Jaljala

Today we woke to the stunning views of the Dhaulagiri range. We had quite a trek to the bathrooms last night. I've been getting up 3-4 times in the night and manage the steps in the hill!! This morning we walked back up to the community hall for a breakfast of millet pancakes, omelet & potatoes. The millet is grown locally and the honey is made locally😋😋. We then watched the technician and locals put the solar shower together. I was feeling foggy ( lack of sleep, intense sun??) this morning and it worried me. It thankfully disappeared before we started our 2 hour trek to the next village of Nangi. We had a nice meander through the community to a suspension bridge and followed a road at times similar to our logging roads and they call this flat here! We saw resting spots built by families where the remains of their loved ones are placed after cremation. They plant a female and male tree on top. Some are more elaborate than others. But it provides a place for family and friends to come and contemplate and reflect. Sometimes they build a water hole for animals to drink or bathe. Coming into Nangi we stopped to see a sacred community forest. The locals have planted the trees. No one is allowed to cut trees down. They have a Full Moon Festival in August where people come from other villages to celebrate nature and the sacred trees that the locals planted. We were greeted by the Mother Group women with beautiful flower wreaths. We had a luncheon of Dal Bhat. We got settled in our rooms then walked to the school where we made paper with the Mother Group. The paper making was so fun and the women so supportive. We all made a sheet of paper then purchased some of their beatiful journals.
Our lead guide took a 3 month paper making course and came back to Nangi and taught the women how to make paper. They now have a source of income. The paper is beautiful and the quality is high because they use pure Daphne plant grown locally, unlike the cities that use fillers. We then went to the school to make a presentation of Jersie's and a soccer ball. We met with Kirsch who, teaches math and computers, and the school accountant. We were able to ask questions of Kirsch. At the end I asked if he could teach us to count to 10 in Nepalese. We went outside and I made a few basketball shots with some locals and our porters. It was so fun. Kirsch showed us his computer lab then the local clinic where an 18 year old lab tech and a 22 year old paramedic are working 6am to 6pm. They were only going to be there 6 Months and are going on 2 years. They have to refer patients to the town of Beni,where we started our hike, if they can't help or have the skill or resources. We walked back to our rooms, showered then enjoyed a dinner of potato and garlic soup, momo's ( dumplings) with sauce, and a full plate of spaghetti. Their portions tend to be the same for everyone. Often we can't finish and feel bad.
Bedtime came early at 8:30pm.Read more