SUNDAY

And so I am now on my return flight out of the mountains, having had a 2 hour jeep ride up the Karnali valley & enjoyable 3 hour afternoon trek climbing the 2000ft up to the local airport yesterday . The Summit Air flight is a more powerful, faster but still small two prop plane. It snowed yesterday so it is now a pristine white above 3500m. The bad weather has meant that it does not feel safe to attempt the local summit of 4200m that Surya and I had planned for today. Instead, I am fortunate to fly out this morning in a clear window before more rain and snow that is forecast later today and tomorrow. Without it I would have had a two day taxi-jeep journey exit! Incredibly daily buses also follow the same route: I saw one yesterday and did not fancy the greater risk, and even longer and more uncomfortable journey, on the narrow unmade rutted rocky roads. 


It has been a wonderful eleven days. I can’t say that I don’t sometimes struggle with daily rice & dahl, or that the language comes easily to me! But my Nepalese has certainly improved & the sounds of the alphabet now make much more sense so it is relatively easy to read. Remembering it is a different matter! Practice makes perfect, of course. The Nepalese have a very warm nature; perhaps related to centuries of isolation, strong reliance on family and community, and their Buddhist culture? Sadly it seems corruption is widespread (both governmental and federal), which must hamper progress here. The recently elected government is communist/Maoist led (as was the first democratically elected government just two parliaments ago) with a more conservative government sandwiched between. The program of road building into the hills appears to be welcomed by all and brings with it economic opportunity and gradually greater wealth. From a very selfish point of view, it reduces the opportunity to walk ‘out’ to these communities! I shall request the further reaches of the Humla District next time! 


I am fortunate to then have just a two hour wait to join a delayed Buddha Air flight to Kathmandu, where I will again be kindly met by a PHASE Nepal driver. Suddenly the traditional colourful attire of the hill tribes has disappeared & the numerous passengers (all Nepalese) have Western attire save for the occasional sari and one elderly hill tribe woman. 

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