Apology: Forgive the length of this post! There is much to say from a 5 day journey.We left Tuesday afternoon for what is typically a 4 hour drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara. There is only 1 road from Kathmandu to points west so you can imagine it's pretty well trafficked. It's not like the highways we're accustomed to in the States as there is only room for two lanes--one lane when there is no oncoming traffic. The road weaves up and down and through the foothills of the Himalayas. Through most of the journey, there is mountain on one side and cliff on the other! It would make for a peaceful drive if it weren't for all the traffic and the strange indifference Nepali pedestrians have for moving vehicles. Like the goats and chickens, Nepali pedestrians stand or walk across the road without any care for 2+ tons of mass barreling in their direction!
On our drive to Pokhara, we encountered several set-backs. First, a bus broke an axle on a narrow bridge backing up traffic for over an hour. Second, not much further down the road, there was a traffic banda. In Nepal, if a pedestrian is hit or killed by a vehicle, the family has the right to block the road (a major roadway for the country) until an agreement is reached between the injured's family and the bus/truck company or owner of the vehicle responsible. This takes hours! Though most under the age of 40 seem to realize that this tradition (I use the term loosely) is wasteful and negatively impacts the country's growth, it is still common. No one seems to have the power (or want to use their power) to influence the country for change. In fact, we read in the paper this morning that Indian tourism is down this season due to the unstable government and recurring traffic bandas. It would seem that tradition and self-interest impede order and national growth/progression. Who can blame them? Without the banda, who would stand-up for the injured? Without enforced traffic laws, who can prevent vehicular manslaughter?
So, we sat for 3 hours while the family of the injured party negotiated with the bus/truck company responsible. Keep in mind that it happened many hours before we arrived. The most negative effect to this banda was it's timing. The road was not opened until after dark and it was raining. It is very dangerous to drive this road at night, especially when it is raining. There are no street lights or guard rails and there is no respect for what we would consider courteous driving rules. Our 4 hour journey turned into 8, but we made it!
We set out Wednesday morning expecting an early flight to Jomsom--it was delayed many hours due to weather. It is difficult to travel during rainy season by air or ground. Finally, our plane with max capacity of 20 passengers landed and we were off! We had light trekking for the next 3 days as we traveled to two villages through the Thak Khola Valley. The people of this valley are known as Thakali. There is no time to go into detail but I would like to highlight 2 encounters and follow with an interesting and sorrow-filled observation. A bit of background first: the Thakali are predominantly Buddhist (Tibetan Buddhist for all intents and purposes). Interestingly, there is a great deal of Hinduism blended in their customs, traditions, and art, but the people do not recognize it as such. To them everything they practice is strictly Buddhist. Each village has at least 1 gompa, sometimes 1 main gompa (monastery) and several smaller or private gompas depending on the size of the village. A gompa in Buddhism is a place of worship and learning. The main gompa will have a Lama, the spiritual leader. In many villages where there is no school, families will send their children to the monastery simply for the opportunity to have an education.
While in Tukche, one of our target villages, we discovered a private gompa, 300+ years old, in superb condition. The art history major in me jumped for joy. Though I have not visited many villages in Nepal, I have visited several. This is the first gompa I've witnessed with such grand statuary and images on the walls. It was a most amazing find! Moreover, we were able to spend 45+ minutes with the nun/caretaker asking questions about the gompa, the village, and her personal belief system. This was a highlight for me.
The second highlight occurred while we were in Marpha. It was a once in a life time experience! We witnessed a funeral procession---tradition that has probably been in practice for centuries. Each village may have a different way of doing things so I would not dare suggest that this is specifically Buddhist or indigenous to this people group. All in all, it was quite fascinating. Since I'm not sure of the sensitivity to such a procession, I will leave all the details out. Just know that I stood in amazement! Thankfully, a relative of the deceased explained much of the process to us.
From the few conversations we had with the Thakali people as well as my host's observations from previous encounters, it is quite clear that the common Thakali has no understanding of their customs, traditions, and religious practices. All practices are performed because their parents did it before them and/or because the Lama said it was necessary. What's more, any break in belief or practice results in exile from the community. This is the greatest barrier for reaching the Thakali. Community tradition outweighs reason and personal experience. Tradition has replaced purpose and meaning. This brings me great sorrow. Perhaps if they described a greater understanding of what they believed and why I would not feel such pity. There is a dark blindness in these people that practice a religion the west has commercialized and capitalized. Who is the greater fool? The one who follows his/her ancestors or the one who is chasing rabbits because he/she has nothing better to do?
As our journey began, so it ended. We were delayed 2 days! Our flight back to Pokhara on Saturday morning was canceled due to weather. As I mentioned before, the roads are risky during rainy season. We rent a private jeep to drive us to Pokhara. By God's grace, the roads were passable, though it took 12 hours!! Due to the poor road condition, 1 washed out bridge, and 1 suspension bridge, we had to change jeeps 3 times. Nepal has an interesting solution: one jeep will drive as far as the road will allow, we get out and walk a bit, then pick up the next jeep on the other side of the obstacle in the road. Fascinating system. We woke Sunday morning expecting a short 4 hour drive back to Kathmandu. 40 minutes into the drive--another traffic banda. This time, the accident was fatal. It took 6 hours before the road was opened so we drove in the dark and in the rain once again. The drive that should only take 4 hours, took 11! Why? According to many Nepali people, "this is Nepal." That seems to suffice for the majority.
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