Trekking in the Himalayas and village restoration
Editor’s note: This is another in a series of columns about Palmer Lake resident Jay Heinlein’s work and adventures in Nepal.
By Jay Heinlein | Guest Columnist
Less than a week after arriving in Nepal (and still fighting jetlag), I was on my way to my first trekking adventure. Going on a “trek,” is one of the primary objectives of adventure tourists, coming to Nepal.
After arriving in Dunche via a harrowing seven hour bus ride, we laid out our backpacks and gear at our lodging place, then went for stroll. Everywhere I looked, I saw stark reminders of a violent shaking in the region, just six months prior.
Unsightly piles of rubble replaced once-proud buildings, teeming with activity. Steel rebar, grotesquely bent and tangled, jutted from broken bricks and concrete.Trucks bearing the logos of relief organizations rumbled down the dusty roads of Dunche.
And, there was a flurry of rebuilding activity happening in every direction.
The feeling of loss was tangible. The feeling of hope, created by all the restoration activity, was encouraging.
As we strolled the village, an angelic little girl ran out of her damaged home to greet us. She struck a pose and welcomed us with the traditional Nepali greeting: “Namaste . . . I bow in honor and respect to the divine light in you.”
My heart melted.
It is overwhelming to experience the warmth of the Nepalese people and their giggling children. By Western standards, they have little. But they are so generous and welcoming. I was moved beyond words.
I made the trip to provide humanitarian relief to earthquake victims. But I couldn’t come to Nepal, which boasts eight of the 10 highest summits in the world and some of the most beautiful landscapes, without doing some trekking.
So I joined a group and we set out on foot. We hiked and climbed for eight days reaching well over 15,000 feet. We covered about 30 miles by foot. The ascent was both excruciating and euphoric.
The physical feat was a personal best for me. Staying in tea-houses along the way was a highlight. It was like going back in time.
We gathered around wood-burning stoves with other foreigners, drank tea, warmed our bones and shared tales. We enjoyed one solar-heated shower in eight days.
We descended in the dark, into the partner village in the Nuwakot District.
One man, passing us in the night blackness, shouted loudly at us in Nepali, as we went down the treacherous path. I thought he was angry about something.
Turned out he was actually ecstatic and weeping for joy. We were the first foreigners to come visit as “tourists” in five months. The only other prior outside visits to their remote mountain village were rescue and relief efforts.
Despite being shaky, exhausted and spent, I knew in that moment, we were in the right place, at the right time.
____________________________________________________
Jay Heinlein is a lifelong writer, a publishing professional for over 25 years and principal of Heinlein Publishing Services. Reach him at [email protected]
link to Tribune article: https://issuu.com/pikespeaknewspapersinc/docs/tribune_0309/c/sppz48g
Editor’s note: This is another in a series of columns about Palmer Lake resident Jay Heinlein’s work and adventures in Nepal.
By Jay Heinlein | Guest Columnist
Less than a week after arriving in Nepal (and still fighting jetlag), I was on my way to my first trekking adventure. Going on a “trek,” is one of the primary objectives of adventure tourists, coming to Nepal.
After arriving in Dunche via a harrowing seven hour bus ride, we laid out our backpacks and gear at our lodging place, then went for stroll. Everywhere I looked, I saw stark reminders of a violent shaking in the region, just six months prior.
Unsightly piles of rubble replaced once-proud buildings, teeming with activity. Steel rebar, grotesquely bent and tangled, jutted from broken bricks and concrete.Trucks bearing the logos of relief organizations rumbled down the dusty roads of Dunche.
And, there was a flurry of rebuilding activity happening in every direction.
The feeling of loss was tangible. The feeling of hope, created by all the restoration activity, was encouraging.
As we strolled the village, an angelic little girl ran out of her damaged home to greet us. She struck a pose and welcomed us with the traditional Nepali greeting: “Namaste . . . I bow in honor and respect to the divine light in you.”
My heart melted.
It is overwhelming to experience the warmth of the Nepalese people and their giggling children. By Western standards, they have little. But they are so generous and welcoming. I was moved beyond words.
I made the trip to provide humanitarian relief to earthquake victims. But I couldn’t come to Nepal, which boasts eight of the 10 highest summits in the world and some of the most beautiful landscapes, without doing some trekking.
So I joined a group and we set out on foot. We hiked and climbed for eight days reaching well over 15,000 feet. We covered about 30 miles by foot. The ascent was both excruciating and euphoric.
The physical feat was a personal best for me. Staying in tea-houses along the way was a highlight. It was like going back in time.
We gathered around wood-burning stoves with other foreigners, drank tea, warmed our bones and shared tales. We enjoyed one solar-heated shower in eight days.
We descended in the dark, into the partner village in the Nuwakot District.
One man, passing us in the night blackness, shouted loudly at us in Nepali, as we went down the treacherous path. I thought he was angry about something.
Turned out he was actually ecstatic and weeping for joy. We were the first foreigners to come visit as “tourists” in five months. The only other prior outside visits to their remote mountain village were rescue and relief efforts.
Despite being shaky, exhausted and spent, I knew in that moment, we were in the right place, at the right time.
____________________________________________________
Jay Heinlein is a lifelong writer, a publishing professional for over 25 years and principal of Heinlein Publishing Services. Reach him at [email protected]
link to Tribune article: https://issuu.com/pikespeaknewspapersinc/docs/tribune_0309/c/sppz48g