Well, this explains a lot. And is just a little creepy...

A Wonderful People

I know - a post! Anyway, I wanted to write a little bit about the people of Nepal before I blather on any further about what I got out of the trip. Despite all their political problems (but hey, who doesn't have those?), I found the diverse people of Nepal to be amazing. The Sherpas (the cultural group of the majority of people who live up in the mountainous areas), were particularly wonderful. Hard working, laughing, friendly people who seemed always to be be willing to say hello, even when bearing loads on their backs of up to 250lbs!! It was almost a given that at any house where there were children, that the kids would come running out of the house (sometimes little more than one or two rooms) smiling and yelling "Namaste!!"(pronounced 'NAH-mah-stay', a Nepali greeting). Sometimes, we would stop and talk to them for a moment or two. Here's a great shot of some kids we met along the way, where we stopped and (after getting permission from the parents) took their picture. They were AMAZED at the digital cameras and laughed hysterically at seeing their own pictures on the preview screen. They were SO cute.

Beside the kids, everyone we met there was unfailingly friendly and kind. Their work ethic is also almost unbelieveable. To see so many of the people who were acting as porters, either for trekking groups or to carry stuff from town to town for supplies, was incredible. The loads they would carry would either be huge, terribly heavy or both. It was so great to see that so many are able to incorporate the commercial aspects of catering to the trekking industry into their traditional, peaceful, unhurried way of life. What struck me particularly is how happy and content they seemed, while having very little in the way of material goods. It really showed that wealth is not necessary for happiness. I sometimes think that the (excess of) material goods is rather a hindrance to happiness than an aid.

I want to make particular note of our guide and assistant guide - in this picture is Mila, Gambu, Kamal and Dill. Mila was one of our porters. Gambu was our main guide and Kamal and Dill were assistant guides. They were unfailingly friendly, helpful and understanding (and patient!), and Gambu was very experienced in getting people up there and back - I mean after all, he got us up there!

It's interesting that in Nepal, there are two main religions and cultural groups which co-exist very peacefully. The Sherpas in the mountains are predominantly Buddhist, while in Kathmandu and the lower areas the people are mainly Hindu and seem of more Indian-Asian descent. Everywhere we went in Nepal, people appear to work on "Nepali time", which is basically whenever something happens, it happens. They don't really work to what we think of as a precise schedule. That could be frustrating for some of us, but you soon start to appreciate that way of life. The people are far from lazy, but they do definitely work by their own "clock".

Anyway, I hope to post a little bit more about the trip in a bit, hopefully sooner than last time!