You call that a ROAD? (and witch-doctors)

So, Saturday we headed out to Kumari in the Nuwakot district. This is where out head guide, Jagat Lama is from. The journey out there was an adventure in and of itself. We were met Saturday morning with our charriot, a Tata. This is a vehicle that looks somewhat like a cross between a Trooper and a Land Cruiser. As we were loading up, I was noticing that this truck didn't have the kind of tread that I had expected on a the truck that would be taking us out on very rough dirt track roads (in the Tata's defence there was a solid 1/8 inch of tread left on the well used street tires). Well, we loaded in... the driver, Jagat and his son Sachin in the front; Les, Jon, Rupert (more on him later) and myself in the middle seat; and Jagat's wife (who I can't remember her name), his daughter Diksyant, our cook Enje and Enje's wife and daughter all in the back on two bench seats facing each other. Our gear was strapped to the top.

We had to stop by the driver's house on the way out of town. There are huge fuel shortages across Nepal right now due to the main distribution company being on strike. So we picked up fuel from the driver's house which was carried out in watering pots. Two hours on the highway, up and over the pass out of Kathmandu, then a stop for lunch before continuing on. We left the highway and continued our journey on the dirt track that would take us to Kumari. A quarter mile off the highway and we forded our first of several rivers. Five minutes later we got stuck for the first time. Jon was stoked as it would be good footage and would show how rough the journey would be. We shouldn't have worried about footage! We piled out to push or fill in ruts a half dozen times on the way. One place took six or seven tries to get out of a little creek ravine. (Oh by the way, I forgot to mention that our Tata, while looking like an off-road vehicle, was in fact only two-wheel drive!) We did make it to the village, and it only took about four hours from the highway. I was and remain most impressed with our driver. I don't think I would have attempted that drive in a two wheel drive vehicle with nearly bald tires, but he did swimmingly! Fantastic chap!

We were welcomed into the village with a blessing from one of the matriarchs, who marked our foreheads with a red dot and were presented us each with flower necklaces. Got to meet Jagat's mother, who is 82yrs old! Amazing in a country where the average life expectancy is 59! Sunday morning Rupert (or Ru as he is also called) was very sick. Apparently he'd been terribly sick during the night and had to make several runs to the toilet (about 150 yards from where we were sleeping). We hooked Ru up with Pepto and Imodium and he improved greatly.

Oh yes, about Ru. Les and Marschelle met Ru on the Annapurna trek. He's an architect from the UK. They hit it off well, and Les talked to Ru about our trip and the film. Ru worked in Mexico several times with the Zapatistas, helping plan and implement a water system for a village and designing chimney's that the people could build for their homes, so he was interested in the project in Kumari. Les introduced Ru and Jagat and Ru was invited to join our adventure to Kumari.

The children of Kumari are beautiful kids! They were absolutely fascinated by us... and also incredibly shy. We got some lovely pictures of the children! Stunningly expressive eyes! We got to see Jagat's home, where he grew up and where his youngest brother now lives with his family and their mother. The homes are very small. Maybe 10 x 15 and two stories. The ceiling is about five and a half feet tall. The beams and the bottom of the floorboards above are coated with a thick layer of creosote due to the lack of chimney for the cooking fire. One of the homes had two brand new baby goats. We asked and they were born the previous afternoon! So cute!

Sunday afternoon we hiked up to see the water tanks which have just been put in. On the way up I finally made a breakthrough with the local children. I had taken a number of pictures of them and tried to talk with them with little success, the would always shy away. Finally I thought to show them the picture I had just taken! When they finally came over and had a look they were enthralled! I sat with and took pictures of and with the kids for a while. Showed one little guy how to use the camera and he was thrilled to take pictures. The little guy I later learned was named Kumar Thama, he was maybe 7 or so years old and was carrying around what I took to be his little brother... maybe 2! We hiked up the hill and the kids followed for a little ways then pulled back. After about 20 min at the top Kumar Thama showed up... he must have taken the little guy home and then followed up the hill. Kumar walked back down the hill with us. He held my hand much of the way and I let him carry the camera and take pictures with it.

When we got back down to the hospital area, Les and I played an exciting game of soccer with the kids. We didn't have a soccer ball though... or any ball for that matter, but the empty water bottle we used worked rather well actually! It ended up Les and I against all the little boys, at first we were playing into the wind and they were wearing us out. Then we traded sides and did quite well after that. What fun, though by the end Les and I were totally buggered, as well as sweaty and stinky!

After dinner Sunday people from the area began to arrive. Jagat had arranged for a sort of cultural experience for us and had planned for us to get to meet a local Shaman. It took a while for things to get started but ended up a pretty casual affair. We got to interview the Shaman a very interesting character who wore a fake beard for part of the interview... not sure if it was just for us, or if he always wears it when he's doing ceremonies. Then the dance started. Jagat said it was pretty traditional for parties or weddings and things. There was group of four or five guys who played a drum and sang verse after verse that they created of a song. As they would sing a circle cleared out in the middle of the crowd and one to three people would dance in the middle. It was fantastic! Really special to get to be a part of that! After the dance went on for quite some time, several more Shamen showed up and prepared to have a ceremony. In all there ended up being five or six of them. They performed a traditional ceremony for healing and blessing. They beat drums and sang, then they would get up and dance around in a circle while they continued to drum. The ceremony took place for over an hour. The kids around me began to fall asleep as it got late. The little guy who had crawled into my lap at the start was so tired that when the other kids woke him up several times, he was back asleep within moments! I was fortunate to have my buddies with me as they told me all about what was going on... but unfortunately I was unable to understand most all of what they were telling me... Oh well you win some you lose some. I did learn how to say moon and stars and light in Nepali:D

We didn't get to bed till after 1am that night. And I don't even know how late some of the people were up walking home. There was probably over 200 people from all over who had shown up for the festivities. Jagat said most of those people weren't specifically invited, but word spread and they came for the gathering... and to see the white guys who are making a film.

Monday we headed back. We stayed at the village for several hours longer than planned because of some striking in Kathmandu that had some main roads closed. Ru and I walked ahead of the group and they picked us up when they came along. We walked probably 4 miles down the road. It was beautiful! Though quite surprising for the locals to see two white guys wandering alone in the middle of nowhere out there! We got back into Kathmandu after dark. Driving here is exciting enough in the day, it's crazy at night!