Mugu Trip, post death escaping, part III

taking meal in Bhulbhule( A FCHV's house)

From the Bhulbhule, we moved ahead with full stomach having some confidence that we can reach Mugu that day. After few minutes we found some wide and open place. It is called Patan, a plain area for cattle grazing (it’s plateau terrain though). We started shouting in elation that we found such wonderful place in the lap of the mountain since we had crossed two deadly places before we found it. I made somersaulting over the grass ground and two of my friends cheered and started clapping hands. It was such a pleasant moment that we did not care what other might think about what we were doing. Passersby, shepherds, cottage hotel owners, sheep, horses, donkeys and other cattle we could see them lost in their own world.

Patan

We took some sips of cold but delicious water there. We felt as if we were taking the taste of amrit (a nectar of the god that makes them immortal) directly from god Shiva. We took some snaps there and video graph as well. As we came across the cool breeze directly from Himalayas, one of us uttered, ‘RUI, PHUI or DUI…’.we burst into a laugh in no time that refreshed our tired mind.

Patan

From Jumla to Mugu, road construction has been going on. Mugeli people are hoping to see their first motor before Dashain in this year but it seems impossible by this time. If construction goes smoothly, they may be able to see the motor by the end of this year. Finger cross to them. This road access to Mugu by motor is obviously good for Mugeli people; moreover, tourism will definitely come into bloom. Rara will be the best tourism destination for national as well as international tourist but foundation for tourism should already be planned by Mugeli People otherwise we may get lost what to do ahead.

Ghuchchiko lek, taking rest: throwing jokes and laugh

Crossing the plateau of Patan, we took rest on the top of the Ghuchchiko lek( Guchchi hill), the border between Jumla and Mugu wandering about 360 view. We discussed about life, journey, relation and destination there while taking rest. Somehow that moment make us sentimentalize. We were on the top of Ghuchchiko lek. it was one of most difficult part of trekking in Mugu. We moved down and down it made us tired but there was no signal of reaching the nearest village. Legs were aching, joints were burning and the whole body was tired; only taking rest did not make us regain the energy but there was no alternative.


Friends from Unicef and GTZ were left behind. Among them, there was one pregnant lady who dared to visit Mugu on foot. I really appreciated for her daredevil effort.

Ghuchchiko lek, taking rest

The Sun was sinking at the West, it was twilight and we could locate the road where it’s heading towards. With heavy mind and body, we stepped into the farm of a village called Pina of Mugu District. That day we stopped by there and rest our aching legs there in a cottage hotel.

LOOT the Haaku Kaale

Haaku Kaale: superb; LOOT: intellectual crime movie: amazed by the concept; salute to Saugat Malla( haaku Kaale) and Nishchal Basnet( director). These people broke the general concept of audience:' nepali movie not worth watching.' Who says now after watching LOOT. We expect such movie in the future. Saugat has great potentiality in acting, so natural and flawless; never seen before such flawless Nepali actor. LOOT established new paradigm in Nepali Cine industry. LOOT team has done fantastic job: you guyz are wonderful ...keep it up...!!!

These characters do not act they make live show plucking the real natural surroundings. It seems overuse of Nepali slangs but they look natural. Every slang they use is in real way. We can see and hear in almost every scene, ‘ke laamo jasto hereko….machis…m_ji…maa ___ …___baan…’ but director used it very cleverly but in natural way ‘coz these slangs are integral part of such character in reality, no doubt.

Amazing way of presentation about meeting the characters by Haaku Kaale for bank robbery: recognizing the thirst of money in each character and showing how they are brought up together. It was real challenging job but fantastic director makes it happen. Nobody thinks about other-side story of bank robbery while watching the movie. He may betray his gang members since he provides pistol to each of them and they do not know how to handle; audience can assume there must be something illicit behind Haaku Kaale’s plan but when bank robbery is carried out by other gang and Haaku Kaale gets beating by one of the gang members and bank robbery does not go as they have been planning for last four months, there occurs twist in story. Oh they got failure along with Haaku Kaale’s plan comes in audience’s mind but Haaku Kaale proves he is there. He shows how much well planner he is betraying his regular gang members in safe way.

It breaks the regular old fashion of Nepali cine industry: no hero heroine dance; no villain against the hero and heroine; no college and no family;  just the gang member with one goal: Bank robbery.

On the whole, Haaku Kaale is LOOT and LOOT is Haaku Kaale, 'bal hoina dimaag lagaa pasaa dimaag'

Mugu Trip: escaping death trap, part II

Vehicle dropped us in Jinha village of Botamalika in Jumla. It was early in the morning we had started feeling warm weather, at the same time sun was rising at the East. From here we had to walk on our foot let’s say in other way: in the 11 number vehicle hehehe…!!! Everybody got off the car and started packing the backpack wearing glasses and painting sunblock on the face. Almost everyone had the stick to support themselves. Some people tried for tea but we did not. We said, ‘shuvashya shighram…!’ we three people Mr. Pradip (Unicef), Mr. Shyam (RHD Surkhet) and I walked on our own.

After few minutes, we heard the blasting. When we reached nearby, blasting was for road construction. Asking army man there, we moved ahead as he mentioned about the road, ‘this road is short but difficult and that road is easy but long.’ ‘Can we go for short one?’ He answered easily, ‘yes you can.’ We followed the short road passing through the trail made by road construction.We ascended to the constructing road. The blasting man shouted at us, ‘can’t you be faster? We are going for blasting.’ ‘Ok ok we are almost done you can see us.’

When we reached so called safe place from blasting, we found a wall that was almost impossible to pass through. Mr. Shyam and porter ascended easily but Mr. Pradip and I were left behind. He was saying, ‘I cant..!’ I could see on his face. I had the similar feeling but we could not go back and two of us already crossed that wall. I thought ‘ I will try to climb up so that Pradip will be encouraged.’ I tried with my backpack but could not. I asked the worker man in the road to carry my backpack. There after I climbed the wall with the help of rope: it was real rock climbing. I made it through. Pradip was also encouraged; he came up with the help of same rope. When I asked him, ‘how are you feeling sir?’ he was just able to say, ‘fine.’ When I looked the road from the top of wall towards our destination, I could not see any impression of road, ‘where is the road?’ came out of my mouth.

 

We walked with the help of rope on the rocky surface of that steep wall. Meanwhile blasting was going on. We stopped there until blasting off. We moved ahead hiding fear inside the soul. Stones were wheeling down and jumping around us. Thank god they did not hit us. Workers helped us to go through that difficult part. We really appreciated them. We celebrated the victory over that death trap taking beaten rice. I must admit while climbing that wall and finding no road after climbing it, ‘life won’t go beyond this’ but we came across.

It was not two hours that we had got rid of that death trap, we faced another steep surface. We could not figure out how to climb that steep surface. There were two small logs hung with the help of a small bush and one of them was not well supported. Our porter climbed first and he made it easily. Shyam and I started climbing hanging in the cliff. Pradip was left behind. He was taking snaps of our climbing. Finally we ascended that steep surface and took rest at the top. Someone mentioned, ‘baal baal bachiyo  yar…!’

After one hour walk from second trap, we reached Bhulbhule where we hung out for meal.

Mugu trip : crossing the obstacles, part 1

5^th June, 2012

Traveling is my hobby never the less I always mention about. Enjoying it is half achievement of one's life. Seeing is belief moreover internalization: it can happen only by traveling. But some traveling are difficult, when we conquered those difficult ones, they will remain as a sweet memory in our mind.

We moved towards Kalikot from Surkhet at 8 AM. We halted in Guranse, the cold place in Dailekh and took coffee there. We moved down to Tallo Dungeshor where Lohore Khola merged into Karnali River. Here in Tallo Dungeshor, We met frenz from Unicef and GIZ there. We took lunch with fish curry. It was delicious and yummy.  Against the upstream of Karnali River, we always move along the side of this river.  Leaving the Madhyapahadi highway in the Saigaon our wheels rolled over the road built by cutting the cliff.Madhyapahadi highway passes through the Dailekh and catches Achham crossing the Karnali River at Belkhet. 

From Khidkijyula, the road is not smooth; it's really difficult to move the wheels. At Daikhola the border between Dailekh and Kalikot, our motor stopped moving. After half an hour effort my driver was able to fix the problem. At around 7 PM we reached Kalikot Manma.

6^th June, 2012

Sinja valley

Early in the morning at 6 AM, we moved ahead from Kalikot. On the way, we halted there in  an eatery in Molpha and crunched the boiled potatoes. Against the upstream of Tila River, we reached Nagma where Hema River meets Tila River. This is the border between Kalikot and Jumla. We killed our hunger there with fish curry. We entered Jumla and moved along the side of Hema River. After crossing Narakot, the road was full of ditch.

vehicle stuck

draining ditch

With the help of villagers, we drained the ditch and were able to cross the road. During this period, we were able to have yoghurt that's natural and flavored in one old lady's home. 

an old lady and youghurt

 She might have felt we were hungy asked us, roti khanchhau?( would you like to have bread?). it was millet bread we shared with all friends. It was yummy I liked it.  

sharing bread

  At 7 PM, we found Gothijyula in Sinja valley. The valley is famous for Birat palace, Pandu gufa and agriculture as well. We enjoyed watching people sowing paddy in their irrigated field and dancing in local music.

farmers in paddy field

 
 We got a haven made up of wood plank. we were provided with one pair of blankets. we were sandwiched in between but cold could not catch us. we had liquid blankets as well so we did not know about cold catching. While we were taking dinner, someone brought the yarsagumba: these were small ones though. I never saw the yarsagumba beforehand, this was first time thourhg my eyes...!!!

yarsagumba