Mountains (The Perfect Wordless Wednesday Theme)

Makalu, 27,825 ft.

Langtang Region: Dorje Lhakpa, 22,854 ft.

Mountains are so elusive! This was five minutes after the above photo was taken. Bye-bye Dorje.

Annapurna South, peaking out at sunrise. 23,684 ft.

Machhapuchhre or "Fishtail" (for obvious reasons), 22,943 ft.

You may already recognize this shot, but we have to include Sagarmaathaa, also known as everest Everest. 29,029 ft.
(In the center with it's characteristic plume.)

For the first six months, we thought these were mountains, as this was our only view during the monsoon rains.
We now know that these are just hills. :)

Nepal Continues to Struggle Post Earthquake

Months after the earthquake, we still see evidence of its destruction on our daily walks. With the end of the monsoons, rebuilding was expected to begin. However, this is currently impossible with the lack of fuel and other resources due to the continued blockade at the Nepal-India border. Even the World Food Programme, a branch of the United Nations, has been unable to overcome this obstacle. They were delivering food via helicopter to many of these affected villages but are now grounded due to the fuel shortages. Many families affected by the earthquake are living in tents or temporary homes made of tin, which provided adequate shelter during the rains but are not as suitable for the cold winter months.

Here are just a few pictures of the homes we pass walking around Kathmandu.

House destroyed on the left with temporary corrugated tin house on right.

Tent cities for earthquake victims remain scattered throughout Kathmandu.

Children playing in one of the tent cities where earthquake victims continue to be housed.

When leaving a research conference at the Hyatt this week, one of the nicest hotels in Kathmandu, these tent cities pictured above were visible from the walkway. While contemplating this disparity and in the midst of subsequent guilt and grief, I just wanted to get them all rooms at the hotel. Although it's not a sustainable solution, I wrestle with hard questions: what is the answer? And how do we get there, especially when the entire country is in survival mode and the rest of the world, and honestly even some of us in Nepal, have moved on from the earthquake? While I don't have answers, we need to continue to seek ways to practically help while living here alongside the people of Nepal. Please continue to pray for Nepal, an end to the blockade, and a renewed focus to rebuild and restore these communities affected by the earthquake. 

Trekking 101

A few lessons learned while trekking through the Himalayas last month:

1. Just keep walking. 

2. Water is your friend. And Red Bull is your best friend. We'll choose that over Gatorade any day!

3. We'll never be truly "local." While in our own estimation a 20-lb. pack between the two of us equaled traveling light, you should've seen the laughs we inspired each evening as we pulled out sleeping bags, down jackets, and water filters. 

4. Beware the flying squirrel! (Click here if you missed it.)

5. Nepalis are, without a doubt, the strongest people in the world. We were constantly passed by teenagers running up and down the trails in flip flops, carrying 100+ lbs. strapped to their heads.

6. There's a common t-shirt in Nepal that says, "Daal Bhaat 24-Hour Power." We now know why--and we agree! The local rice and lentil combo kept us going.

7. If you're not sure which path is the main trail (i.e. the road to/from China), just follow the mule poop.

8. Trekking poles = knee-savers. And quite possibly life-savers. 

9. In addition to being the strongest people in the world, Nepalis are the most hospitable as well. We were regularly given yak cheese, tea, and beds to sleep in, simply because we were guests.

10. Speaking of those beds: I need to shrink a few inches (and I'm only 5'4"). The average height of Nepali men is 5'4" and women, 4’11½". The beds were made for exactly that. So learning to curl up, sleep diagonally with legs hanging off the bed or over the footboard made even lying down a little more interesting.

11. Ramen noodles become increasingly delicious the more miles you trek.

12. Just keep walking. It's worth repeating. The days can be long and the trail difficult, but just keep walking. One step at a time.

Logistically speaking, the lessons really were as simple as 1-2-12. But the deeper reality is that many Nepalis have no choice but to walk for hours--sometimes days--just to obtain basic necessities like firewood, clothing, food, and medical care. Not a single Nepali we met along the way was trekking. They were simply living. We're incredibly grateful for the privilege to walk alongside so many.

Perhaps these pictures will tell a bit more of the story as we trekked from Lingam to Num, where we subsequently took a jeep followed by an airplane to get back to Kathmandu.

All smiles in the beginning. This was the start of our trek with the first "up" seen in the background.
Too bad we had to go down first. 

Up. Down. Cross the river. Repeat.

This was one of five new (since April) landslides we walked over. We're thankful for safety and great weather.

Daal bhaat, our trail MVP. Nepal's twice-daily meal of lentils, rice, and veggies.

Finished!

What's next? A return trip? Planning on it. Everest Base Camp? Perhaps. Stay tuned... and please send Gatorade Chews!

Flying Squirrel - What?!?

During our time on the Himalayan trails, we are always on the lookout for hazards as the path is narrow and the terrain is difficult. Interestingly, some of these hazards are animals. The typical encounters are with mules, cows, and goats as they are herded from one village to another. These encounters can be potentially dangerous on the narrow trail as often only one animal fits (you or the 2000-pound livestock), making it necessary to stay on the inside hugging the mountain. While trekking, I often wondered how many livestock fall off the edge and subsequently prayed that I wouldn’t. On rare occasion, we saw the infamous yak, which we would love to adopt but will have to wait as they don’t do well in Kathmandu's lower altitude.

The trail (aka Road to China)

 Mules carrying goods from China

 The Yak

I think my biggest fear has been the possibility of encountering a snake, especially as many are poisonous. Anti-venom in Nepal? I don’t think so. We can’t even get fuel or cooking gas. Two of our teammates encountered one of these deadly snakes on the trail, but thankfully, our Nepali colleague has some impressive snake-slaying skills and came back with pictures of said snake in his bare hands.

So, when you are finally off the trail for the day and enjoying dinner, one would expect to be done with the hazardous animal lookout, right? This was not the case on one of our nights trekking home. Having just sat down on the floor to enjoy some daal bhaat (lentils and rice), we heard a commotion. We were suddenly face-to-face with a large, cat-sized something possessing a long tail, red eyes, red hair, and the temper to go with it. I wasn’t sure what to do – I wanted to run, but wasn't sure I could get up with my sore knees after a full day of trekking. And our gracious hosts kept telling us to keep calm and keep eating. So we watched as they tried to catch this thing.... What ensued reminded me of the Great Outdoors movie clip when they tried to catch the bat in the cabin:

All I kept thinking about was rabies. Despite the hissing and frightening claws of this animal, the Nepalis were able to stab it in the eye causing it to fall to the ground. I thought it was dead, so of course, got closer to look at this thing and take a picture. The locals were picking it up and stretching out it’s wings/legs – A Himalayan Flying Squirrel – a rare sighting in the mountains. While trying to take a picture in the dark, I noticed it was breathing. Quickly we insisted they take it outside while we tried to keep our distance. Although they "trapped" it under a basket, sometime in the middle of the night this flying squirrel escaped. Somewhere in the Himalayas is now a one-eyed flying squirrel. Hope his depth perception is okay, otherwise, some dangerous Himalayan mountain flights may await him.

The Himalayan flying squirrel

What the animal looked like when sprawled out

Despite the hazards and introduction to new animals (i.e. Himalayan Flying Squirrel), we had a great time on the trail making new friends. Definitely looking forward to being back in the mountains again.

Out of Gas

While these days often end in exhaustion with the increasing difficulty of accomplishing even the simplest of tasks, I am not talking about my own “gas” or energy. Instead, all of us in Nepal are experiencing the hardship of no petrol or cooking gas. Since the promulgation of the constitution on September 20^th, political unrest and shut down of the border with India has prevented these needed supplies and other goods from getting to this landlocked country. And currently, there is no end in sight.

Lines of vehicles for the last bit of fuel

As a result, the roads are virtually empty and lines of vehicles are seen waiting for petrol that likely will not come. Restaurants and many businesses are closed due to lack of cooking gas and difficulty for employees trying to travel to work. Hospitals are struggling with the same issues as well with the addition of difficulty getting medicines. In a country that has electricity only a portion of the day, many places then depend on fuel-run generators - uh oh! It’s amazing how much we can take these things for granted. 

For us, we are also nearly out of gas. We no longer have gas for our shower/water heater and are left with only a small amount for cooking. No worries, it makes for some fun as we begin exploring other options, including our camping stove. Cooking outside is a nice change of scenery, especially when the Himalayan Mountains are in view.

Americanizing the Momo

India has samosas. Italy has ravioli. The US has cream-filled donuts. Nepal? The momo.

This past Saturday we found ourselves elbow-deep in ground chicken, cilantro, ginger, garlic, and Magic Momo Masala. Our language teacher Sama had invited us for a lesson in making Nepal’s most popular snack food. Two billion per year popular! Within minutes it was clear that we were there for the entertainment factor more than our efficiency in the kitchen. (Though just for the record, this bahini made one or two more momos than my didi. J)

While the most traditional momo in Nepal is filled with buffalo meat (in Tibet it’s yak), we think there just may be room to expand the momo’s horizons: do I hear Nutella? Mushroom and brie?

Apparently momo-making inspires a common facial expression. Can someone please help Rose finish her name?

Enter now the ulterior motive behind this blog post. Coming to a table near (those of) you (in Indiana) this winter is the opportunity of a lifetime: to create your own signature momo. Suggest your filling combination of choice… and be prepared to make it a reality. You might just find your name on a menu this Christmas.

Of course, Sama thinks Ghirardelli brownies might be the best way to Americanize the momo.

Juka (aka leeches)

Land leeches (juka in Nepali) are very common during the monsoons and make trekking quite the adventure. Juka is a name I find fitting for these fast, furious, and unrelenting creatures. When I see one scurrying up my boot for the next blood meal, I feel like Jerry Seinfeld, responding to his annoying sworn enemy, Newman. Grimacing with teeth together, I grumble: "Juka!" At that point, my heart starts racing and I begin jabbing my hiking pole at my boot, trying to fling it off. The problem here is that this requires me to stand still, leaving me vulnerable to the many other juka that have now spotted me. Here they come...

They can attack from all sides, coming from the front, behind and even from branches or leaves hanging above. Once they attach and you know it (most of the time you can't feel them due to an anesthetic they inject at the site), the question becomes - what to do? Some would say to just leave it there and once it feeds for about 20 minutes, they will fall off - for me, that's a little bit harder to stomach. Others recommend sprinkling some salt on the juka to get them to fall off on their own. Of course, you need to remember salt for the journey. Most don't recommend pulling them off as sometimes they may leave behind some of their mouth parts in the wound which could get infected. Often you just find a blood spot on your sock as evidence that they got you.

Sneaky juka on my boot

I have come to believe that it is best to be the first one on the trail instead of the last, at least in regards to avoiding juka. The heat and vibration from the first person alert the juka, who then begin to make their move just as subsequent trekkers are crossing their path. I don't know about you, but sounds like the perfect position for my bahini. =)