Ripley Rotary Club

Excerpt

Stay with me for a moment….for the past several months I have spent considerable time attending to the details of the project, raising funds, obtaining visas, making flight arrangements, corresponding with folks in Nepal and getting my own life’s business in order so that I can leave with some small level of confidence that I may actually have it together. There is a point to that last sentence and that is this (remember I’m at the airlines counter)…..the ticket manager leans across the counter so others can’t hear and says to me “do you know you are here a day early”? Ok, I can hear you laughing and thinking what a dumb***. I was thinking the same thing. Not an insignificant detail to miss-read.

It is a beautiful new airport. Westernized to make it more convenient for the huge numbers of travelers they get coming through to see “Incredible India”. As with all airports in this part of the world there is a strong military presence at the doors and gates, each heavily armed with machine guns. As I look out onto the huge second floor (ticketing area) there are about 100 Indian military in line to fly somewhere in the country. For 3 am there are probably a couple thousand people here, some waiting and sleeping where they can, others in small groups at the various coffee shops or small delis on this level.

Kara and Corky…I just had my first Veg MoMos (finely chopped vegetables sealed in a pouch of flour noodle, steamed and then dipped in a special hot sauce) and a banana lassi at our favorite Tibetan eatery ……mmmm, wish you were here or maybe not, I would have had to share them! BTW….didn’t see any rats but they don’t eat much anyway!

It is easy to miss-read my opinions as being arrogant, critical, cynical and anti-America, each has some truth but is not the entire truth. I have served and love this land we stole from others. As I stated previously holding your government accountable is democracy in action and ours is by far not a pretty sight these days.  We should surround not only the White House but the Capitol as well and not allow anyone in/out until each of them is stripped of their high salaries, health care, retirement, etc. just like most of us so they would begin to understand the true needs of that 99%.

At 11:30 we have made it to Mugling where we will turn southward towards the plains and forests of the Chitwan area. We follow the Nardyani River whose source appears to be in the Tibet region of Nepal’s northern border. The river has cut a deep gorge through the rock, its almost glacial green waters and turbulent rapids enticing to the world’s water enthusiasts. Mid-way on this leg, the river is joined by the Kallandaki which flows east-west and increases the surge towards India.

I will say this many times during our school experiences, this is all for you who have donated and made the little we can do possible. Simply giving this description of this small part of the event doesn’t do it justice. I am truly humbled and know that this honor is well beyond anything that I deserve; I pass this on to you, know that what you have done is recognized and appreciated by the schools and the students.

. It is harvest time and most people/families are in some stage of getting their foods ready for winter or for sale. Those that live on a hard road lay their grains in the road so the traffic will separate the grain from the plant and then they sweep it up after removing the stalks from the road. There are also machines in the files that are doing this same job, moving field to field for pay in either money or grain. The people in this region are very poor, life is hard and I see many children working rather than at school and of course the women are the hardest working of the lot.

The path at this point goes up the mountain. What I mean is that we begin immediately to climb a steep path that will eventually lead us up to the Shree Mahakali Ratriya Primary School at least 2000 ft. above. It doesn’t sound like a long ways to walk, 2000 ft, but it took us about 2 ½ hours of switchbacks on small paths etched into the mountain side. We were halted at one point by a cow herd and then goat herds coming down the path, as their owners were taking them to the valley floor to feed.

Andrea went on her elephant ride this morning and was back within two hours and then headed to the internet.

We stop once along the road for a pee break. Now this isn’t a stop with facilities, it’s just a wide spot in the road (WV!) and anyone who has to just pees off of the mountain (women of course try to find a bush to get behind) towards the river below, about 200 ft. down. Very public event!

We walk to Sahedev’s home and visit with his mother, his two nieces and meet his wife, Sabita, she seems very nice. She is from Pokhara and the parent’s arranged the marriage, Sahadev seems happy, it is the custom and he would not disappoint his parents. We provide the family with photos from last year, something I have done each year and is a nice gift of remembrance.

The path is very small and extremely steep. The stones are wet from the heavy mist and the clay soil is the same. This was a very difficult descent last year for everyone because of these conditions. We take extreme care with each step because to twist or break an ankle or even strain a muscle in this terrain creates difficulties for everyone because they then have to assist you. The path has been worn to such an extent that in some places you are walking in a small gorge (like a large rut).  Since we are heading down, the morning mist will stay with us for a while. Along the way we see the large spider webs and spiders, some 4-5 inches across( outstretched legs), black and yellow; Kamal says they are very poisonous. They are as beautiful as they are frightening.

We meet briefly with Sahadev, Suroj and see Kashi and Began. The plan is for us to go to Damauli and exchange money at one of the local banks so that we may provide the promised funds for each school. It should be an easy day and a break from the trekking up/down the mountains.

It is Saturday, no school in Nepal and all morning the busses filled with young Nepalese have been arriving, When we leave the room there are already six buses and more coming to the Tundikhel. When they come, each bus brings their own sound system and all through the day and early evening the loud music will compete with the others. The groups will bring large cooking pans, firewood and food for several meals as they enjoy Bandipur and each others company. Unfortunately they leave all of their trash and not in a neat pile. This is part of why the VDC, Village Development Committee is considering moving the picnic area, that and the extreme noise to what would otherwise be serene scene viewing the Himalayan Range.