NUFFIC Field Visit to Rasuwa - Day I

Our group was big enough to fill up a 25 seater bus. Everybody was eager to start the journey, actually it was a field trip; a part of Nuffic Training. We had planned to set out at 8:00 in the morning. Head counting started to make sure everyone's presence. Someone yelled, "Raise your hand if you are not here." Laughter roared. Everyone but Ujjawala was missing from the pack. Finally, she came and we left at 9:30 to Ghatlang, our destination.

We hadn't had breakfast, and wished we could have taken during our waiting hours. But, anytime we had to move like soldiers. In fact, we were on standby. When the bus started wheeling smoothly through the city, everyone seemed busy talking with nearest partners in the bus. Traffic was not that much busy. We crossed Ring Road, and speeded towards Kakani through dense jungle on winding road. Weather was cool and cloudy.

Not finding a proper toilet is a common problem while traveling by bus. We faced the same problem, but we were not afraid of providing tonics to nearby plants on a hillock in a row.

We took snacks in a small bazaar after crossing the pass of Kakani, but we didn't find enough choices to eat. All of us drank tea and ate fried peas and Rotis. Weather became cold and foggy. When we started to move Trisuli Bazaar, I felt uneasy. My health deteriorated, and I couldn't enjoy at all. Finally, when we arrived down the valley, I vomited profusely and felt better. We had our lunch at a nearby hotel. Dal, Bhat and Masu were good. Hygiene? Doubtful !

Road was good until some minutes' travel, but soon bumpy gravel road started. It continued until we reached at Dhunche, the headquarter of Rasuwa district. Occasionally, rain spattered. There was a huge landside on entire face of a mountain at a certain place. When we reached there, we realized it was too dangerous to pass through the muddy and rough road. A helpless bus was trying in vain to pass through the sloppy road. We all got off from the bus, and tried to help with our all but little might. At this moment of frustration, for the first time, some friends chastised our Hero, Mr. Bainya the coordinator of this trip for not arranging mini buses. The mini bus could pass the road easily, they thought. I will mention the second rebuke later. It was indeed a very disheartening event, watching helplessly and time slipping away fast. You still had to go a long way to get your destination. We all brought stones big enough to put on the wheels so that the bus could move without sliding. At last, with our efforts and by the grace of god, the bus crossed that dangerous hurdle. Then, we moved cheerfully to Dhunche. In every rainy season, this road becomes dangerous for plying vehicles. This is a common problem with roads in hilly regions. Road incidents and accidents are often heard in the news. Do the policy makers know this? Yes, they know it all. Cobwebs of commission most of the time don't allow to solve the problem once and for all.

We stopped just to say hello to Dhunche, drank tea and hurriedly started our journey again. We stopped at Sabrubesi for a while and headed towards our final destination. The serpentine road was breathtaking just the other side of Sebru. Our pleasure of seeing all those sceneries soon faded away. Just at the corner of the road a mini truck was in utter fatigue just like a fish without water. The truck was helplessly trying to come up, and the only narrow road was completely blocked without leaving any margin of road. We stranded for a while. Again, by the lord's wish, the truck succeeded in achieving its mission.

When we crossed the small village down the road, it was already dark. Now, the anguish of everyone increased. At one point, we had to ask where about our destination. Nobody including our guide knew the way even if the road was liner. And, the height of the situation was, we couldn't find anyone to ask the question. We ran here and there in dark, finally someone got the information.

This was the time our hero again got more than enough scolding especially from female participants for not fixing the right destination for night halt. We could have halted at Dhunche or Sebrubesi. Just imagine, the road is rough, bumpy, and narrow; you drive in complete darkness with dim light of the bus. Augmenting the danger, the weather was foggy and the bus itself was big and weighty for the narrow and graveled road. We continued our journey in such hair-rising and heart-holding situations for an hour or so. I remember a poem by Bhupi Sherchan;

Hami bir chhaun,
Tar buddhu chhaun,
Hami bhuddu chhaun,
Ra ta bir chhaun,

Just before reaching our destination, the driver was trying vigorously to move forward in a narrow road. It's fortunate that Roshan who was sitting just above the rear wheels saw the wheels were going out of the way. He shouted and everybody got off immediately out of the bus. When we observed the situation, it was really awesome. Had we not noticed the danger at that moment and tried a little hard to go forward, we could have been in the news next day. What next? No options except walking with luggage in the dark with the help of fireflies like torches.

Finally, shouting and walking in the dark grappling here and there, we reached our destination, Ghatlang. It was a community hall operated by the local people. This project was supported by TRPAP. They have arranged lodging and fooding. It was nice to experience the community management. Evening was cold, local wine helped some of us to defend from it. Others preferred the bonfire with having cup of tea.

We are rich in culture. We speak around 92 spoken languages and dialects and there are 101 distinct ethnic groups. It's like half of the world squeezed in a small land. Later, local people performed cultural dances and sang songs in their language. We all enjoyed the performance, and also became the part of the dance troupe. We heard the original tune of a famous folksong "Bhedako Uan Jasto" in Tamang Language, and other folk tunes. Thanks to the singers who made it famous because we could make chorus and sang here and there.

Bhedako uan Jasto.. hoho..ho
Bhedako uan Jasto..
Tyo mathi bata ke udi aayo
Bhedako uan Jasto.. hoho..ho
Bhedako uan Jasto..
Mayako foto mai khichi linchhu
Purne ko jun jasto.. hoho..ho
Purne ko jun jasto.....

We had good fun. We forgot our disgruntle completely. And, finally, we went to bed totally exhausted. Our beddings were lined up in a big hall.