Nepal and the Himalayas

Facebook's "On This Day" feature showed my posts about Nepal in my newsfeed yesterday. I can't believe it has been 3 years ago!  

To this day, my visit in Nepal remains my favorite, among all my travels around Asia.   I was there to participate in a management training in September 2012.  One of the activities was the interaction with the community members in villages we work with.  For that, we had to travel to Makwanpur, the closest of all the Nepal field offices.

Among the places I have been to, Makwanpur is one of those with the most beautiful landscape. The travel was difficult- many of my companions felt nauseated and had breathing difficulty because of the 3 hours travel along a (very) winding road, and because of the altitude.  We were travelling up the highest mountains I have ever seen or been to.  From the window, I was looking down the gorge, which seemed never ending- I could not see the bottom. I remember myself wondering how many hours it would take for us to hit the bottom if we fall into it- I shuddered at the thought.

Up, up.....

 

..and away!

Nevertheless, the road to Makwanpur is one of the beautiful roads I have travelled (if you don't look at the gorge). The scenery is just too beautiful.  I am glad I have mastered the art of taking pictures on board a speeding vehicle, using my mobile phone (it is one useful skill!).

How's this for a playground?

Meadows...

...mountains...

..just like a painting. 

Lovely day.

It was cold in Makwanpur- and I think that was one time when I have consumed that much hot milk tea!  Our colleagues in Makwanpur welcomed us at a tea shop, had a brief introduction about the programs we were implementing in the area and then in groups, we met with different groups of people in different communities.  

At the town entrance...

Typical house in the town center..and those are corn and chilis, being dried...

Dried chili is a staple in Nepali cuisine...

Ladies..carrying loads of wood

It was already dark when we finished the meetings, and we headed to the Everest Panorama Resort in Daman where we spent the night.  We had dinner and had a bonfire where a fire-eater performed about a local folklore.  Then it was time to call it a day.  We were booked in separate cabanas- and my cabana happened to be the farthest.  It was very dark, very cold, very quiet and very scary. At midnight, somebody was roaming around the place and I could see his shadow from my window.  Possibly it was the security guard- but still I could not sleep. 

It was finally morning, and despite the fact that I hardly slept, the cold shower kept me awake all day (the hot shower was not working- lucky me!)

But- the moment I stepped out of my cabana, my jaw dropped.  I was greeted by the most beautiful sight ever: the long stretch of the Himalayan mountain range. Layers and layers of mountains, with the farthest mountains capped with snow.  It was so beautiful, and so beyond words.

We spent around 2 hours taking pictures.  Then, with regret, we had to leave to do more community interaction, and on to another arduous travel  back to Kathmandu.

Myself with colleagues from India, Cambodia and Laos

What made Nepal special?  

The beautiful mountains.... 

waking up to cold weather and beautiful sunrise....  

and the beautiful people who lovingly welcomed us to their villages. 

And of course, the yummiest warm milk tea I have ever had.