20 April: Travelling to Ghara, Nepal

20 April

We left Pun Hill Guest House at Pokhara. Peter indicated we were to leave by 9.30am. I was in a rush as I am feeling tired and prefer not to have to move fast. I understand there are deadlines and it is fine. I had some egg on toast for breakfast, it didn’t seem hearty but I am eating very well for dinner, probably too well as I am mindful of weight. All is good though.

We had a four wheel drive waiting and Krishna and Kailash piled the luggage into the car. We then headed through Pokhara city.  We stopped for some shopping and I saw the mountains with snow.  It was a beautiful sight for me.  After provisions had been organised we headed for Beni.  We climbed up through the mountains and watched the winding river and rapids. The rocks were huge, the biggest boulders I’ve ever seen. At one point saw white water rafters enjoying the rapids, this is an adventure sport and I am sure Nepal is popular for that. The driver was friendly and was from the village of Paudwar. We will be visiting this village.  He was a modern guy playing Bryan Adams and a good selection of American music including Black Eyed Peas.  I was very aware of the global culture of youth and the tastes of music that are becoming common. He also played some Nepali music which was a lovely backdrop to the rich lush green mountains, terraced hills and people walking along pathways. I marvel how they carry baskets supported on their foreheads; I playfully tried this with one of my bags. The people carry wheat, wood, leaves and fodder for the cows and goats.

We went through Krishna’s town on the outskirts of Pokhara and saw his house which is two stories high and still in the process of being completed. The money for Nepalese houses in many cases is funded by family members overseas. So you wonder if the money that gets injected into the country through working abroad lifts housing prices?  Does this then price locals out of the market? Accordingly to statistics apparently 83% have their own homes. I wonder how long that will last? Krishna’s house is two stories and looks quite large. Other houses you see are multiple stories rising around 3-4 stories. Some of the designs on the houses are diamond shaped and colourful. Some are tin shacks, so you can feel the differences in housing and wealth. I was very happy to see his place and he is excitedly finishing it.  It is a nice feeling to have a home, I’m sure it will be a great place for his children.

I saw pockets of wood cuts, long mental reinforcing rods used in concrete construction in roads. There is a great deal of road construction happening. There are many little shops supplying the growing needs of the communities. I wondered at the movement of goods and services around the country on the roads that are often single lane or pock marked with pot holes. I saw many fields being tilled and people working very hard with very basic technology of hoes and cows.

It is fascinating to be in a four wheel drive that is modern with modern music playing passing rice paddy fields making me think of centuries of agricultural practices.  In truth I am moving back in time. The reality of the people in the fields is a very difficult reality to me and always I feel I am a visitor looking at a picture not really understanding the depth of the lives of people and how they see the world. I guess they work from dawn to dusk and have seen them doing so. There are many little walkway bridges that are suspension style bridges, some appear to be wooden footbridges that sway in the breeze, others were strong and modern metal bridges. Apparently the Ghurkha division (soldiers) have built bridges. The retired Ghurkhas funded the suspension bridges to get across the rivers. They are slowly modernising. I am always interested in this mix of change and how people adjust and how social situations change as a result. We are changed by technology and each other.

We arrived at Beni, a dusty town nestled at the bottom of some mountains. We had to change drivers because our driver didn’t have permission to go further. Apparently people need to register to travel through and the same applies for school programs. There is paperwork to be done in each location. There are 77 districts and people tend to be geographically located. It was interesting to see that we needed different drivers to complete the trip. There appears to be monitoring of movement. I didn’t see a big police presence, just a few every now and then in blue uniforms, some carried batons. I am interested in learning more about the people as I contemplate the work I am doing and how they deal with conflict. I am a believer in cross fertilisation of ideas, I am sure there is much I can learn from the Nepalese people.  Teachers come in many guises.

We had a little walk around Beni and saw little shops as we have typically seen around Nepal. Occasionally I see a backpacker or tourist getting photos taken or moving around. We walked around from the little bus area which appears to be a hotel where bookings are taken, not sure on that. We then walked around and up a hill and I noticed the rocks on the tin roofs securing them. They don’t appear to have nails holding them down but rocks to secure the roofs. This reinforced to me the ingenuity of the people and responding, I am guessing, to high winds. Many people appear to smoke here and you occasionally see them sitting smoking.

We went to the restaurant whilst Kailash and Krishna went and had a Nepalese lunch. The food has been of a high standard no matter where we go, really tasty and no issue of becoming sick from it. The water you can drink from taps, although you are encouraged to boil. All the toilets now are drop (squat) toilets with a bucket of water, a common practice in Asia and to the north. It is a very hygienic way of toileting providing people wash their hands properly.  No paper wastage. Imagine the trees knocked down in countries that have toilet paper.  I think that would be a significant number.

We had our lunch and smiled at the typographical errors in the menu.  We then walked back down to where we had been dropped off. Our pile of bags were still sitting there. You don’t have to worry about it being stolen, I never do, but here particularly, I sense people are very honest and friendly. There is warmth in the faces and an unpretentious approach to people, what you see is what you get and they are quick to wave and smile if you do so.

I sat outside in the sun and tried to read my book. I was extremely tired and felt like sleeping. I was unwell as a little cold is circulating our group. Fortunately it appears to be a 24 hour thing which is good for clowning. I don’t want to be unwell here which is why I try to get more sleep. I am not a good sleeper and we are travelling a fair bit, so balance is important for me. I want to find time to blog as I wish to share this experience with others so they may also go out into the world and experience other cultures, not from a protected hotel room but getting out amongst people. I always enjoy being one with the people, I see them as my family and I so much enjoy being around them. Humans in many ways are so similar yet there are spiritual and cultural differences which define people’s identities. I am mindful of my western identity yet I don’t feel attracted to the western way of life. I am very aware of the pressure on the planet and the need for sustainable solutions and real change. We often move through this life journey without really understanding the big picture and the impact we all make wittingly and unwittingly. My hope is that my contribution is of use to the people and not an imposed western idea. However, I did write the program from a universal perspective, but I guess I can never be sure how universal that is until I see it spreading through the world. I do believe learning peace and conflict resolution is important. I’ve tried to assert my own ideas as I believe we should speak up if something is not working for us, but in a way that is not disrespectful. Conflict is an inevitable part of life and we can learn a lot from it. It is essentially about solving the problem not hating people but allowing for the needs of many. It is a form of democracy where we don’t force people to come along with us but we share space and ideas respectfully. It is not a concept that is well understood and I am still learning as well as I came from a family where ideas were expressed aggressively and competitively.  I was quiet when young and had to find ways to assert myself amongst very strong minded people, otherwise I was overridden. Interestingly if people dominate this leads to suppression or the repression of emotions, this leads us away from peace.  Openness and sharing ideas is essential, especially when they differ.

There was a point in the journey where Kailash and I got the opportunity to sit on the back tray behind the four wheel drive. It was wonderful waving to the people and having a chat with Kailash about peace work and learning his perspectives on life. He invited me back to Nepal if I want to come and I could spend more time here.  If I feel the call I will take him up on his offer. I do feel there is much for me to learn about these people. I enjoyed watching the mountains from the back of the car and passing through villages. I was able to look at the rocky outcrops. In moments on the journey I was able to gain glimpses of the mountains, they are huge and you see this mystical white tip of the mountain, so cold yet where I am is warm enough. The mountains have a majesty I cannot believe. It is a real pleasure to be here and to meet the people.

I am unwell today but will be patient and just allow this virus to do its thing, I will go and lie down in the sun and reflect on life and do some work this afternoon on my peace program. Changes will happen to what I’ve prepared. I have 2 hour slots over 4 days.