Surath Giri's Blog

Mar 14, 2012

तपाईंले पढ्न नहुने १२ पुस्तकहरु

March 14, 2012 Surath Giri— min read

देश र समाजको समय , काल र परिस्थिती हेर्दा निम्न पुस्तकहरु चै पढ्न नहुने जस्तो लागेकाले यहाँ प्रस्तुत गरेको छु । हुनत यि मध्य धेरै पुस्तक नेपालमा नपाईएलान तर पनि पाएमा पनि यि पुस्तकहरु झुक्किएर पनि नपढ्नु होला । यि पुस्तकहरु पढ्नाले तपाईंमा पूँजीवादी , अराजकतावादी , प्रतिकृयावादी, सामन्ती , देश भक्तीहिन (तर बिबेकपूर्ण ) सोचहरु आउन सक्छन । यि पुस्तकमा गरिएका बिचारहरुले तपाईंलाई सरकार , 'महान' नेताहरु र 'पवित्र' समाजवाद , राज्य माथि प्रश्न उठाउन उत्प्रेरित गर्न सक्छन र नेपालमा बिबेकपूर्ण कुराहरु गर्नु स्वास्थ्यको लागि हानीकारक हुने भएकाले यि पुस्तकहरु नपढ्नुहोला ।

१) द रोड टु सर्फडम :

सारा संसारलाई 'समाजवाद'ले मन्त्रमुग्ध पारेको १९४०को दशकमा लेख्एको यस् पुस्तकमा एफ ए हाएकले कसरी केन्द्रिक्रित योजनाले समाजलाई दासत्वतर्फ उन्मुख गर्छ भनेर देखाएका छन । उनले फासिवादजस्ता अतिवादी प्रणालीहरु समाजवादकै उपज भएको कुरा पनि जिकिर गरेका छन । यो पुस्तक पढ्दा नेपालको अहिले राजनीतिक बिकासक्रमलाई नजिकैबाट नियालेर लेखिएको हो कि भन्ने भान पर्छ । १० वटा भन्दा बढी केद्रिय योजनाहरु असफल भईसक्दा पनि "योजना गरेर बिकासको आश गर्ने " प्रब्रित्ती माथि प्रश्न गर्नु को साटो अर्थतन्त्रका झन धेरै पक्षलाई सरकारको मातहतमा ल्याउनुपर्छ भन्ने सोच हाबी भएको बेलामा यो पुस्तक पढ्नाले तपाईंलाई "केन्द्रिय योजना " माथि नै प्रश्न गर्न मन लाग्न सक्छ , त्यसैले यो पुस्तक नपढ्नु होला ।

२) साम्यवाद: एक ईतिहास:

साम्यवादको नाममा गएको शताब्दीमा संसारभरका करिब १० करोड मानिसहरुले ज्यान गुमाए ।कुनै वादको नाममा सबैभन्दा धेरै मानिसहरुले ज्यान गुमाएको शायद एसैमा होला । तर नेपालमा सतप्रतिशत राजनैतीक दलहरु कि त समाजवादी कि त साम्यवादी भएकाले समाजवाद र साम्यवादको गुणगान बाहेक अरु कुरा कमै सुनिन्छ । यस् पुस्तकमा लेखकले साम्यवादी चिन्तन कसरी सुरु भयो , यो कसरी र कहाँ कहाँ प्रयोगमा आयो र यस्ले कती मानबिय क्ष्यती पुर्यायो भनेर वर्णन गरेका छन । यो पुस्तक पढ्दा साम्यवादको कथित "असलपन" र हाम्रा नेताहरुको फुस्रा गफमाथी प्रश्न गर्न मन लाग्छ जुन नेपालको अहिले परिस्थितीमा गर्न नहुने काम हो । त्यसैले यो पुस्तक पनि नपढ्नुहोला ।

३) एट्लस श्रग्ड:

आयन र्यान्डको यो विवादास्पद पुस्तकले धेरै मानिसहरुलाई "व्यक्तिवादी" हुन र आफ्नो र आफ्नो व्यक्तिगत उपलब्धी प्रती गर्ब गर्न प्रेरित गर्छ । साथै समाज , समुहका नाममा कसरी संसारभर श्रीजनाकर्ताहरुलाई निरुत्शाहित गरिन्छ र कुनै श्रीजना गर्ने भन्दा तेस्लाई निरुत्शहित गर्ने वा सर्जकको उपलब्धी बाड्ने मान्छे हरु सधैं माथि पर्छन भन्ने कुरा देखाइएको छ ।

४) फ्री टु चुज:

बिख्यात अर्थशास्त्री मिल्टन फ्रिद्म्यानको यो पुस्तकले स्वतन्त्र बजारले मानिसहरुले कसरी छनोट गर्ने स्वतन्त्रता दिन्छ र यस्ले आर्थिक ब्रिद्धीमा कसरी टेवा पुर्याउछ र कसै सरकारी हस्तछेपले गरीबी बढाउछ भनेर व्याख्या गरिएको छ । मानिसहरुलाई स्वतन्त्र छोड्नु हुँदैन , सरकारले नियन्त्रणमा राखेर अर्थतन्त्रलाई डोर्याउनु पर्छ भन्ने सोच हावी भएको अवस्थामा यो पुस्तक पढ्नु दिमागलाई झट्का दिनु सरह हुन्छ त्यसैले यो पुस्तक पनि पढ्न नहुने पुस्तक हो ।

५) इन डिफेन्स अफ ग्लोबल क्यापिटलिस्म:

धनी र गरीब बिचको खाडल बढीरहेको छ , धनी धनी भईरहेका छन , गरीब झन गरीब भईरहेका छन । र यो सबै पूँजीवादको बिश्वब्यापिकरणले गर्दा भएको हो भन्ने कुरा प्राय: सुनिने कुरा हुन । तर यस् पुस्तकमा ईतिहासविद तथा राजनीतिशस्त्री युहान नोर्बर्गले सत्य के हो त भनेर आफ्नो अनुसन्धानको नतिजाहरु प्रस्तुत गरेका छन । यस् पुस्तकका अनुसार धनी हरु अझै धनी भएको कुरा साचो हो तर गरीबहरु पनि धनी हुँदैछन र यसो हुनुमा मुख्य श्रेय पूँजीवादको विश्वब्यापिकरणलाई जान्छ।

६) दि एलुसिभ क्वेस्ट फर ग्रोथ:

फकेबूक जस्ता सामाजिक सन्जालका साईटहरुमा "एकातिर कुपोशन ग्रस्त अफ्रिकन बालबालिकाको चित्र र अर्कोतिर बर्गर खाइराखेका पस्चिमी देशका बाल्बालिकाहरु" देखाइएका चित्रहरु तपाईंले प्रशस्त देख्नु भएको होला । यि चित्रहरुले अफ्रिकाको गरीबी कारण पश्चिमाहरुले बढी श्रोत उपभग गरेकाले हो वा तपाईंले अफ्रिका गरीब हुन्जेल आफ्नो सम्पन्नता प्रती ग्लानी महशुश गर्नु पर्छ भन्ने आसय ब्यक्त गरिरहेका हुन्छन । यो पुस्तकले भने अर्कै कुरा गर्छ । यस् पुस्तकमा लेखकले कसरी बिगत ६० बर्षको बिदेशी अनुदानले अफ्रिकाको गरीबहरुलाई सहयोग गर्नु को साटो झन बढी हानी पुर्याइरहेको छ । निरन्कुश शाशक हरुलाई झन शक्तिशाली गरिरहेको छ र गरीबै रहिरहनको लागि प्रेरित गरिराखेको छ भनेर व्याख्या गरेका छन ।

७) फ्याक्ट्स, नट फिअर:

यस् पुस्तकमा कसरी नयाँ पुस्तालाई बातावरणिय मुद्धाहरुका बारेमा शाही जानकारी दिनुको साटो तर्साउने काम मात्रा भैराखेको छ र बातावरणिय प्रकोपका सम्भावनाहरु कती साचो हुन कती झूटो हुन भन्ने बारे लेखिएको छ । एसिड रेन हुने वाला छ , ओजोनमा प्वाल पर्दै छ , संसारको वन जंगल बिनास हुँदै तेसैले कुनै दिन हामी निसास्सिएर मर्ने वाला छौ , पृथ्वी प्लास्टिकनै प्लास्टिक्ले भरिने वाला छ , कुनै दिन पेट्रोलियम पदार्थ सकिएर मानब सभ्यतानै सखाप हुने वाला छ .... यो पुस्तक पढ्नाले यि बिषयहरुको अर्को पाटो पनि छ रहेछ , बातावरणिय मुद्धाहरुलाई आलोचनत्मक ढंगले पनि सोच्न जरूरी हुने रहेछ भन्ने लाग्छ जुन बातावरणवादी हरुलाई साह्रै चित्त नबुझ्न सक्छ त्यसैले यो पुस्तक पढ्नु हानिकारक छ ।

८) इकोनमिक्स इन वन लेसन:

आधारभूत आर्थिक सिद्धान्तहरुलाई सरल रुपमा प्रस्तुत गरिएको यो पुस्तक पढ्नाले राजनीतिग्यहरुको चिप्ला कुराहरु हानिरहित हुँदैनन भन्ने कुरा सिकिन्छ । नेताहरुले सित्तैमा केही दिन्छु भन्दैमा सित्तैमा पाइदैन हरेक कुरको केही न केही लागत हुन्छ , न्युनतम ज्याला दर निर्धारण गर्नाले बेरोजगारी बढ्छ , सरकारी खर्च बध्नाले अर्थतन्त्रलाई नकरत्मक असार पर्छ भन्ने जस्ता कुरा गर्ने यो पुस्तक पढ्नु बिबेकशिलताका लागि राम्रो हुने भएता पनि स्वास्थ्यको लागि हानिकारक हुन्छ । तेसैले यो पुस्तक पनि नपध्नु होला ।

९ ) दि अदर पाथ:

पेरुको बिद्रोही समुह "शाइनिङ पाथ" लाई लक्षित गरी लेखिएको यो पुस्तकमा बिख्यात अर्थशस्त्री हर्नन्डो डि सोटोले पेरु क्रान्तिको अभावले गर्दा वा शामन्तवादले गर्दा गरीब भएको होइन बरु नियन्त्रणमुखी सरकार, राजनीतिक अस्थिर्त र सबै जनता शहजै आर्थिक कृयाकलापमा भाग लिन बाट बन्चित गराउने झन्झतिला कनून , नितीनियम , कर्मचारीतन्त्रले गर्दा भएको हो भन्ने कुरा अनुसन्धान शहित देखाएका छन । पेरुकै जस्तो आर्थिक र राजनीतिक संरचना भएको नेपालमा पनि शायद यिनै कारणले गर्दा गरीबी रहिरहेको हो कि भन्ने बिचार आउन सक्ने हुनाले यो पुस्तक पढ्नु राम्रो नहोला ।

१० ) १९८४:

जर्ज अर्वेलको यो पुस्तकले सरकार सर्वब्यापी भएको ठाउँमा मानिसहरु कसरी दासतुल्य जीवन जिउन वाध्य हुन्छन भन्ने कुरा देखाएको छ । सन १९४८ मा लेखिएको यो पुस्तकले सोभियत रुसको जनजीवनको अचुक बर्णन गरेको पाइएको थियो । रुसको जस्तै समाज निर्माणको पारीकल्पना गर्ने हरुको लागि यो पुस्तक र एस्मा देखाईएका कुराहरु अपाच्य हुन सक्छन । तेसैले यो पुस्तक पढ्नु पनि ठीक होइन ।

११ ) एनिमल फार्म:

यो पुस्तक शायद तपाईंले पढिसक्नु पनि भयो होला । तर बालकथाको रुपमा भन्दा राजनीतिक दृष्‍टिकोणबाट हेरिनु पर्ने यस् पुस्तकमा लेखकले सबैजना बराबर हुने साम्यवादको पारीकल्पनाको बिरोधाभासलाई ब्यङ्यात्मक रुपमा प्रस्तुत गरेका छन । "सबै जनावर समान हुन्छन तर केही जनावर अरु जनावर भन्दा बढी समान हुन्छन ।" यो उक्ती नेपालको पारीप्रेक्ष्यमा पनि साचो भएको पाईन्छ । त्यसैले यो पुस्तक पनि पढेर बिचार गर्नका लागि अनुपायुक्त छ ।

१२ ) हाउ द वेष्ट ग्रिउ रिच:

हामी प्राय: को बुझाईमा पश्चिमा राष्ट्रहरु सबै अरुलाई लुटेर धनी भएका हुन । साम्रज्यवादी अमेरिका , बेलायत जस्ता देशहरु नेपालजस्ता देश्हरुलाई लुटेरनै धनी भएका हुन भन्ने सोचाइ ब्याप्त छ । तर प्रश्न उठ्छ तेसो हो भने हामी चै अझै गरीब किन छौ त ? अनी हङकङ , ताईवान , सिङ्गापुर जस्ता देश्हरु चै हामीलाई नलुटीकन कसै धनी भए त । यस् पुस्तकमा पश्चिमा देशहरु कसरी चराम गरीबीको खाडलबाट मुक्त हुन र अथाह सम्पत्ती श्रीजना गर्न सफल भए भन्ने कुराको वर्णन गरिएको छ । यस् पुस्तकमा ईतिहासविद रोजेन्बर्गले पश्चिम धन उपार्जन गर्ने कार्यको सम्मान गरेर अनी आर्थिक कृयाकलापलाई सहयोग पुर्याउने संस्थागत सम्यन्त्रहरु को कारणले बिकासित भए भनेर तर्क गरेका छन जुन नेपाली समाजलाई पाच्य नहुन सक्छ । त्यसैले यो पुस्तक नपढ्नु होला ।

Why the worst get on the top and what to do about it

March 04, 2012 Surath Giri— min read

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." -Lord Acton

The arrest of lawmaker Shyam Sundar Gupta for his alleged involvement in masterminding a kidnapping shocked even the most complacent of the Nepalese as it set a new record in the lowest moral standards for a Nepalese politician. In his influential book “The Road to Serfdom”, economist and political philosopher F.A. Hayek dedicated a chapter explaining why it's usually the worst people that get on the top in politics. Written about Western democracies more than half a century ago, the hypothesis he proposed rings eerily true in Nepali politics. Constitution Assembly, as it turns out, is full of the type of people that parents and textbooks warn children from becoming. And guess what, these worst people are now in charge of drafting the new constitution, the supreme law that will guide every other law of the country.

The adventures of our lawmakers range from that of a delinquency to cold blooded heinous acts of crimes. Electricity theft, misuse of diplomatic passports, bribery, murder, serial murder, kidnapping you name the crime and you get a lawmaker with proficiency in it. 10 of them have already been convicted of their crimes. Rest of the lawmakers and rulers who haven't been directly involved in criminal acts too have their moral character in doubt. This dark scenario doesn't provide much hope for the aspirations of 30 million Nepalese commoners and the situation is getting bleaker with political ideologies that stress increased role of state in citizens' lives being dominant in the constitution assembly.

Why does this happen?

Unlike in the marketplace where one progresses by building quality products and building your consumers' trust with his/her service and integrity, in politics the person to progress is the one who can manipulate people the most, put their moral standards into highest risk and use other maneuvers to get their way. Constitution Assembly of Nepal is one such example but it is not limited to Nepal only. Looking for a successful politician who doesn't lie or manipulate people is very likely to be the longest search in the history of mankind. Corruption and immorality are neither endemic to Nepalese politics or any Third World country for that matter nor are they new in the history of mankind.

Any society that sees government or government action as an answer to majority of its problems, is very likely to find the most corrupt leaders. Leaders who are unscrupulous and uninhibited. From Mao in China who killed more than 60 million of his people, the cruel Rana Prime Minister Chandra Sumsher in Nepal, Pol Pot in Cambodia, Kim Jong Il in North Korea and Hitler are testaments to the thought that the more people rely on governments to solve their problems the more they are likely to end up with most corrupt and evil leaders. The difference between the constitution making process of 1990 and 2006 illustrates this clearly. In 1990s, we relied on the experts to create a constitution whereas currently we are relying on the politicians to create a constitution. No wonder, we are drafting one of the costliest and most time consuming constitutions in the world. Since the CA polls, we have had four prime ministers: one is well-known for his lack of integrity, another is well-known for suffering devastating loss in the elections and yet managing to be the Prime Minister, another got slapped for his active role in hampering the constitution making process and the final one is getting popular for his double standards and cheap promises.

One of the major achievements of 2006 uprising was that it brought crucial issues like equal identity and representation of ethnic groups, discrimination of 'lower' caste people as well Madhesi people have been brought upfront in the political discourse but once again, the political approach towards problem solving has resulted in worst ones from each of these groups have been able to gain power in the names of their ethnicities or their belongingness to a group whereas the condition of the common people remains as dire as ever.

Ability to manipulate people, make moral compromises, lack of integrity, tendency to go with the flow (in other words whatever fulfills their self-interest), double standards, cheap promises, mediocre performances are the common traits that we find among the our politicians that have risen to the top of the political ladders. So, when we are praying for a benevolent dictator or asking the government to solve our problems, it would be a wise step to bear in mind the tendency of the worst of the politicians to get to the top.

Who shall we elect next?

The initial euphoria of Nepalese for electing new political parties in the CA polls symbolized our vengeance against the wrong doing of the hitherto dominant political parties. Though taken aback by the performance of new political forces being not a bit different from that of the ones we were frustrated of and our hopes of 'New Nepal' been dashed, the romanticism of finding yet another new political force hasn't yet vanished. The question that's bedazzling us seems to be: Who shall we elect next? Are there any political forces left that we can try out? But if there is any lesson, our courtship with democracy has taught us, then it's that relying on politics to solve our economic problems is not the smartest way to go about. A paradigm shift in our thinking is imperative if we really want things to change for better. Having more faith on people's abilities to solve their own problems and not asking the government to do it could be one of the areas we need to explore in shifting our paradigms. Limiting the government to its core functions is a necessary step towards reclaiming our morality and sovereignty though politicians, public intellectuals with grandiose dreams and crony capitalists will suggest us otherwise. Giving up the lofty illusions that government and donor agencies are the panacea to our backwardness is a another bitter pill of medicine we Nepalese need to swallow. The only way any government can help pave the path to prosperity is, ironically getting out of the way of general public and letting them works for their own prosperity. We need to realize this.

Evidences around the world suggest it's with the people's own efforts and endeavors not by governments by which prosperity is achieved. Though, every political and economic debates\ of Nepal tends to brush off this fact saying Nepal is different or Nepalese are different, it's time that we realize Nepal is not an exception at all. It is either that or having a new definition for our race: A Nepalese is someone who learns nothing from human nature, economics or experience and repeats the same mistakes over and over again to keep a small section of the population in power and wealthy at the cost of millions who are languishing in poverty at a time when the whole world is bathing in prosperity."

-Surath Giri

Trek to Langtang: My Travelogue

March 03, 2012 Surath Giri— min read

Trek to Langtang which I undertook from 17th Feb to 20th Feb 2012 is one of my most wildest and eventful treks so far. Here is my travelogue of the trek.

Before we begin:

While flipping through this year calendar during the second week of February, I was pleasantly surprised to know that Shivaratri was on a Monday which meant if I took a day off on Sunday from my office, I would have three holidays on my hand which I could utilize for a trek or something else. My pleasure knew no bounds when I came to know that the Sunday (19th ) was Democracy day- an optional holiday in my office. That meant I had three holidays on my hand already and could add a day more by taking leave. So, I had four days. Four days definitely called for a trek. The next question was- Which destination? A friend of mine had trekked to Langtang during last October- the exact date I was trekking to Tsho Rolpa. He had trekked Langtang in just four days although generally people take at least 5-6 days for the purpose. I called him for his opinion. He shared his team had been lucky enough to get a lift and had traveled till late in the evening to make it in four days. The had returned Kathmandu at about midnight on the fourth day. Not a pleasant scenario.

“Do you think we can make it in four days too?”, I asked.

“Well, only if you guys are lucky. But err...as far as I know you are a pro hiker. I think you can easily make it to Kyanjin in a day. Yes, you can make it in four days,” he replied.

That's all I needed. The program was set now. I told Govinda (my favorite travel mate) about the plan. Unfortunately, he couldn't go this time due to his pressing engagements although he too was dying to go to Langtang. My excitement faded quickly. Without him, I had no wish to go on a trek but then again I didn't want such a rare combination of holidays go to waste. Half heartedly I asked Saurav if he wanted to go.

The answer was an excited yes. So, the plan was rolling. Govinda suggested me to ask if Surya (a friend of ours and a novice hiker) if he would be interested to go. Surya too was excited about the plan. Then another friend Anil dropped by my office the next day and was very excited to know that we were going to Langtang and expressed his great desire to join the trek. Four participants were confirmed. I bought the tickets for four of us for 17th .

At last hour, Bibhas also joined the team making the team 5-membered.

Day 1:Kathmandu-Syafru-Pairo

I was not sure if I could wake up early enough to reach Machhapokhari at 6:30 am to catch the bus so I had packed all my bags and had everything ready the previous day. Despite this, I had also set 3 alarms and had asked 3 people to wake me up early. I did woke up on my own earlier than my alarm time but was thankful for all the 3 people for calling early in the morning to make sure I didn't miss the bus. Excitedly I reached bus park at 6:30 to find rest of the four team members waiting for me in the park.

The bus departed at 7:10 am- 5 minutes later than mentioned departure time but still better than the general trend of Nepalese buses. Once out of the valley, the bus began to pass along the spiral roads from one to another hill while inside the bus our conversations hopped from one subject to another ranging from how langtang would look like to cycling to marijuana to music to Nuwakot Palace and Prithvi Narayan Shah. As waking up at around 5 was a bit unusual for me, I dozed off for a while to compensate my sleep while others kept chatting about various subjects.

At about 9:30 I woke up to find the bus passing through a bridge and the beautiful Trisuli river flowing below. The large banks and the sparkling water made the river look so beautiful. The bus continued along for another half an hour to reach Dhunge where we were supposed to have our lunch. We looked around for a while for a nice place for food before finally settling for Lekali Hotel. The food was delicious. We definitely deserved self congratulations. After lunch, we hurried towards our bus and found it waiting.

The journey now onwards was mostly uphill. The road got narrower and steeper and the bus struggled forward slowly. At a place called Kalikasthan, the bus was stopped for security checking. So, we got out for some fresh air and clicked some photographs at the same time. We took to the roofs after the checking was over as we wanted for sightseeing during the ride. From Kalikasthan onwards, however, the road became worse. The addition of new passengers to the already packed bus and poor condition of road significantly reduced our pace. There were numerous landslides which had destroyed the black topped road and all that was left was a improvised narrow road. Once in a while, the bus would tilt so heavily that we would be sure that it was going to fall off the cliffs. Luckily, we didn't.

We passed through small Tamang settlements along the way. Langtang Mountain peeked from shoulders of hills making us even more eager to get there faster. Another hour of rough ride gave way for a better conditioned road and we reached Dhunche at about about 2 pm. The bus was stopped for another security clearance as now we were within the premises of Langtang National Park. So, we climbed down for a stroll. A Sherpa wedding ceremony was going on in Dhunche at the time. As we were in the mood for some fun, just outside the house the wedding was taking place, we began dancing in the road. As we danced our jhyaure dance and shouted lhasso once in a while trying to mimic some steps of Sherpa dance, Anil suggested that we may come off as trying to tease them. We, definitely didn't want to anger anyone. So, we stopped our wonderful dance and strolled around taking pictures. Me, Anil and Saurav posed for photographs at the junction which separated the way for Langtang and Gosainkunda.

When the bus reached the place we were waiting and stopped so that we could board it, my eyes opened wide with surprise when I saw that people were racing and climbing to the roof of the bus. Despite of my so many travels, I had never seen such a scene. The scene reminded me of the “Liglig Race” scene in the movie “Seemarekha”. I gave up hopes of climbing to the roof and I squeezed myself inside the bus. Our seats had been taken already so we manged ourselves seats in the aisle of the bus. Thankfully, it wasn't any less comfortable.

The bus now passed through even more steep turnings. As one of the passenger in the bus informed us, the place is known as “Barha Ghumti” (Twelve turning) for the twelve turnings the place had. At around 4:30 pm we reached Syafru. We were overjoyed to have reached syafru so early. As per our initial estimates, we were supposed to spend the night in Syafru. But we had more than 2 hours before it got dark.

“So, shall we stay here or what?”,I asked the group.

“You think we came here to sit?”, someone retorted.

“That's awesome. Let's get moving then.” , I replied happily.

We continued along the way to find a swinging bridge. On asking for directions, we were directed to cross the bridge and continue along. We did as instructed. On the other side of a bridge, is a small settlement where we found a community bakery. The cakes looked and smelled delicious. So, we stopped for tea and ate the cakes served in the bakery. They tasted awesome. I would recommend anyone going there not to miss the cakes served there.

When we asked the person at the bakery, we were told that we could make it to Pairo by nightfall if we walked steadily. So, we resumed our trek. Within few minutes of walk, we met a woman who begged us to carry some of her bags. We said yes, albeit unwillingly. She informed us that she owned a lodge in Pairo and suggested we stay at her place. We agreed.

We trekked along the path that ran alongside the Langtang river-getting to bank at times and elevating at other times. Once in a while we had to stand at the edge of the trail to give way for the Khachchads that were coming downhill towards Syafru. Our conversations were excitements of seeing snow as well as apprehension of whether we would be able to make it in time.

At around 6 pm, we reached Pairo and threw out bags once our rooms were confirmed and slumped on our beds. The sweet smell of Yak Sukuti that we had ordered compelled us to get up and hurriedly devour it. After resting for a while and freshening up, we had our dinner which was delicious. The lentils were especially yummy. It was very exciting to have our meal while listening to the roar of the river. We were happy to have the river roaring through out the night while we slept peacefully hoping to wake up early next morning and continue our journey.

Day 2: Pairo - Bamboo – Rimche - Lama Hotel – Riverside – Ghodatabela - Thang syap - Langtang Village

Next morning we woke at around 5:30 in the morning which wasn't hard as we had slept early the previous day. Hurriedly, we freshened up , did our daily chores, had a cup of tea each, paid our dues and started our journey at 6:50. We wanted to go as far as we could as time was short. As mornings are very good for photography and beautiful sceneries were in abundance,we couldn't help ourselves from delaying our trek by taking as many pictures as we could. But despite the distractions, we reached Bamboo in 40 minutes -20 minutes earlier than our estimated time. Reaching Bamboo the first that struck us was- Damn we should have walked more yesterday and stayed at this place instead. It was more beautiful than Pairo. A cup of tea each and dozens of photographs each, we once again resumed our trek. As we gained height, the mountain appeared nearer encouraging us to keep walking and lush vegetation adorned our trail.

Encounter with langoors (monkeys) compelled us to click some more pictures. Our pace slowed as we were faced with steeper uphill climb but we kept walking. Bibhas and Anil with their fast paced hiking weren't to be seen anywhere whereas Saurav and Surya was far behind with Saurav assisting Surya with his loads and taking pictures along the way. So, left to myself ( that's something I welcome during treks) I kept trekking in a steady pace wondering if I could conjure up a poem about the journey.

Another two hours of walk that left me gasping for breath brought me to Lama Hotel. Anil and Bibhas were already at the place and were waiting for the rest of us. We asked the Sherpini dd to prepare lunch for us, drank a cup of tea each and began exploring around. After waiting for another 20 minutes or so, we could finally see overjoyed Saurav and exhausted and sweaty Surya appear at the turn. Saurav having found some marijuana in the jungle was excited to try it out which we did while the food was being prepared.

The food was good enough but the pickle was remarkable. I have never tasted so hot achaar in my entire life. In fact, very few of us had tasted so piro achaar before in life. Made entirely out of chillies (akbare khurshanis), even a piece of that achar can shake your brains. A must try if you love hot n spicy achaars.

At 11:40 we resumed our trek. We were behind our intended schedule so I urged everyone to walk faster and steadily now onwards. As before, within few minutes, Anil and Bibhas disappeared with their fast pace. Saurav and Surya, stoned and clicking pictures were left far behind. So , I was in the middle walking alone.

After walking for another hour or so, the trail passed through the river bank where we rested for a while, played with the water and resumed our walk. Surya was very apprehensive about getting exhausted and not being able to walk anymore. We tried to alleviate his fears by telling that his speed was fine with us and he could do it.

Another two hours of hike brought us to a place called Riverside. The scenery was getting more and more beautiful with cool breeze blowing past and we could see the mountains nearer and nearer. What more could we ask for? Except some sweets and dried fruits of course. Saurav was happy to have his load taken off and we enjoyed some chocolates and dried fruits and resumed our journey.

We reached Ghoda Tabela , a small settlement next. There, we rested for a while and resumed our journey. We couldn't afford to waste too much of our time as we hope to reach Kyanjin Gumba by nightfall. We reached an army check post next where we were asked to record our names in the register. In case we were to be lost, our contact details would be used for our rescue. When we told the army personnel their that we had hiked from Pairo, it was evident that he was finding it hard to believe. Though he was surprised that we had hiked so much, he said it would be next to impossible for us to reach Kyanjin the same day. We refused to take his advice seriously and geared up to resume our hike and tried to accelerate our pace.

We passed through another settlement called Thang Syap but didn't stop there. After hiking for some more time, at about 5 pm, we reached Langtang Village. Kyanjin Gumba was supposed to be two hours walk away from here. I turned around to ask if we should continue along but stopped myself when I saw how tired and exhausted Surya and everyone else was. So we decided to spend the night at Langtang Village and go to Kyanjin early next morning.

We stayed at a lodge called Tibetan Guest House which was recently built and had more faciities compared to other lodges around. After settling our bags and luggages we ordered tea. Luckily, Tibetan tea which we were eagerly looking forward to-was being prepared. After enjoying the Tibetan tea we went on a stroll to see if we could find something interesting. We were told there was a cheese factory but it was too far away and was likely to be closed at this time. So we walked around.

Suddenly, we noticed a bright white foam like substance at the roadside. “Snow!!” someone exclaimed. Everyone rushed to see it. And then looking higher we noticed to our happiness the roads were full of snow. We had wished to touch the snow and here we were having to walk through roads filled with knee-deep snow. What could we have asked for more?

“My God, it was worth all the trouble”, Surya exclaimed with joy. Our efforts had paid off and we were yet to see Kyangin Gumba. What a bliss!

Returning from the stroll, we shared boiled potatoes with piro achaar with the guides and then went to our beds to give our tired bodies a break. The dinner at the lodge was good but pale compared to our earlier meals. But we were too tired to bother so we went to sleep early as we had to wake up early next morning and head for Kyanjin Gumba. We didn't until then but we were in for a surprise!

A fierce wind blew through out the whole night shaking out tin rooftop. It felt as if the wind was going to blow us away. Anil and Surya weren't able to fall asleep. Rest of us fell asleep quickly as we were too tired to bother the storm as well.

Day 3: Langtang village- Kyanjin Gumba-Pairo

Next morning we woke up at around 5. The water was icy cold and prevented some of us from fulfilling our daily chores. After some breakfast, we set out for Kyanjin Gumba. Last night's storm has left behind even more snow in the roads. We were amused to see roads fully covered by snow making it difficult for people to figure out the right trail and some ponds had frozen making platform for us to walk over them. At one frozen pond, we tried walking over and standing straight without slipping. Our endeavors turned into break dance. It was so fun. Of the 2100 plus photos that were taken during the trek, majority of them were taken during our trek from Langtang to Kyanjin Gumba.

Down on the right side of the trail Langtang river was flowing but all its vicinities were covered by snow. The overall scenario made us believe that we were in the middle of wilderness though we were not. The mountains looked so close that one could almost touch them. The cold breeze from the mountains refreshed us once in a while. We could see small houses fully covered with snow. We even found some waterfalls frozen in the air. In an overall, it was a heavenly experience.

After walking for two and a half hours, we finally reached Kyanjin Gumba. My heart leapt with joy to see a beautiful settlement covered all around with snow. We started taking pictures ferociously. Saurav was especially happy to have a chance of on-the-job training for photography.

After taking photographs to our hearts' fill, we walked to a nearby lodge. On asking if they had anything “Langtang Special” to serve us, we were offered “Phapar ko roti” which we happily accepted. We had a hard time eating the rotis with just achar so we asked for some honey. With honey, the rotis were delicious. After the lunch, we were mulling over spending some more time at the place. The guy at the lodge warned us, however, that spending too much time outdoor without sunglasses was detrimental to eyes since the bright reflections from snow all around would harm eyes. So, we decided to start our return journey.

We took some more photographs and bid adjeau to Kyanjin and started the downhill trek. In about 2 hours, we reached back at Langtang where we paid our bills, got our bags and headed towards Syafru. The downhill trek was faster but not less painful for legs, especially the heels and calves.

This time, there were no photos to be taken. 2100 photos were enough for us, so we walked without distraction. Walking for a an hour or so, we reached Ghoda Tabela where had an awesome Thukpa, rested for about 10 minutes and resumed our journey. Walking or another few hours, we reached Lama Hotel where had tea and some snacks. At Rimche, we met crowds of college students on their way up. From their faces, it was evident that this was the trek was a tough call for them. They happened to be from Ace College and no wonder someone cried out “Surath Dai”. It was Ayush, an arthalaya graduate. It pleases to meet acquaintances in most unusual places.

It was already evening and the sun was about to set when we reached Bamboo. Should we spend the night here or walk further to Pairo? Was the question on everyone's mind. Today was the most strenuous day of the trek as we had been walking since the morning. But if we stayed at Bamboo there was a greater chance that we would miss the bus tomorrow and be stranded in Syafru which we didn't want. So, we decided to keep walking. The sun had already set and it was getting dark. We had one more hour to walk. Soon, it became too dark to see. We took out our torches and started walking closer to each other. Thinking about the situation brought a smile on my face. Almost on every trek I have embarked on so far, there have instances where I had to walk with the torch and in the dark. It usually is fun but walking from Na Gaon to Beding last October had been real scary.

Finally, to our relief , at about 7:30 we reached Pairo. We asked the Sauni to boil some hot water so we could relax our tired poor feet. To congratulate ourselves, we had a plate of Yak Sukuti each as well. After eating a heavy dinner, we settled in the same room we had stayed earlier. Though tired, everyone has elated to have made it.

Day 4: Pairo-Syafru-Kathmandu

Earlier next morning we rushed to Syafru to catch the last bus to Kathmandu. The bus was supposed to leave at 9. With our rush we reached Syafru at about 8. We didn't forget to have the ultra delicious cakes from the community bakery though. To our surprise, when we reached the bazaar, we found two of the bus which were supposed to have left already still in Syafru. What's going on? I thought confusedly.

On being asked, a local replied. “Due to Shivaratri and the excessive road blocks demanding donations on the occasion, no buses will run today!”

“What the f**K?. Now how are we supposed to go to Kathmandu” . All of our extra walking to return to Kathmandu in four days seemed to have gone in vain. Dejectedly, we began to look around for other alternatives. There were none. No one was willing to go. “Damn this culture of ours that encourages people to extort money in the name of festival and hamper the daily lives of everyone else”, I thought to myself.

A man informed us that he had a truck coming to Syafru with his chickens and it could take us upto Trishuli if it decided to return today. There were rays of hope and our spirits lifted a little. Suddenly, we saw a jeep speeding towards us. Expecting a lift, we stopped it. The guy agreed to take us but they were going upto Dhunche only. We agreed and climbed at the back. Something is always better than nothing and it feels good to be at least some kilometers nearer to home, doesn't it?

The driver who turned out to be learning to drive nearly drove us off a cliff once when he stopped the jeep without using the handbrake and began searching for his records. As the jeep began to slip without notice to the driver, we were at the back ready to jump. But then, his friend who was more experienced driver noticed the slip and immediately applied the hand brakes. We breathed loud sighs of relief.

They left us at Dhunche, which too didn't have any buses or any other vehicles leaving for the day. So, we decided to help ourselves and started trekking once again. A couple of times we were stopped by the children asking for money. We were too angry to give them anything. “It's because of you idiots that we are having to walk”, we shouted. Some took it with calmness but some of them shouted back. It was fun quarreling with the children.

We had walked for almost an hour when we finally saw the blue truck that was returning after delivering chickens to Syafru appear at a turn. We had seen the truck go to Syafru but had been unable to stop it. But now we were well prepared. As the truck came closer all of us waving our hands vigorously. The driver stopped the vehicle. They agreed to take us upto wherever they would be going but it would cost us a bit. We were not in the mood to haggle over money, so we agreed and climbed the back of the truck.

It was one hell o a bumpy ride but we enjoyed it. We were stopped more than,I guess 300 times along the way by children and sometime even adults who had erected barricades in the road on the occasion of Shivaratri demanding money. We gave money to about 10 of those groups. For the rest, we made our way by either threatening them, cajoling them or simply driving through their barricades. The most effective trick that worked was telling them with a sense of urgency that we had a patient in the vehicle and were taking him to hospital and promising them that we would give them money on our way back.

On reaching Kalikasthan, the driver told us to wait for a while as he had some work there. So we decided to have lunch while waiting. The food at Kalikasthan was also delicious. Anil had been asking for ghee at every place we ate food. Most of the times he had been disappointed. But not this time. When asked for ghee, the Sauni brought a bowl of melted ghee and poured over our rice. We all laughed at this. Anil was finally going to eat ghee to his fill. The ghee induced us to have a little more food that we generally had. So, after the lunch, we were sluggish and sleepy.

Another 2 hours of ride and countless negotiations with the road blockers, we finally reached Trishuli. And by the way, we were more than happy to par our fares which turned out to be Rs. 100 each which was lower than we had expected. In Trishuli, we found a micro van who agreed to take us to Kathmandu if we would pay then Rs. 250 each (Rs. 100 higher than normal day's fare). We agreed and in a while we were on our way back to Kathmandu. Hurray!!

Epilogue:

We reached Kathmandu before the sun had set. So we had some time for Shivaratri celebrations too. Langtang Trek was one of my most wildest walkings ever and is one of the most memorable trek so far. For a day or two, I had a difficult time walking but it was pleasant experience as it reminded me of Langtang and the great time we had there. As I finish writing this travelogue, I have almost finalized our next trekking destination and I am eagerly looking forward to it. Life is just wonderful!

Fatalism and free markets

February 26, 2012 Surath Giri— min read

Surath Giri

A lot of things happened since Dor Bahadur Bista published his magnum opus Fatalism and Development in 1991 explaining how fatalism prevalent in the Nepal, especially among the elite of the country has suffocated development and modernisation of the country. Two decades have passed, a civil war has been fought, monarchy abolished and political paradigm has shifted to accommodate the views of ethnic groups who were earlier unheard. Yet the ghost of fatalism has not left us alone. Modernization and development remain as elusive to Nepal as ever. A casual observation indicates political development post 2006 to be a perfect antidote to fatalism as more and more groups come forward with demands for equal recognition. How-ever, a deeper analysis could point us towards the fact that what we are seeing is just the transformation not the elimination of fatalistic attitudes and beliefs.

Caste politics has entered the mainstream in disguise and even the castes identified by Bista as enterprising and hard-working are now embroiled in caste politics which discourages hard work and reasserts fatalism. A person’s rewards are not based on what he or she can offer as an individual but to what ethnicity or political party one’s affiliated with.

The greatest irony is that the hard-working and enterprising segment of the population from all ethnic-ities, still remain marginalised and unappreciated. Their hard work and energy that was constrained in the past by the narrow boundaries of caste system still remains constrained today by their lack of political power.

This new fatalism is discouraging the productive segment of the population from what they are doing and enticing them to follow the fatalist segment of the population. The chakari system has evolved to accommodate bureaucracy among the rulers. Common citizens trying get things done in any government office are quite aware of this new chakari system which involves pleasing peons to haakims through monetary gifts popularly known as ‘chiya kharcha’. One has to either please them or forgo one’s work.

Added to the new breed of fatalism is the chanda system. Every productive citizen nowadays, sooner or later, find himself or herself doing chakari and paying homage to hoodlums and thugs. The chanda system has become so prevalent that it has now become a part of our fate. The deities of chanda unless pleased by a portion of our income, can wreak havoc on our karma and even threaten our existence.

Individualism, individual ambitions, rewards based on merit and achievements rather than caste or political connections are some of the traits Nepal is in need of for achieving development and modernisation. And these are not the very things that is achievable by government actions but by free interactions of free and equal individuals in the society. Free markets, the system that rewards people based on voluntary transactions and the value they create in society rather than by political decrees might be the answer to fatalism that’s ever so prevalent in Nepali society. Although the expression ‘money does not have colour’ is usually used to connote market with acts of selfishness, profit-mongering and other evils, the very fact that money does not have colour or race or political ideology makes free market system favourable to the enterprising and productive people of all races, gender and walks of life. Value creation, mutual benefit and peaceful exchange are the only things that are upheld. It is evident from the fact that, today even a poor person from a marginalised community and deprived of political powers and connections gets treated as equally as a rich Brahmin by a telecommunications company or a noodle company or any other seller and buyers for that matter. Expanding this trend to every other sector of our lives is what Nepal really needs.

Post 1990 that saw a limited move towards a free market system that shed light on the ability of free markets to promote entrepreneurship, innovation and hard work. Businesses started by people from even marginalised ethnic backgrounds have flourished. Enterprising people from various ethnic backgrounds including the marginalised communities have been able to break free of the shackles of ignorance and poverty through widespread educational opportunities. Their merit and hard work is awarded by foreign employment opportunities although the elite group is bent on making it hard for them to do so citing reasons of national pride and national images. The increased and quality educational opportunities have more to do with the mushrooming private sector (including community schools) than the public education system that ensures equally bad education to everyone. The younger generation that has acquired modern education is getting less prone to the effects of fatalism.

The way Nepali society is abandoning social evils such as caste discrimination and narrow-mindedness has less to do with government actions than evolution of the society through increased economic and social activities. Increased exposure to foreign culture and systems has been instrumental in transforming Nepali society albeit slowly.

Despite all these changes, fatalism, which is now being promoted full-fledgedly by the current political discourse and political parties, has not lost its stronghold. Fatalism based on caste system is giving way for fatalism based on politics and ethnicity, which is a sad turn of events for the aspiring millions of Nepalis. Adopting and nurturing a free market system would be a better antidote for fatalism.

(Published in The Himalayan Times of February 26, 2012)

Worst Dictators of the 20th Century

February 07, 2012 Surath Giri— min read

Frustrated by the sheer anarchy and impunity that's engulfing Nepal these days, every Nepalese seems to be wishing for a dictator. If we were to take heed of what human history has taught us, that wish of ours could might a fatal one. I have compiled a chart to show who were the worst dictators of the past century and how many people they killed.

Feel free to redistribute the image provided that you give some credit to me.

Trek to Tsho Rolpa Glacial Lake: My travelogue

February 03, 2012 Surath Giri— min read

Me and my two friends (Govinda Siwakoti and Manoj Giri) trekked to Tsho Rolpa Glacial Lake and back from 29th September to 6th October 2011. I had promised to write about it but other pressing engagements kept me from writing about it until now. Finally, here it is: the story of our trek to Tsho Rolpa Glacial Lake (4580 meters).

Before we begin:

For the past few years travelling, especially trekking has been my obsession. After hiking up every possible hills surrounding Kathmandu Valley, I was very eager to extend my travel destinations. By embarking on a trek from Sundarijal to Gosainkunda in 2009 with a friend and having lots and lots of adventure, I was able to fulfill my wish. From then on, it has been a tradition for me to go on a trek during every Dashain. Neither a devout religious nor a big fan of social gatherings, prospect of trekking to a new place is something that makes me look forward to Dashain holidays every year. To keep the health of our pockets in check and to enjoy the prospect of travelling a less common place, I try to select destinations that are relatively lesser known or less frequented by tourists. Last year, it was Panch Pokhari. This year, the chosen destination was Tsho Rolpa, a glacial lake situated in the laps of Gauri Shankar Himal at the height of 4580 meters.

One of my lessons from past experiences has been: If you wait for every one of your friends to be ready for the event, the event (especially the hikes or treks) never happens. So, when Govinda nodded yes for the proposal, the trek was confirmed. Luckily, Manoj too joined us after overcoming various forces that were out to stop him from participating, making the team 3-awesome-membered. ;)

Manoj took care of the food items, Govinda took care of the camera and I took care of the bus tickets.

Day 1: Kathmandu to Singati (Bus Ride, Bumpy Ride and Then some more Bus Ride)

The first day of the journey was from Kathmandu to Singati, a small settlement alongside the river Tamakoshi. I am not particularly fond of long bus rides, let alone the suffocating, nauseating bus rides during Dashain time. But I take these trials not only as a cost of the enjoyment of travel but also as a chance to observe the way of life for majority of the Nepalese and hence find them bearable. Manoj especially was apprehensive that he might not feel well in the period. So we bought some medicines for him and asked the conductor if we could travel on the roof of the bus which we are used to and in fact, me and Govinda love. We were denied the privilege owing to the new traffic rules that prevented the buses from taking passengers in roofs. The bus left, to our utter surprise, on time at 9 am sharp and without overcrowding. We took turns to depart with our most favorite addiction-Facebook by updating our statuses that we intended to drive our friends green with envy. On reaching Dhulikhel-the capital city of Kavrepalanchowk district and the city which I find almost as familiar to Kathmandu, we once again expressed our desire to ride the risky way and this time our request was accepted. Overjoyed we climbed the roof and made Manoj to do the same. Now onwards the journey was a breeze full of joyful jolts along the way. We passed through the lush greeneries and noisy markets for another 3 hours to reach Khadichaur, a vibrant bazaar nourished by cheap and flashy Chinese goods. We had our lunch there. One thing you learn after enough travel is to make your appetite adjust with food different from the type that you are used to. In fact, eventually, one learns to appreciate and enjoy them. Maybe it was because of this newfound joy that Manoj left his jacket at the hotel and remembered only after the bus had gone a few miles away. We had to stop the bus for a while to the utter disappointment of the conductor till Manoj went and fetched his jacket back.

Singati

From Khadichaur, we enjoyed the windy road, cool breeze and scenic views for few more hours until we reached a place called Boch where a bus had met with an accident. The bus had plunged into the roadside drainage canal while making way for a speeding truck. Due to jolt, all the people riding on the roof had fallen off the bus. Though no one was seriously injured, a few of the passengers have had their arms and legs broken. Terrified we thanked our luck for not having boarded that ill-fated bus. One thing that amazes me is Nepalese people are so used to such accidents. The survivors of that ill-fated bus coolly boarded our bus-you guessed it –on the roof and we moved on as if nothing had happened. Another hour of bus ride brought us to Charikot- the headquarters of Dolakha district. Another bunch of people boarded our already stuffed bus and magically somehow fitted themselves in. As per the instructions of the conductors we prepared ourselves for the tougher journey ahead. The road that followed from Charikot to Singati made the previous section of road seem too modern and safe.

For more than four hours, our bus moved at snail’s pace along the muddy road. Every other minute, the bus tilted in the uneven road so sharply that we let out a pray to god to save us. Later on, the road became so uneven and rough that we had to use all of our limbs just to keep us from falling off the bus. Meanwhile, Govinda prepared Dalmoth-Chiura which we shared with all our fellow passengers. At about ten in the night, we reached Singati, the bus’s last stop. We were extremely tired, exhausted and weary but excited that bus ride was over and from now on we could do what we came to do – trek and at our own pace. We found a small hotel which offered us dal-bhat and a place to sleep for a very reasonable price. I must say the extra hot pickle was delicious and the sleep a joy with the music of river after a tiring day.

Day 2: Singati (950 m) to Simigaon (2020 m) (Waterfall and Waterfall)

Early next morning, we woke up and looked to see if we could find a map for the route. We didn’t. So we started the journey after taking some shots of us standing on a large stone at the riverside. Manoj was extra careful that the picture showed his backpack and his walking stick. A true trekker one must admit!

We headed for a place called Jagat trekking alongside the Tamakoshi River, clicking some pictures once in a while and adjusting our backpacks wondering if we over packed after all. After walking for almost an hour we took a short break to rest and regain our energy. While resting, we saw a red mini truck slugging towards us. Govinda suggested we should try our luck and ask for a lift for as far as the truck goes. It turned out-the truck was carrying passengers packed like chickens and was taking them to a place called Gogar Khola-further than Jagat. Overjoyed we boarded the already packed vehicle and somehow managed to find a place to put our butts on. I sat on a sack of Maize, Govinda squeezed between some passengers and Manoj sat on a gas cylinder. The road was as bad as before and unlike in the bus, there was nothing to hold on to. We were hurled from one corner to another as if we were playing the aqua…. By the end of the ride, we weren’t really sure if all of our bones were in place. And we thought yesterday’s bus ride was bad? But looking on to some bright side, we passed a magnificent waterfall along the way. The waterfall fell right on the road and there was no way anyone could pass the point without getting wet. We peaked at the waterfall with delight from inside the truck and made the plans that when we were on our way back we would surely take a bath in the waterfall.

The waterfall we bathed in.

At one place, the truck refused to go on due to the extremely slippery and muddy condition of the road. So we got out of the truck to ease the load. Govinda started taking some pictures. I and Manoj helped other passengers to throw stones at the deep pits to make the road passable for the truck. Half an hour’s effort of more than half a dozen people finally set the road right and we were able to move on. After about 2 hours of ride (which seems like days), we finally reached Gogarkhola –a beautiful Tamang settlement. We were happy to observe the Upper Tamakoshi hydropower project which if completed is supposed to end our load shedding woes. Walking for a few more minutes, we found a restaurant that would serve us dal-bhat. While waiting for our food, Manoj and I asked Govinda to take some pictures of us which he did happily.

From Gogarkhola we headed for ChhetChhet, a small Sherpa settlement. Just before reaching ChhetChhet, we found huge, magnificent waterfall that simply took our breath away. The time spent at the waterfall taking countless pictures in countless poses was among the best moments of the trek. The waterfall there is just awesome and makes you want take one picture after another. After spending an hour we unwillingly left the waterfall and continued our trek. From Chhetchhet , we crossed a bridge and trekked along a steep staircase made by carving the huge rock present there. The staircase over there is so steep that after walking for only about 20 minutes, we had to stop to catch our breath. While we were resting trying to slowdown our racing hearts, Manoj with the demeanor of a magician took out an apple from his pocket which he had stumbled upon while being hurled in the mini truck. What a delicious apple it was!

Then, we resumed our walking uphill. We passed through fields of millets and vegetable gardens for more than two hours. The village is known as Simigaon and consists of mainly Tamang and Sherpa people. Every person we passed was asked the same question: “How long will it take us to get to Tsho Rolpa?”. As it usually is the case with local people- the answer definite. Our estimated journey varied from two days to four days. As learned from previous experiences, we take such estimates with a pinch of salt.

The sun had already set and evening breeze had begun to blow when we reached the lodge situated at the uppermost part of Simigaon. We decided to spend the night there. The lodge is situated in an amazingly beautiful place. Just in front of it is a very old monastery. It provides a magnificent view of the Tamakoshi River and its subsidiaries. It is in my view, a perfect place to spend a couple of days relaxing and meditating or maybe writing a book. In the lodge, we met a Belgian couple who were headed for Trashi Lapcha, two days further from Tsho Rolpa.

How Simigaon got its name?

Naturally, we were curious to know how Simigaon got its name. Here is how: Once upon a time when the place was covered with forest and wild animals. Some hunters had come to the place to hunt. During the hunt they had rice and Simi and left the remaining simi in the place. Later when they returned for another hunt, they found the place covered with Simi all over. So, when they decided to settle over there, the place was named Simigaon. So does Simigaon have simi at present too? Yep, it does although not all over the place.

A house at Simi Gaon

The Sherpa dai offered us Yak’s sekuwa as an appetizer before dinner which we gladly accepted and had it with some local alcohol and some of the vodka we had brought along with us. Manoj being both a vegetarian as well as a teetotaler was not particularly happy with the arrangements. Govinda and I did our best to add insult to his injury by describing how delicious the sekuwa was. He must have lamented for one more time the day he decided to forgo two of the most wonderful food in the world: meat and alcohol.

Day 3: Simigaon (2020 m) to Dong (Leeches and waterfalls)

Manoj woke us up next morning with his early morning bhajans and rituals. Grudgingly Govinda and I woke up and three of us had our breakfast before setting out on our journey. The trail was getting more beautiful everyday and we were even more excited to continue our journey. Only about 15 minutes of walking away from Simigaon however, a catastrophe struck us. Leeches were abundant on the trail and their intensity had been increased by early morning humidity. Manoj –not very used to them and have been warned beforehand had brought a whole pack of salt to defend ourselves. We filled our shoes, rubbed our trousers and walking sticks with salt and walked briskly to avoid the bloodsuckers. Despite this, those suckers crawled along our shoes and trousers and even walking sticks sending a chill though our spines. Once in a while when too many leeches were measuring our pants and walking sticks, we ran as fast as we could.

The terror resided after walking for around half an hour. We walked along the bank of a river through lush jungles. Slowly but steadily we continued along the way- me contemplating, Govinda looking for good shots and Manoj poking at different plants amusedly. Every once in a while, we reached a waterfall or a stream and were forced to take a break to savor the beauty and click some shots for memories. Though waterfalls were a dime a dozen at this place, we could never had enough of them. So, every waterfall and stream made us take countless shots in countless poses. The Belgian couples although started late in the morning, passed by us and were nowhere to be seen until Dong.

Me watching a stream on the way to Dong

Dong, a small settlement (of about 4 households) right at the bank of the river was our destination. We planned to reach Beding by the evening so that we could save a day but were warned that if we reached Dong at later than noon, we shouldn’t continue our journey. There are no settlements between Dong and Beding.

We reached Dong at about 2 pm. It was broad daylight which made us divided on whether we should continue our journey or stay at Dong. I was bent on continuing the journey whereas Manoj suggested we spend the night there and head for Beding next day. After much thought and analysis, luckily Manoj prevailed. Beding , we later realized was one hell of a far place and it would have been a mistake to continue our journey even if we had reached Dong by noon. Had I prevailed, we would surely have been forced to spend the night at the jungle. We asked the Sauni to prepare dal-bhat for us and started playing cards with the porters of the Belgian couple. Since no money was involved, the game got boring pretty soon. So, we roamed around for a while, drank some tea and went to sleep early. But not before making lots of jokes of each other and laughing till our stomachs hurt.

Day 4: Dong to Na (4180 m) (Are we lost? You bet!)

Day 4 was the longest day of the journey. We started at about 7 in the morning after some tea and muesli. The vegetation along the way was much different than previous days and the trail was even lonelier and passed through dense forests. Waterfall and Jholunge Puls kept whetted our appetite for photographs even more. With the increase in altitude, breathing was getting more difficult and our pace of walking slower. The trail went up and down alongside the riverbank and was replete with scenic views. Forks in the trail that we reached once in a while were pretty confusing though. With no one to ask, our intuitions and reasoning on why particular fork on the trail looked like the way to Tsho Rolpa helped us make our decisions. Luckily, we made all of our decisions right. At about 1 pm, it began to drizzle making the walking more difficult but more exciting. Tired and hungry we gulped down all the dry fruits as well as biscuits we had brought along with us. We walked for another hour joined by the Belgian couple before we began asking each other out of desperation: “How far is Beding now? Are we going to get there at all?”

A waterfall on the way to Beding

Finally at about 3 pm, we reached Beding, the largest settlement in Rolwaling Valley. Not only is it the largest settlement but also one of the most beautiful settlements. Full of small traditional houses and usually covered in the mist, the village reminds one of some far away villages described in the ‘once upon a time’ fairy tales. It also has a monastery more than 800 years old. On reaching the place, we sought out for a place that would provide us food. We only found locked houses and were pretty disappointed. But then, a young attractive lady came along with a guy (her brother we later found out) and opened one of the houses. Then, they prepared for us one of the most delicious meals we had had so far in the journey. To our delight, we also found out that a satellite phone was available at the lodge although calling was pretty costly through the phone (Rs. 25 per minute). We took turns to call our homes to tell us we were fine and we would definitely be home for the tika (which was a lie of course) and our beloved ones to tell them we utterly butterly missed them. In her usual self, my mom started complaining me for not staying home during festivals. I gently informed her that the phone call was very costly and she would have enough time to complain once I returned home.

By the time we had our lunch and rested for a while it was already 4 pm and we were not sure if we should be continuing our journey to reach Na but the lady and her brother assured us that the journey would not take more than 2 hours for sure and we could easily reach Na before it got too dark. They also suggested us to ask for Dorje dai’s hotel in Na which belonged to their parents. So we were on the road once again. It turned out two hours was time period for local people which would mean it would take almost double the time for us to reach Na.

On our way, we met two young ladies rushing downhill. One of them giggling showed us her frost bitten nose and told us that it was too cold up there and we better take care of our noses too. Later on we met an old couple walking towards Beding who stopped us to tell us something but we couldn’t figure what they were saying due to the excessive noise the river was making. Not to sound impolite we nodded our heads as if we had understood them and departed. They later turned out to be the very people whose hotel we were supposed to stay in Na. They had closed their hotel for a day and had been heading to Beding to participate in a pooja at the monastery.

It began to get darker and we had already walked for more than 2 hours and yet Na was nowhere to be seen. We turned on our torch lights and headlights and kept going. Slowly with the darkness , the trail began to disappear and it soon became hard for us to be sure if we were walking in the right trail. The possibility that we had been lost in the middle of nowhere at night began to dawn upon us sending a chill through our spines. And when torch lights began to grew dimmer as battery discharged, we were even more scared. Neither the trail nor Na village were to be found. We drew ourselves closer and kept walking with trembling steps. Suddenly, a dark, hairy figure appeared in front me and I nearly fainted. Thank god it was a Yak which meant Na was near somewhere.

Bird's Eye View of Na Gaon

After walking for another half an hour we were convinced that we had taken the wrong turn and were about to return when we heard someone shouting. With hopeful hearts we walked toward the source of sound. Luckily, it was a Na Gaon resident which had come to herd away the yaks across the stream. We breathed a sigh of relief and thanked our almighty luck. The old man guided us till we reached the village and on reaching there even offered us to stay at his place which we promptly denied. We wanted to go to Dorje's dai's hotel. So, we thanked him and headed towards the Gumba alongside was supposed to the hotel we were looking for. To our utter dismay we found the hotel closed , so we looked for other nearby hotels but to no avail. After knocking the doors of almost half a dozen houses we found Rame- a guy we had met on our way to Na. He had promised to find us a place. So, we sought his help. With an ironic twist of fate, Rame led us to Gaurishankar lodge-the place of the old man who had guided us to the village itself. Giving embarrassed smiles, we went along with him to his house.

The old man arranged our bedding and asked us if we wanted something to eat. We said we didn't as our stomachs were still heavy with the dal-bhat we had in Beding. The family was having some kind of soup. So we asked what they were having. “Syakpa”, the old man replied. Manoj gave a curious look but mine and Govinda's face lighted up with joy to hear that.

Last year, in Panchpokhari we had been offered Syakpa by some guides. It had tasted dellliccious! So, we excitedly said , “Yes please!”

I am never going to have Skyakpa again neither will Govinda as far as I know him. It tasted horrible and the strong awful smell of Yak's dried meat made me nauseas. Seeing our faces Manoj chuckled with delight. His revenge!! To remove the awful taste from our mouth we ordered some milk. The milk was delicious though.

After the food we started a small chitchat with the family. I told them one of my best friend during childhood was from Na Gaon. It turned out the old man was my firend's uncle. What a coincidence? I was delighted to have stayed with my friend's uncle. The feeling I has at the time was the kind of feeling when you return to your village or the place you grew up. It was like finding my roots. I missed my friend and my childhood days terribly. Nostalgically, I told them how Passang and I used to spend almost time together during our schooldays and how our friendship had grown stronger as we hopped through one hobbies to another ranging from comic books to computers.

At around ten we went to sleep. I slept happily thinking what an adventurous day especially the evening it had been. How was I to know at the time the most scary evening of the journey was yet to come?

Day 5: Na (4180 m) to Tsho Rolpa (4580 m) and Back to Beding ( 3690 m) (Oh my God, Tsho Rolpa is beautiful!!)

Early next morning I was woken up by Manoj shaking me and telling me that if I didn't wake up immediately and went outside I was going to miss one of the most amazing scenes of the trek. I refused to wake up as I had a headache caused by having my head exposed to cold during the sleep. But after a while, I thought- this scene may be the most memorable scene of the trek. I would be a fool to miss it for a headache. So I summed up my energy and woke up. The daughter offered me a cup of coffee. Carrying the coffee I ran for the view. Bamm!! I banged my head on the upper beam of the door. The bang made me spill half of my coffee and I got a big 'tutulko' on my forehead. Cursing I ran outside thinking the view better be worth all this trouble.

Oh my god! What a view? Absolutely breathtaking! I had never seen a mountain from so up-close. It looked as if the mountain was within the courtyard of the house. I took a spin on my heels to get a 360 degree view. The view was not only worth all this trouble but I would have trekked even ten days to see it. Manoj was in his usual self demanding more and more pictures of him. Govinda with a resigned look was taking the pictures while once in a while taking the picture of just the landscape. We must have taken more than hundred pictures until we were finally convinced that it was enough and we needed to move on.

View from Na Gaon

So, we packed our bags and resumed the trek. Another two hours trek would take us to Tsho Rolpa-a place I had been dreaming to visit since my schooldays. The scenery from Na to Tsho Rolpa was no less beautiful then the view of mountains in the morning. After walking for only 15 minutes we were convinced that it was going to take us a long long time to reach Tsho Rolpa given our propensity to take pictures.

And, indeed Na to Tsho Rolpa portion of the trek was the place we took the most number of pictures. After taking hundreds of pictures and trekking for about 3 and a half hours , we finally climbed some steep stairs to find the majestic Tsho Rolpa before our eyes. I couldn't control my joy at the sight. I threw my bag, walking stick and ran shouting “Tsho Rolpa! Tsho Rolpa!!”. Inspired Govinda and Manoj also threw their bags and we all shouted, jumped and danced with joy. What a bliss!

After calmng down, we began to take pictures and some more pictures. But I had a plan more than just taking pictures. So, I took out the board-markers I had brought along with me and went on to a large stone facing Tsho Rolpa and wrote “Gari Khana Deu” on it. Manoj joined me whereas Govinda clicked our pictures. Govinda had been taking most of the pictures during the trek whereas Manoj and me were usually posing for them. This time, however, Manoj and I decided to be the primary photographers and Govinda our subject.

“Shall we trek to the next end of the lake?” was the question Govinda asked once the initial euphoria at seeing the lake subsided. We were not sure. We really wanted to go but it looked like it needed us to trek for hours which we couldn't afford. After much dilemma and confusions, we decided not to go but walk instead for about 15 minutes to reach a place at the side of the lake and have our Koseli from Kathmandu- a bottle of Ruslan vodka. With the increase in sips , the conversation turned nostalgic from euphoric.

Tsho Rolpa! Tsho Rolpa!!

Then Manoj suggested we take a group picture. Govinda place the camera on a rock nearby in the automatic mode and slipped in with us for a group picture. Suddenly, a catastrophe occurred. The camera began to slip from the rock and slided towards the edge. A fall from the rock would mean severe damage to the camera which would mean unbearable financial loss. As we were gasping in horror, Govinda, on the spur of the moment, jumped at the camera as if he were trying to save a goal. He was able to catch the camera in air and save it but nearly had his skull cracked. Luckily, he fell down in a place devoid of any stones. As he was lying there, muttering some 'aiyas', I leaned towards him and asked if he was okay. “I am fine but give me a hand”, he said.

“Well, first let me take a picture of your accident first,” I chuckled. I had hoped while I was taking a picture , Manoj would lend a hand to Govinda. What was I thinking? He was taking a picture of me taking a picture of Govinda. After the shot, we pulled back Govinda. He wasn't hurt at all. So we took another sip for the sheer luck.

After finishing our drinks, I took out a paper wrote our names and that day's date in it and slided the paper inside the bottle. Then, Manoj found a perfect place to keep the bottle until someone found it. We hope the bottle is safe till date or maybe someone has found it already.

Finally, we bid adjeu to Tsho Rolpa and started our journey back. On our way back, we saw small hills which had snow on their tops. They looked as if they could be climbed in less than 30 minutes. We started discussing if we should climb and touch the snow. Govinda was for the idea whereas Manoj has his doubts. But suddenly, something happened to me and without thinking I ran towards the hilltop. I vividly remember the moment- my mind was blank and all I could think of was the snow. A voice inside me was asking me to run faster and make it. I could almost hear Govinda and Manoj gasping with surprise. I heard Manoj shouting behind me asking me to come back but I kept running. But it wasn't long before I was exhausted and was gasping for breath. To my utter disappointment I realized I had made about only one-tenth of the distance. I felt resigned and kept standing there while Govinda started walking towards the hill top slowly but steadily and Manoj kept looking at us with disbelief. Resigned I returned to the place Manoj was standing and sat down. Govinda went on for more than a hour but finally gave up halfway though the top.

Exhausted we made our way back to Na, made our payment, took our bags and headed for Beding. The sun was about to set already when we started for Beding and not even halfway though the journey, darkness fell. This time it was darker and the trail passed through dense forest and caves. We were scared like never before. As our torch lights grew dimmer we drew ourselves closer and walked with trembling steps. Once in while we would hear the sound of some wild animals and our hearts would step and our steps would freeze but we kept moving. Half my heart I was sure we were going to be eaten alive by some wild animals. I wishes it was a full moon night but it wasn't and we kept moving ahead in the pitch darkness for more than two hours. Sometimes being an atheist is a tough job. You have no one to pray to but yourself which I did reminding myself I could do it. After walking about 4 hours , we finally reached Beding at about 11 in the night. Our joy knew no bounds to see the lights and have our nostrils filled with the smell of firewood burning. When asked if any dangerous wild animals were found on the trail we had passed, “We have had two incidents of Leopard killing yaks at one place in the trail so far.”, the guy replied.

Epilogue

The next three days of journey were relatively uneventful except for the evening at Simigaon when all three of us ran out of our beds on seeing huge leeches crawling on the wall. Leeches were on our clothes and even on the parts of bodies we wouldn't prefer to tell. So we dumped the remaining salt on these suckers and went to bed. But only after carefully examining every nook and corner to see if a bloodsucker was lurking behind.

On the 8th day of our journey, the day after Tika, we were finally back to our homes in Kathmandu with loads of photos, memories and stories to drive our friends crazy with envy. Tsho Rolpa trek is among the best treks I have been on so far and can't wait to embark on yet another journey in search of yet another moment that would take my breath away. As someone once said, “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.”