'Yarsa Trail' on memory lane

Traveling has been always my favorite thing in life, either it’s a few-minute drive from home in the outskirts of capital city on Saturdays or in far flung villages for reporting, the willingness to explore the undiscovered always remains high. Last May, my happiness knew no bound when I got approval to embark on field reporting to upper Rukum, which is regarded as one of the best places for the availability and harvesting of Yarsagumba, the Himalayan Viagra.

Our two-day micro journey started from Kathmandu and ended in Khalanga, headquarters of Rukum, a fast-developing town filled with concrete buildings and mushrooming shops.

Musikot Khalanga, Headquarters of Rukum District

 The very next morning, 16 of us adjusted in a four-wheeler, which was capable of carrying 10 perhaps, and moved via newly-constructed Mid Hill Highway widely known as ‘Madhya Pahadi Lok Marga.’ Not to forget, the construction of highway has not been completed yet, thanks to our slow and steady government in terms of development.

Madhya Pahadi Lok Marga as seen from Rukum district

I don’t remember exactly how many times we got out pushing the stuck jeep while crossing rivers and rough turnings, but the feel of adventure in air, landscape of greenery, the tall whispering Salla trees, sight of red and pink rhododendrons, hills in horizon and jokes of young medical doctors travelling with us made our journey to Takasera, a Magar settlement, very interesting.

Disconnected by road, connected by hearts

Far from the hustle and bustle of the city, in the lap of Mount Putha, there lies Maikot, a village with some 600-700 households. Being rich in culture and warm hospitality, the place unfortunately has not been connected by road yet despite of various attempts. People in Maikot are either dependent upon farming or small-scale business or in harvesting and trading of Yarsagumba. It’s a pleasant surprise to sense unity in their every small endeavor. Every face in the village looks friendly and full of gratitude while they carry a feeling of offering, help or care, now and then. The best part is you feel like you are in own home, no more no less, surrounded by loved ones, when you are in Maikot.

Beautiful Maikot Village (A dominance of ethnic Magar community)

Our next destination was Hanpa, located at some 3,700 meters above the sea level, some 5 hours steep uphill trek from Maikot. It is one of the difficult treks as we need to pass a dense forest with not a single water resource; carrying water bottle with few chocolates on pocket felt like a boon.

But once you get at the top, I bet you will forget the pains on feet after watching the mesmerizing mountain ranges, spectacular blue sky, dancing white clouds and the smell of breeze, not to forget the herd of white sheep grazing all over the slopes. 

Mount Putha as seen from Hanpa Hill (3700 meters above the sea level)

We stayed in the area for four days due to some technical glitches, doing nothing except having lunch and dinner and sleeping inside a cozy tent. Thanks to my photojournalist friend Pratap Thapa for his dohoris on Lamjung-style, that at least helped us to pass our time.

Cristeena capturing Pratap in Hanpa Hill

Trekking is adventurous, but FOOD? Oh, it’s the only thing that you miss about your home when you are away. Most of the conversations between me and my friend Cristeena often revolved around Kathmandu’s momo, burger, chicken chilly, pizza and many more because throughout our trip, we could only get rice, daal and sheep curry as vegetables and fruits were not available in the settlement-less region. But as they say time heals all, within 19 days of trip, we had started loving the local food.

Cultural activities in Hanpa Hill

                            

Our journey became more interesting while moving towards Dule base camp from Hanpa as we were not left alone. All over the Yarsa trail, we found hundreds of people from various districts carrying dokos on their backs, filled with firewood, tents, cooking materials and daily essentials. And the interesting part is more than people; we found large numbers of goods loaded horses and mules, the only means of transportation in the region.

Yarsa Trail

The most striking thing of this trail is it is not constructed by the government, tourism promotion organizations or any NGO/INGOs; rather it is the initiation of the local community of Ranmamaikot village development committee. Locals have recently constructed a 2300 meter long trail starting from Maikot to the pocket area of Yarsa, Pupal valley with an investment of over Rs 20 million. I wish we had similar enthusiasm on people from other parts of Nepal as well.

The next stop was Syankhola, the river bank nestled between enormous dry mountains, located at some 4000 meters above the sea level. In the base camp, pickers gather and warm themselves with fire to fight the freezing temperature while some enjoy the home-made wines like ‘raksi’ or ‘chhyang’.

However this time, the plain meadow served the Yarsa pickers an unpleasant night-stay out of heavy rainfall prior to monsoon and strong wind. As a result, 8 of us (media team) inside a single tent were left awake the whole night while shielding our tent, as it happens in fancy Bollywood films. Though we got into trouble, it became one of the most memorable part of the journey for all of us.

On the very next day, we started off since early morning to our final destination Pupal valley, that is nearly 4500 meters above the sea level. The trek became much difficult for me due to problems in my both knees on the much-awaited day but as soon as I reached the top, I forgot everything.

Pupal Valley (4500 meters above the sea level)

Pupal Valley (4500 meters above the sea level)

While reaching the valley after uphill trek of more than five hours, we found the green grassy meadows turned into snow-capped structures. Being surrounded by picturesque mountains and spectacular hills, the place seemed like a gateway to the heaven. With the mercury having plummeted below zero, I felt coldness till heart, but it was also filled with warmth of joy for being able to step into the hidden land in the Himalayas.

Heaven within earth 

Suddenly, a loud ceremonial gunshot was heard from the top of the hill after which caravans of people started running towards the highland with an aspiration of picking Yarsagumba, their routine for the next few weeks which has sustained their livelihood. The pickers including mothers with new-born to elderly citizens, from school children to youth set-up their temporary shelter in the highlands, making Pupal a colorful tent city for weeks. People believe that their labor of two months will help them live their lives, the rest 10 months.

At a time when we, city-dwellers, complain about trivial things including traffic jam, power cut, delay in meetings, boring speeches in programs, unusual taste in restaurant recipes, slow internet and blab bla bla, I found the lifestyle of people from that part of region completely opposite, making me realize that life goes on without these factors and complains too.

Life in tents for weeks in Pupal Valley

To be frank, I too spared some more than one hour to search the valuable caterpillar fungus with my bright eyes, but all went in vain as I couldn’t find a single piece. When I was being disappointed, some locals were saying, ‘it’s also about luck’, I just smiled in response.

I had never imagined that life would be possible in such an isolated Pupal valley, where there were so many NOs, no roof to resist sun or rain, no warm bed to lay upon, no momo to kill hunger, no phone network, no friends to catch up, no facebook or twitter and the no-series continue. But yet, everything seemed just perfect and beautiful in the other side of my beautiful country, which has much more to offer. To conclude in a single phrase, it’s a ‘life-time experience’.

Face behind Yarsa Festival

It was an idea of Laxmi Bahadur Pun to organize Pupal Yarsa Festival 2016 for which he received an overwhelming support by the locals of Maikot. From managing the time of chief guests for the inauguration of festival to arrange helicopter and from guiding over 100 volunteers to look after the security of thousands of Yarsa pickers, Pun looked after everything at own. With a huge determination to introduce Maikot and Pupal valley to the world, a social worker by recognition, 61-year-old Pun has been active since decades. It is so inspiring to learn that an individual, despite of heart diseases, has dedicated his whole life for the sake of prosperity of society.

Laxmi Bahadur Pun

So, do you want to have the similar life-time experience? Book your dates for the next season:

Day 1: Travel from Kathmandu to Dang (bus/micro)

Day 2: Travel from Dang to Musikot Khalanga, district headquarters of Rukum (bus)

Day 3: Travel in a four-wheeler through Mid-Hill highway to Takasera

Day 4 and 5: Trek from Takasera to Maikot (12 hours)

Day 6: Trek to Dule Base Camp (7 hours)

Day 7: Trek to Syankhola (3 hours)

Day 8: Trek from Syankhola to Pupal Valley (5 hours)

  Notes:

·         Yarsa season starts from May and lasts till July every year

·         You can take alternative route while returning that passes via Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve

·         Horse-ride is available in case if you couldn’t walk whereas mules are standby for bag packs

·         Home-stay facility is available till Dule base camp

·         Home-stays are free if you have lunch or dinner in the same place(lunch/dinner costs Rs 350-500 whereas tea/coffee costs Rs 100)

·         High-altitude sickness are common

Things not to be missed in your bag pack:

·         Portable tent

·         Sleeping bag

·         Rain coat

·         Warm clothes

·         Dry food

·         Torch light

·         Medicines

  

Nepal issues passports to third gender under 'O'

On August 10, Manoj Shahi (who likes to be called Monica Shahi) from a small village in the Far-west became the first Nepali to receive passport under "Others" or "O" category. Breaking the tradition only male "M" or female "F" gender categories in the green passports, the state recognized the identity of a third gender. This move is more than incorporation of alphabet "O" in the passport; it offers new hope to members of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transgender and Intersexual (LGBTI) community.

For the transgender, "O" is an official recognition. But more than that, it is the state honoring its citizens of all hues. It's a breakthrough in the movement of LGBTIs not only in Nepal but also the entire Asian region. Besides Nepal, Australia and New Zealand issue passports for sexual minorities under "X" category, beside male and female categories.

Monica Shahi, 37, received passport from the Department of Passport in the capital. Her happiness knew no bounds. She broke down before journalists who were there to support the achievement of the third gender fraternity. In fact, it was not only Monica's achievement but a victory of her community that is often treated in a condescending manner by society. She recalled multiple experiences of discrimination at the hands of both family members and society. This is the bitter reality of our society which cannot accept different identity of people and imposes its own narrow gender definitions and categories. 
The Supreme Court in 2007 directed the government to amend laws to end discrimination against LGBTI citizens. The government had inducted a third gender category to census and the citizenship card only in 2011. It has been only a few months since the government amended the Passport Regulations to incorporate the "O" category. Till now, altogether 103 people from the LGBTI communities have acquired citizenship under "O" category. Now, all those can apply and acquire separate passports with their identities recognized.

In our society, when someone introduces oneself as a third gender, people treat that person like a criminal. They are mistreated and abused. They are given despicable epithets like 'chhakka' or 'hijada', and their speech, gait and activities mimicked.

Transgender people are socially and economically marginalized. They are mistreated everywhere. As a result, they are deprived of good education. Most of them are school drop-outs owing to discrimination from classmates and teachers. Later on, they are denied access to good jobs. All these discriminations lead to their marginalization. They cannot prove their capability as they are driven by fear of rejection or disapproval.

When Monica Shahi shared that her dream is to scale Mount Everest as the first transgender and enlist in Guinness Book of World Records, I was elated. After all, gender identity is not necessarily biologically determined. It's all about self-identification. Only the society has failed to recognize it as such.

The government has changed Machine Readable Passport (MRP) software just to include "O" category. It's undoubtedly a welcome move. After citizenship and passport, the LGBTI community is now advocating for same-sex marriage, still taken as a big taboo in our traditional society. It may take a long time but nothing is impossible as Nepal has more progressive policies on homosexuality as compared to other nations.

Granting passport to a transgender is a positive start. The society should respect the identity of third gender people and accept transgender as they are. They should be provided with an environment to introduce themselves on the basis of their sexual status and public conduct. They should not be treated with cruelty or pity, but rather as human beings. Only then can they be empowered for greater things.

There is a need to create equal opportunities for them in health services and education, in line with other minority groups. There shouldn't be any bureaucratic hurdles and excuses for denying some people opportunities just because of their sexual identity. Legal recognition is a good thing, but there should be meaningful implementation as well.

Published in Republica English daily, Aug 21 2015

http://myrepublica.com/opinion/story/26784/good-start.html

LGBTI community of Nepal in annual Parade: (Video-story) https://www.facebook.com/249104235215527/videos/vb.249104235215527/735582916567654/?type=2&theater

Nepal takes first step to regain tourists by reopening World Heritage sites

More than fifty days since the massive earthquake struck the region, the Nepalese government reopened areas of its Kathmandu Unesco World Heritage sites and declared the nation reopen to overseas visitors from Monday.

The world heritage sites like Basantapur durbar square, Patan durbar square and Bhaktapur durbar square, Swoyambhunath, Bouddhanath and the Pashupatinath temple, which are the symbols of country's history and culture have been opened and considered safe.

When the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Kripashur Sherpa formally re-opened the heritage sites, announcing "Nepal is open for tourists," the mood of the nation, particularly those in the tourism industry, palpably lifted.

"We want to tell the world that Nepal is safe and we are open for tourists. We want to appeal to people to visit Nepal to see our unity in adversity and the socio-cultural solidarity. Visit us to help us rebuild," Minister Sherpa said at an address in Bhaktapur durbar square.

On the reopening day, the scene of the ancient and historical Bhaktapur looked different with most of the monuments destroyed. There also used to be around 800 foreign tourists every day in Bhaktapur durbar square, located some 12 kilometers east from Kathmandu.

But it is unfortunate for this small Himalayan nation that a single tourist could not be found in the area on the morning of June 15.

These major attractions of the capital were extensively damaged by the April 25 and May 12 disasters. These places were immediately prohibited for tourists and even for the public for a few weeks after the disaster.

A total of 741 ancient sites including temples, sattal, matha, old palaces and the like were destroyed, including complete and partial damage in the quake.

However, at a time when tourist-related businesses are claiming that around 99 percent of hotel bookings have been canceled until September, the opening of these heritage sites has provided a new hope to the revival of their businesses.

Birendra Shrestha, Guest Relation Officer at Patan Museum Cafe located inside the Patan durbar square premise told Xinhua, "The government should promote Nepal saying that it is a safe destination, so that we can get tourists to visit from next season. Otherwise we have to wait for another season with zero business."

The cafe that used to cater to innumerable tourists in recent history served only 7 customers on Sunday, the opening day after the April 25 quake.

The government has been claiming that there are many reasons to visit Nepal as airports are fine, flights are on time, more than 90 percent of hotels are safe, major highways are operational and there are a lot of places for tourists to visit.

But, the number of tourists visiting Nepal for pleasure or adventure continues to be flat. Two Swedish tourists who are employees by Turkish Airlines were found roaming and clicking pictures in Patan durbar square this afternoon.

"We just landed in Kathmandu four hours ago and came straight here. We could not see many differences because people are happy here all the time. We like this part of Nepal and its people,"they shared with Xinhua.

As per the statistics provided by the Immigration Department, there were 69,286 tourists in Nepal in May, 2014 whereas the number lessened to 40,856 in May, 2015.

These foreigners visited Nepal even after the earthquake but only for search, rescue, relief and research purposes.

Tourism is one of the pillars of the economy of Nepal but it is the worst-hit sector with an economic loss of Rs 81.24 billion ( about 790 million U.S. dollars). It is also one of the largest employment generating industries in Nepal which collects a sizable portion of revenue for the government. Mountain climbing and trekking is the most profitable tourism sector.

CN Pandey, a travel and tour operator and owner of the Landmark Hotel told Xinhua, "I am hopeful that it will take around four months for the initial recovery and around a year to bring the full business back on track. But there must be strong marketing plans and promotional strategies to bring the tourists back."

The hotel entrepreneurs are of the view that they also need some assistance from the government like soft loans for rebuilding and operation and lessening of bank interest rates to reduce the financial burden.

According to the government's post disaster needs assessment PDNA) report this sector requires Rs 41.33 billion (400 U.S. dollars)for reconstruction and rebuilding.

The government on Sunday has also formed a high-level national recovery committee to promote tourism activities in the post-quake era under the leadership of the tourism minister.

Published in Xinhua, 2015/6/15

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-06/15/c_134328715.htm

Youths to lead reconstruction of quake-ravaged Nepal

Young Nepalese citizens are now taking an active role in the reconstruction of the Himalayan nation after it was devastated by a massive earthquake on April 25 that has killed some 9,000 people, injured thousands, and damaged infrastructure projects and buildings, including cultural and heritage sites.

The youths, because of their energy and enthusiasm, have been extending assistance to earthquake survivors in remote areas in the country that have not been reached by teams from the government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

The participation of the Nepali youths in the reconstruction and rebuilding of quake-damaged areas in the country has been stressed during the celebration of the International Youth Day here on Wednesday.

During the celebration, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam paid tribute to the country's youths. "We went through a huge loss from the quake but if we could lead the Nepalese youths in the right direction, they can be harnessed in the massive reconstruction efforts and take Nepal into greater heights," Gautam said.

In his address during the celebration, Minister for Youth and Sports Purushottam Poudel also called on the Nepalese youths to help in creating a "healthy and productive manpower" so that Nepal can rise from the devastation and move forward.

The theme of Nepal's International Youth Day celebration was " Participation of Youth in Reconstruction."

Part of the celebration was the presentation by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the "National Youth Talent Awards" to seven dynamic youths and two youth organizations. The awardees were recognized for their invaluable contribution to the development of the nation, either at home or abroad, including those who have helped in the post-quake reconstruction efforts.

One of the awardees, Susmita Maskey, the first Nepalese woman to conquer seven summits, said that the recognition will " encourage and motivate Nepalese citizens to bring more honor and prestige to the nation."

More than 40 percent of Nepal's population belongs to youth category, mostly in 19 to 40 age bracket.

Statistics show that around 3 million Nepalese youths are now working abroad, mostly in Middle East and Gulf countries.

Another awardee, Dr Rajiv Jha, a young scientist, said: "Today' s Nepalese youths have both will power and capability to face difficult challenges. But what they primarily need is good education, an education that would help them carry out their duty of rebuilding the nation, particularly in the aftermath of the killer earthquake."

Brabim Kumar, president of the Association of Youth Organizations Nepal (AYON), one of the awardees, told Xinhua that youths can play a major role in Nepal's reconstruction since they have the capability to transform the society. "However, the government should be able to inspire and guide them," Kumar said.

Under its "Youth Vision 2025," Nepal is giving priority to five categories where the youths can play a major role: education, employment, health and social security, leadership and sports and entertainment.

Published in Xinhua, 2015/8/13

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-08/13/c_134512399.htm

Differently-abled in Nepal find sports activities as therapeutic

For the past eight years, Yami Magar was unable to walk because of a spinal tumor that paralyzed her body from the waist down.

But lately, with the aid of a wheelchair, she can now move around. And not only that. She has since left her village in the western district of Pyuthan and now lives in Kathmandu where she is taking up Bachelor of Science in Management at Padma Kanya (PK) campus.

Like many persons with disability (PWDs), Yami used to seclude herself because of fears that people would despise or ridicule her. But Yami has overcome all these and is now full of confidence to face other people.

And she is determined to prove that PWDs like her can excel not only in her studies but also in athletics.

"Since I started swimming and playing basketball, I feel that I am just like any normal person. I found out that even without the use of my legs, I can still do a lot of things for as long as I put my mind in these things," Yami told Xinhua.

Along with other wheelchair-bound students in her college, Yami practices basketball every Saturday. The college has two wheelchair-bound basketball teams.

People like Yami Magar are not only empowering themselves but are also motivating other PWDs to move ahead in life despite their disabilities.

On July 29, a new campaign - Coaching4Fun against the Quake - has been launched in Nepal by Engage a non-government organization, to empower those who suffered injuries during the killer earthquake, particularly in helping them engage in sports competitions such as basketball and swimming.

More than 22,000 people have been injured in the massive earthquake that hit Nepal on April 25. Among the injured, more than 5,000 are believed to have suffered long-term disabilities.

Engage plans to train and motivate the injured to live normal lives despite their disabilities through sports.

"Persons who are wheelchair-bound have very limited activities. So, what we are trying to do is to encourage them to get out of their homes and join sports activities so that they can become active not just physically but also psychologically and socially," Simone Galimberti, co-founder of Engage, told Xinhua.

Galimberti said that part of their campaign is to encourage volunteerism and leadership among PWDs. "We tell them that they should have a goal or purpose in life despite their disabilities," she said.

Jaya Karki, a 35-year-old resident of Sindhuli district who has been paralyzed for the last 10 years, has now started to play basketball.

"The game has restored my self-confidence. Now I can look forward to achieving something in life. I want those who suffered disabilities as a result of the earthquake to engage in sports or to continue their studies or work," Karki said.

Today Karki, aside from playing basketball, is also engaged in painting as a hobby.

"Before, life was hard and I almost lost hope. But now because of sports, I have overcome my fears. I am now looking forward to have a government job," Bharat BC, a PWD, said.

The Coaching4Fun against the Quake campaign has been supported by the Asia Pacific University Community Engagement Network- Malaysia (APUCEN). It plans to involve more quake victims to engage in sports activities to help them overcome their trauma and live normal lives.

Experts believe that medicines can heal only the physical wounds and it would need sports activities to overcome mental anguish.

"When a young person has a disability, he or she can be subjected to a lot of stress. It is only through sports that the mind can relax and forget about the emotional stress," Aileen Tan Shau Hwai, executive director of APUCEN, said.

Currently, there are around 50 wheelchair-bound basketball players in the capital under three different teams.

Published in Xinhua, 2018/8/3

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-08/03/c_134476542.htm

Waiting for you ~

Sitting on the bluest sea-side On the other side of this earth Beauty of setting sun Lost in those beautiful thoughts
Flaunting my fairy-tale dress With a crown like of princess A red rose in my hands Poem being ready in my mind

A smile filled with affection
Mumblings of heart to heart Getting lost somewhere in the waves Thinking of our story to create
Touching of that cool breeze Making me crazily desperate Eagerly waiting for YOU To come closer and read my eyes
There, you'll find every answers Dreams of 'you' and 'me', together-ness You will be the King, me your Queen Living our beautiful life happily ever

Travel Diary: 100 days of quake in SIndhupalchowk

It has been exactly 100 days since the massive earthquake ravaged Nepal on April 25 taking the lives of nearly 9000 people and making thousands homeless. Though Kathmandu is getting into normalcy, the situation is not smooth in other quake-affected districts. To find out the real situation, we travelled to Sindhupalchowk district which has the highest death toll of more than 3000. The situation is really chaotic as the landslides have obstructed the roads and buildings are empty with no presence of single person in Tatopani and Liping. 

Jure road-section

Excavators are not by the governemnt, but private

Vehicles lined up to reach Barhabise

Landslides all over the Araniko highway

A risky travel 

Quake and landslide together

Impact on Trade: Rotton apples all over way

Big stones blocking the highway

Newly built but destroyed dry port and bridge

Vehicles hit by April 25 quake

Resting time in between

These tents are police station these days

Bordering village Liping looks like ghost town

Custom office and dry port

Journalism is adventurous and risky, sometimes !!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTkIn9yfoFE (Video-story broadcasted in CNC World TV)

Nepal is still beautiful

After working 24/7 since April 25 earthquake, there was an eager need of BREAK, for which I visited Pokhara for few days in the end of June. Here are some captured moments :)

Beautiful Fewa lake

Monsoon and Nature

Empty boats in Lake side

Water water everywhere

Greenery Accomodation: Fishtail Lodge

View of lake

I dont know its name, but beautiful flower

Live Music @ Oxygen Bar

Green green green 

Lets go on boating

Boats are waiting for tourists

Clouds are ready to burst into rain in evening

A beautiful evening

A night-view of Fishtail

                           

Me in beautiful Pokhara