Time Travel is Possible

  Tal, Nepal
Thursday, April 5, 2007

Damian:

Day 3

Started the day with a strenous climb which wasn't to be our last. Donkeys have right of way on the trail - which is covered in manure and which in turn is covered in flies. We spent most of the day walking through an immense valley with a thunderous river flowing beneath. The mountains stretch almost vertically on either side.

Porters are regulars on the trail. These incredible men and women carry goods from one village to the next. The load is normally supported by a strap around their forehead. Some porters carry crippling loads. We met one who was 5ft 5in tall, very lean and carrying a load towering to 7ft, weighing a total of 80kg, according to Lok. The last time I weighed myself I was about 90kg (14 stone). I found it difficult to drag myself and my light pack up some of the inclines in good hiking boots. This guy was doing it in a pair of flip-flops while carrying the equivalent of someone one-and-a-half times his own weight.

We met another carrying 12 pieces of 6in plastic piping about 3m long each. He was carrying them horizontally against his back with the load supported from his forehead with strap. On a very narrow and steep trail he edged his way up sideways. I kept my distance for fear he would jar a pipe against the side of the mountain and fall my way. He passed our guesthouse an hour after we arrived - still trudging on. Pay is about 140 Nepalese ruppees (1.40 euros) per 2.5 kgs for a trip that might last 6 days. They have no alternative as their families are depending on them.

We ate dal baht for lunch on the side of the mountain at about mid-day and arrived in the beautifully situated town of Tal (1600m) at about 3pm. Sometimes I feel we are time travelling. The way of life here continues to amaze. The dwellings and argricultural techniques are reminescent of 18th - early 19th century Ireland and similar to some scenes we have seen in Peru. Many women work the fields with what looks like a small spade with the blade turned 90 degrees to the handle. They break up the soil using it like a small pickaxe. The only time I have seen men in the fields is when they are driving oxen attached to a manual single-bladed wooden plough. The blade is tipped with metal to reduce wear. A woman normally follows sowing corn. All crops grown in the region are organic. We have also seen basket weaving from bamboo. None of these scenes are for the benefit of tourists. This is their life - and proof, if ever it was needed, that there are many different realities. And although what appears to be a harsh existance for many it is often dissipated with a warm smile.