasant, easy one I guess) and I seemed to have taken him through an ordeal. I surely lost this friendship I kept thinking.<br />
<br />
We arrived at Kathmandu in the evening. The next day Dhana and I went to Thamel to return the tents and stove we had rented. We didn't talk much except the usual banter. The next day Dhana flew back home whereas I looked forward to resting away my exhaustion and to a wonderful Dashain festival.<br />
<br />
<b>Epilogue</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
About a week after Dhana's departure, I received a message from him. Contrary to my apprehension, he had thoroughly enjoyed the arduous journey and the ordeal. He said he was grateful to me for taking him along in this journey because he not only enjoyed it but also came to know a more persevering side of his personality that he didn't know existed. He said he felt he had personally grown after the trek. He inquired when the next trek will be taking place.<br />
<br />
Well, what more could I ask for!<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<b>Some Useful Information:</b><br />
<br />
Total Cost of the Trek: Rs. 13000 per person<br />
Total Days Taken: 9 Days<br />
Need to Carry Tents? Yes<br />
Need to Carry Sleeping Bags? Yes<br />
<br />
Things to Carry:<br />
<br />
1. Warm clothes (2-3 pairs, a wind cheater is also recommended)<br />
2. Comfortable and sturdy trekking shoes<br />
3. Raincoat/umbrella<br />
4. Torch Light (Of good quality) + a few lighters + head light (can be purchased in thamel)<br />
5. First aid (basic medicines) plus if you have any medical condition specific medicines<br />
6. Sleeping Bag (Optional)<br />
7. A DSLR with lots of batteries<br />
8. A Swiss knife (Optional)<br />
9. A map (Can be purchased in Thamel)<br />
10. Walking stick ( Optional)<br />
11. 4-5 pairs of socks ( the more the better)<br />
12. Water bottle +Sun-cream +sunglasses (optional) + Toiletries like tooth-brush, paste, soaps, shampoos<br />
13. Watch (To keep track of time in absence of cellphone)<br />
<br />
<b>Note: All photos, unless otherwise mentioned, were taken by Govinda Siwakoti.</b><br />
<b> </b></div>
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Surath Girihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227559674369495788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025137708550709075.post-25317409959975593662017-09-29T20:38:00.000+05:302017-09-29T20:51:46.153+05:30How to trek to Shey Phoksundo Lake by land?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Since 2015, I had been planning to go on a trek to Shey Phoksundo, but one thing or the other was preventing me from doing it. This year, I finally managed to go on a trek to Shey Phoksundo Lake. Normally, the trekkers fly up to Juphal airport from Nepalgunj and start the trek. I, however, didn't want to fly. I wanted to reach Shey Phoksundo Lake by land. But the information was hard to come by since the majority of the people take the flight option. Therefore, I did some research, asked local people of Dolpa and the neighboring districts for information and figure out a more rewarding route to the lake. I did take a flight on the way back though as I did not want to walk the same route again. Me and six of my friends departed for the lake on 17th September and returned home on 27th September (11 days). Following is our itinerary. I hope this information will be useful for anyone wishing to trek to Shey Phoksundo by land.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 1: Depart from Kathmandu for Musikot, Rukum by bus</b><br />
<br />
We took a night bus to Musikot, Rukum from the Gongabu Buspark. It is necessary to book the <br />
tickets at least a day earlier or else you won't get seats. The bus departed at 1 pm, and the fare cost us Rs. 1,500 per person. The seats were comfortable enough, but the ride was too long (~23 hours). Therefore, you should make sure that the seats are comfortable and the bus has an AC.<br />
<br />
During this travel, for the first time in my life, I saw a driver who could drive for 24 straight hours. And guess what, he looked fresher than us at the end of the journey and he drove very very cautiously. When we stopped for breakfast, he told us that 24 hours of driving was not even his record. His record is a straight 36 hours drive from Biratnagar to Rukum. God bless him!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHJ5TBjY2QNhakNYToG2PXPE6WXyFBuFiutM6EkkA5AGq2BaTy6bBgDyJLGaA3NG_5GAmZKOvzYsSLXJ4Kfh1gNW3ZlBMTVIvUsEAxJFNiST15wtrRyj_W61L9GdiOJWRyJXtIPdSAFw_/s1600/Shey_Phoksundo_Lake_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="496" data-original-width="854" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHJ5TBjY2QNhakNYToG2PXPE6WXyFBuFiutM6EkkA5AGq2BaTy6bBgDyJLGaA3NG_5GAmZKOvzYsSLXJ4Kfh1gNW3ZlBMTVIvUsEAxJFNiST15wtrRyj_W61L9GdiOJWRyJXtIPdSAFw_/s640/Shey_Phoksundo_Lake_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Day 2: Musikot to Aathbiskot/Radi by Jeep</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvq41UfMrZVkACiHkI4j2gk0ZCPKKPM27AFdfBNBaPMv7LOZqNs32DC3HGlZxT4xbFQ8eQZ4_eCZ8TDMuw9YzbGa88WJwKxnsoMYyoVyrrHSmR2S0XSWmuvu5iz3f9WPk8hXrgZ5OhJ1z_/s1600/Shey_Phoksundo_Lake_HDR_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="900" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvq41UfMrZVkACiHkI4j2gk0ZCPKKPM27AFdfBNBaPMv7LOZqNs32DC3HGlZxT4xbFQ8eQZ4_eCZ8TDMuw9YzbGa88WJwKxnsoMYyoVyrrHSmR2S0XSWmuvu5iz3f9WPk8hXrgZ5OhJ1z_/s400/Shey_Phoksundo_Lake_HDR_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shey Phoksundo Lake</td></tr>
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We reached Musikot at around noon. Musikot is the headquarters of Rukum district and is a small <br />
settlement atop a hill. We had our lunch in one of the several eateries present there. The food was decent, but we wasted a lot of time waiting for the food to be prepared. We should have grabbed an instant food item. We almost missed the vehicle to Aathbiskot/Radi. 2-3 Jeeps go to Aathbiskot from Musikot every day, but all of them leave before 1 pm. Luckily, we were seven people in our group, and we almost filled a Jeep. Therefore, an extra Jeep left for Aathbiskot that day. Else we would have to wait until the next morning for a ride. If you have fewer people in the group, I recommend you to get the vehicle first and then look for food. The local apples and bananas were incredibly delicious.<br />
<br />
The road to Aathbiskot is very rough, but the scenery is amazing. We reached Aathbiskot at around 7 pm. We stayed in a teahouse near the vehicle stand.<br />
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<b>Day 3: Aathbiskot - Khagenkot - Tallu - Tribeni - Khadang by Jeep</b><br />
<br />
We had to walk for about 15 minutes from Aathbiskot to reach Khagenkot where we found a Jeep that took us up to Tallu. The ride was about 3 hours long. The road is slightly better than the previous one but rough nonetheless. We made a good decision of having a heavy breakfast before leaving.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4o9t0fX-eZUN9TRXKm1KQyi-cZ9G0Ls4xhYh9KWpnYBYw5a73fjKf1VMisxPbj66L-cJVvjO_tNoNBeo9AYWsFZ0qJ0TR7NeUOWZn50M0UTOiDIA4roWXKvcugx23Ene-JwNstfAOe7H/s1600/Anmol_Jharana_Jajarkot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4o9t0fX-eZUN9TRXKm1KQyi-cZ9G0Ls4xhYh9KWpnYBYw5a73fjKf1VMisxPbj66L-cJVvjO_tNoNBeo9AYWsFZ0qJ0TR7NeUOWZn50M0UTOiDIA4roWXKvcugx23Ene-JwNstfAOe7H/s400/Anmol_Jharana_Jajarkot.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by: Anmol Bajracharya</td></tr>
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On the way, we found a very beautiful waterfall. It is mesmerizing. The locals said they don't have a name for it. Therefore, we decided to name it Anmol Jharana. Make sure you stop the vehicle for a while and capture some beautiful photographs as we did.<br />
<br />
On the way, we also saw a funeral procession of the local people. I had never seen anything like that. Dozens of people were walking downhill to the riverbank carrying an incredibly long piece of white cloth with red color at the ends. The cloth stretched from the top of the hill to the riverbank. It looked as if the hill had been painted with a white and red stripe along the walking trail. Our fellow passengers told us that the length of the cloth indicates the economic and social status of the deceased person. Once the cloth is brought down to the riverbank and the procession is completed, the cloth is given to the personal tailor(s) of the deceased person.<br />
<br />
We reached Tallu at around noon. The dal bhat with local pickle was delicious. We spent an hour for the lunch break and hurried along the way because we had a long way ahead to our destination for the day.<br />
<br />
We walked for about 5 minutes and crossed a trail-bridge to reach the other side of the river from where we could get a vehicle for up to Tribeni. The vehicle was jam-packed, but like everywhere in rural Nepal, the conductor managed to find a seat for every one of us even in the already packed vehicle. The ride was excruciating though - more than 19 people packed into a vehicle with 14 seats and it was super hot. The three-hour ride seemed like an eternity. We should have waited for another vehicle, but we were told that it was not certain whether another vehicle would come.<br />
<br />
The track has been opened up to Khadang, but the Tribeni - Khadang section had not been inaugurated yet, so the vehicle dropped us at Tribeni. The track must have been inaugurated by now.<br />
<br />
From Tribeni we asked a tractor for a lift. The experience was awesome. It felt like standing on a big vibrator and having your whole body vibrate. We had so much fun for almost two hours before we reached Khadang.<br />
<br />
At Khadang, there were just two hotels that provided accommodation. We stayed at the Sharma Hotel. The dinner was delicious. They also served us the meat of blue sheep.Although rooms were available, we chose to sleep on the balcony in the open so that we could look at the night sky. It turned out to be a wise decision.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 4: Khadang - Tripurakot - Supani - Suligad - Kagani Village (9 hours of walking )</b><br />
<br />
On day four, we woke up early in the morning, grabbed a breakfast of Satu and biscuits, packed our bags and departed at 7 am. We had to walk up to Supani before we could catch a vehicle for Suligad. We walked alongside the Bheri river which originates partly from Shey Phokundo Lake, our ultimate destination for the trek. The early morning scenery of the tall rocky hills and the ferocious river Bheri was amazing. I don't I am articulate enough to describe the beauty and serenity. After walking for around 2 hours, the trail narrowed down and moved along the rocky precipices. This part of the walk was terrifying. We had to almost crawl on all our fours at times, and the trail was so narrow that the stones we stumbled upon were falling to the river dozens of feet down below. The adrenaline rush lasted for almost an hour. We also met a few people who were cracking and breaking down the huge rocks to make way for a wider trail.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmFTLYlNWNb3kZWrdcWxpUCxMVHdSpkL7I_ZbuVVa4AD2Yc6isiBsX3ZJVywt_rTETsTRubcrdMp42eZyOVlVs8pC1y4s9KBZ6QBzf425ZTbIVKPtSbKER1LHje1LQLF_7pt8ibcyALLrd/s1600/Shey_Phoksundo_Lake_Trek_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmFTLYlNWNb3kZWrdcWxpUCxMVHdSpkL7I_ZbuVVa4AD2Yc6isiBsX3ZJVywt_rTETsTRubcrdMp42eZyOVlVs8pC1y4s9KBZ6QBzf425ZTbIVKPtSbKER1LHje1LQLF_7pt8ibcyALLrd/s400/Shey_Phoksundo_Lake_Trek_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by: Govinda Siwakoti</td></tr>
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After walking for an hour, we reached a small village where an army personnel stopped us and told us to wait for an hour before walking ahead. He informed us that they were using explosives to break down rocks to widen the trail and were preventing people from traveling the trail while explosions were taking place.<br />
<br />
So we decided to eat the lunch and prevent wasting time. While the lunch was being prepared, we tasted some local apples. Oh my, my! The apples were so delicious that every one of us ate at least two apples - the same people who hated eating apples found in Kathmandu. No wonder they talk so highly about the apples of Jumla, Mugu, and Dolpa.<br />
<br />
After spending about one and a half hour playing ludo and having lunch, we resumed our journey. We walked for another 3 hours in scorching heat to reach Tripurakot where I drank six glasses of water. Yeah, I was that thirsty!<br />
<br />
Then, we walked for another 30 minutes from Tripurakot to reach Supani where we found a vehicle waiting for us to take us to Suligad.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGModRcuT6HHv1NFEqoy4XkFT6x39j2xO1tuPTfkv6BIQ8kuMfSPa2XGrvNQcdKWPWjA0CI9obf0fYbtEZN_jXqAHECluIbEQdKtT9bUQ5lDpQFP-f97WWa9-YgT__j9dbdFrWdGFp-qL/s1600/Suligad_Dolpa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGModRcuT6HHv1NFEqoy4XkFT6x39j2xO1tuPTfkv6BIQ8kuMfSPa2XGrvNQcdKWPWjA0CI9obf0fYbtEZN_jXqAHECluIbEQdKtT9bUQ5lDpQFP-f97WWa9-YgT__j9dbdFrWdGFp-qL/s400/Suligad_Dolpa.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suligad</td></tr>
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After driving for about 30 minutes, the vehicle dropped us at Suligad, the starting point of the trek. We registered our names at the Nepal Army post, ate some Dadims (sour pomegranates) from the nearby trees and started walking. It was almost 5:30 pm when we started our walk towards Kagani.<br />
<br />
It took us two and a half hours to reach Kagani village although the locals said that it takes them only about 45 minutes to an hour. The trail is not very steep or difficult though. You just walk uphill for a few minutes and then downhill for a few minutes alongside the river. There are a few hotels in Kagani. We stayed in a hotel called Chhamkuni Hotel where the host served us one of the most delicious meals of the trip.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 5: Kagani - Sangta - Chhepka - Raichi - Jharana Hotel (10 hours of walking)</b><br />
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We left Kagani at 6:30 am after a heavy breakfast of biscuits and Satu. After walking for an hour, we reached a place called Sangta where we had tea in the only lodge available there. Then we walked for another three hours to reach Chhepka village which is one of the largest settlements in the route. An old woman served us delicious dal bhat and tea at her hotel in Chhepka.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwg33Dgk_3ioGnHI1LFFeioXiMDpQ6UdpvBt98FJDU67b4zUW5yLJ5CypPOKlIkBbu9m5DBlTof_2TAW_vQCAzI2vmti_VE8zjdIQSZYQQz2Rk4lUyACSJ7z2D49kSntHm3bIkOYAd985/s1600/Chhepka_Village_Dolpa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="900" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwg33Dgk_3ioGnHI1LFFeioXiMDpQ6UdpvBt98FJDU67b4zUW5yLJ5CypPOKlIkBbu9m5DBlTof_2TAW_vQCAzI2vmti_VE8zjdIQSZYQQz2Rk4lUyACSJ7z2D49kSntHm3bIkOYAd985/s400/Chhepka_Village_Dolpa.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chhepka Village</td></tr>
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At 11:30 am, we left Chhepka with the hope of reaching Jharana Hotel by the end of the day although the locals advised us that we should target reaching only Raichi if we didn't want to walk in the dark. But we wanted to reach Jharana Hotel that day so that we could reach Shey Phoksundo Lake early the next morning. We walked through countless uphills and downhills, crossed several trail-bridges, passed through varied landscapes to reach Jharana Hotel by 7:30 pm that evening. We were exhausted by the time we reached Jharana Hotel. If you are in no rush or in no mood to walk so much in a single day, I recommend you to stay at Raichi or Samjhana Hotel.<br />
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Our desire to reach Jharana Hotel was also fueled by the funny remark made by local women whom we met on the way. She lives in a tent house on the way to Raichi. She serves tea, coffee, and food to the passerby to generate income for her family. Here is an excerpt of our conversation:<br />
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<i>Sonam Chhuki: Why are guys here?</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Us: To visit the lake. We heard it is very beautiful.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Sonam Chhuki: Why would you bother to come such a long way just to see the lake. It's not that beautiful!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Us: Well, you have been living near it for your whole life, so it's not special for you. But I am sure it's going to be special for us. By the way, do you think we can make it to Jharana Hotel tonight?</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Sonam Chhuki: I don't know. You guys seem to walk very slowly. Tell me, when did you reach Chhepka from Kagani today?</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Us: At 10:30. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Sonam Chhuki: When did you leave Kagani?</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Us: err... umm... 6:30 am.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Sonam Chhuki: (Gasps) Hahaha, that long? You guys won't reach Jharana Hotel even by 10 in the evening. Hahaha! </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Us: (Smile meekly)</i><br />
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The lady at Jharana Hotel was very hospitable and friendly, and it was one of the better accommodations we found on the trip.<br />
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<b>Day 6: Jharana Hotel - Ringmo - Shey Phoksundo (4 hours of walking)</b><br />
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The trail becomes very steep, almost vertical from Jharana Hotel. We left the hotel at 7:30 am after a heavy breakfast of tea, Satu, biscuits, chocolates, and Dalmoth Chiura. The locals are said to take just two hours to reach the Lake, but it took us almost four hours. The delay in part was due to the numerous breaks we took to take photographs. For almost three hours, we walked steep uphill to reach a place called Hawa Ghar which has a small hut where you can rest and observe the scenery.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_oggxZn5dYjAmIFBIA3XD3h7mNU0Cy_o_BgzXhtrg5c4Rfhq_0TPhrkH0qO10tPWD1NB3vjTx7B-6-qYbHygy2xlbJR5nIFtwWZUXVVnz1KmQHwnYR-D5SLFSQUE_Wq7NL6Stu5o3V0v/s1600/Jharana_Hotel_Shey_Phoksundo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="900" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_oggxZn5dYjAmIFBIA3XD3h7mNU0Cy_o_BgzXhtrg5c4Rfhq_0TPhrkH0qO10tPWD1NB3vjTx7B-6-qYbHygy2xlbJR5nIFtwWZUXVVnz1KmQHwnYR-D5SLFSQUE_Wq7NL6Stu5o3V0v/s400/Jharana_Hotel_Shey_Phoksundo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jharana Hotel</td></tr>
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From Hawa Ghar, it took us an hour of walk to reach the Shey Phoksundo Lake. The walk from Hawa Ghar is relatively easy, and the trail is so beautiful with trees of different colors shedding different colored leaves on the trail.<br />
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We reached Shey Phokundo at around 11:30 am and were instantly pulled into the charms of its beauty and magnificence. Looking at its deep blue and serene waters, we forgot the passage of time. Hours felt like a few minutes in the presence of Shey Phoksundo Lake. It was worth all the trouble.<br />
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We spent the whole day roaming around the lake and taking hundreds of pictures and spent the night at a nearby hotel. The next morning too, we spent hours absorbing the beauty and serenity of the lake and making our best efforts to capture the lake in our cameras.<br />
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<b>Day 7: Shey Phoksundo to Chhepka (10 hours of walking)</b><br />
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We left the lake (unwillingly of course!) at 9 am and started our journey back. We retraced the trail throughout the day to reach Chhepka where the same old lady welcomed us with tea and served us delicious dinner. We were exhausted this day because we had to walk until 8 pm continuously. If you don't want to do that, I suggest you to either start earlier from the lake or stay at Raichi.<br />
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<b>Day 8: Chhepka - Sangta - Kagani - Suligad - Dunai - Juphal (5 hours of walking)</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8axApzYRHQF11LlvNQy-EnmD2Sob8b0xFPqlZ2TiezRD3QFM4YmfZ1f-fHOVPmurudtBaFBTSyvXU6lFQNe1xfLTHy6N_dBeNtOWWFSuFCSqvLmRY7-g4EIb8gSlIttAiD-hKj1n72RK3/s1600/Origin_Bheri_River.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="900" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8axApzYRHQF11LlvNQy-EnmD2Sob8b0xFPqlZ2TiezRD3QFM4YmfZ1f-fHOVPmurudtBaFBTSyvXU6lFQNe1xfLTHy6N_dBeNtOWWFSuFCSqvLmRY7-g4EIb8gSlIttAiD-hKj1n72RK3/s400/Origin_Bheri_River.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Origin of Bheri River</td></tr>
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Day 8 didn't involve much walking. We walked for about 4 hours to reach Suligad where we were hoping to catch a vehicle to Dunai. We waited for a vehicle for almost an hour. Two of them arrived but were so packed that we decided we better walk. We walked for about 40 minutes to reach Dunai, the district headquarters of Dolpa. We ate Dal Bhat at Blue Sheep Inn which seemed to be the most popular restaurant in Dunai. The restaurant well deserved the popularity. The food was delicious - comparable to any Thakali Bhanchha Ghar in Kathmandu.<br />
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At 4 pm, we left for Juphal in a Jeep as we had decided to return on a flight. We reached Juphal by nightfall. As we asked around, we found that it would be almost impossible to find the tickets for the flight next morning. One has to book the flights at least 24 hours earlier. Worried, we looked for a way out. Then, we found out that a certain hotel owner was also the manager of the flight bookings. So, we went to his hotel and asked if he could arrange tickets for us and if we could stay at his hotel. He was happy to do both.<br />
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<b>Day 9: Juphal to Nepalgunj</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKBBO25Thqoci0_wTXh4hAVZeA1emr0F-Q7cEoM0rITBcCRpfaXwjjcYTakgrNe_qqMXpwWQcBLT4D_LioCRRiq532VWGl_cJKar9HzVRCoQI8w8D6aCGp4X7K3afPLKuMlOGMl5y1-AdB/s1600/Juphal_Airport_Dolpa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="900" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKBBO25Thqoci0_wTXh4hAVZeA1emr0F-Q7cEoM0rITBcCRpfaXwjjcYTakgrNe_qqMXpwWQcBLT4D_LioCRRiq532VWGl_cJKar9HzVRCoQI8w8D6aCGp4X7K3afPLKuMlOGMl5y1-AdB/s400/Juphal_Airport_Dolpa.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juphal Airport</td></tr>
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We were at the airport by 6:30 and the flight were on because the weather was clear. But unfortunately, two patients arrived at the airport who needed to fly to Nepalgunj for treatment immediately. We could not say no. Therefore, only five of us flew to Nepalgunj and gave up two seats for the patients. We waited for our friends in Nepalgunj for a day and returned to Kathmandu the next day on a night bus.<br />
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The plus point of having to stay in Nepalgunj? We discovered an amazing Biryani place called Mubarak Biryani at Fultekra Road. A must try if you are a Biryani lover!!<br />
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<b>Some Useful Information:</b><br />
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Total Cost of the Trek: Rs. 18,000 per person<br />
Total Days Taken: 10 Days<br />
Need to Carry Tents? No<br />
Need to Carry Sleeping Bags? No.<br />
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<b>Things to Carry:</b><br />
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1. Warm clothes (2-3 pairs, a wind cheater is also recommended)<br />
2. Comfortable and sturdy trekking shoes<br />
3. Raincoat/umbrella<br />
4. Torch Light (Of good quality) + a few lighters + head light (can be purchased in thamel)<br />
5. First aid (basic medicines) plus if you have any medical condition specific medicines<br />
6. Sleeping Bag (Optional)<br />
7. A DSLR<br />
8. A swiss knife (Optional)<br />
9. A map (Can be purchased in Thamel)<br />
10. Walking stick ( Optional)<br />
11. 4-5 pairs of socks ( the more the better)<br />
12. Water bottle +Sunscream +sunglasses (optional) + Toileteries like tooth-brush, paste, soaps, shampoos<br />
13. Watch (To keep track of time in absence of cellphone)</div>
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Surath Girihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227559674369495788noreply@blogger.comShey Phoksundo Lake, Phoksundo 21400, Nepal29.1826903 82.94208920000005529.1272448 82.861408200000056 29.238135800000002 83.022770200000053