Lura. 10 February

I spent the whole day in bed. The excitement of the previous days no doubt caught up with me. This has been a rather intense, and very rewarding time. Our small group arrived here over a week ago. We have breathed and lived the life of the locals, stayed in one of their houses, helped with sorting out seed potatoes, swept our rooms, drank rakshi and milk tea, laughed and cried, walked and meditated, and ah, got married Tamang style.
This last event deserves a full treatment, one I cannot give just now, photos are needed, and the internet connection through mobile is ahhh… Temperamental.

A lot of joy..

Sue, Iona, Tim, Eric and I have been immersed in the life of Lura. We have been asking questions, met people and committees, walked to landmarks and oohed and ahhhhed through views and experiences. Certainly a good start for our well being well doing treks.
No we did not dig wells or painted classrooms. Our vision involves working with local people, giving employment and a better future for all of us. Some of us saw it from the economic perspective, that is true. All of us did it from the heart.

At Chiwang Monastery

Meeting with the Community Forestry group. Chairperson Tanki Basnet presenting.

The program we are developing is based around the community forest and its four villages. Community forests are all over Nepal, which means this can be duplicated at infinitum. Almost. A concept we would do well to embrace more comprehensively in our Western World.
We have been in awe at the community spirit and the work done together, in joy. Always.

15 feb
We were to be delighting in the luxuries of Kathmandu today. Did not happen. Two hours of vertebrae popping drive in the early hours of the morning did bring us here, Kangel. A rather primitive set up, the short, dusty airstrip replacing Paphlu while it is having a facelift. A tiny lodge, two rooms and a half, which we will be occupying until tomorrow. That’s it. Tomorrow, we will be taking in Kathmandu delights, no two ways about it!

Following the rivers to get us to Kathmandu

The Nepal Airlines flight left Kathmandu and turned back because of bad visibility. Fortunately for us, a Nepali party booked a helicopter to fly into Kangel. The pilot landed an hour and a half away, in total white out.  He actually walked up to the top of the closest hill to ascertain his position! Finally, a couple of hours later, we were able to pile ourselves and all our bags in the mall aircraft, knees under chin for yours truly, but amazing views all the way to Kathmandu. And a safe flight… Our aborted Nepal Airlines flight was given another mission and crashed in a hill not far from Pokhara, just as the pilot decided to turn back to safety in increasing cloud..

We are grateful for life.

We all present our condolences to the relatives of the deceased, and wish the departed a peaceful transition…

Plane Crash

More about the wedding and work in Lura later..