Since I crossed the Tibetan bridge that helped me overcome the Chopche River, I knew that Leopard Syaphru IBA TO BE SPECIAL. The Houses Built Hill above told me that life here would not be easy either. Thulo Syaphru is a village near the Langtang National Park, and Nepal. Seven hours by bus from Kathmandu plus five of walking through abrupt land, that becomes dusty in dry season, and muddy in the monzones.
As I go up the path I am seeing half -naked babies and one of his older brothers, no more than six years, that parents leave in charge since most of the time, The mother is responsible for sowing and collecting vegetables, to collect firewood to accumulate it for the hard winter, Walking several times plus many others back, For a land with great slope. Once those tasks have been finished, The greatest of all begins, Be a mother, Clean the few clothes, scrub the food pots and feed their offspring. If it were not for the help of older children, I would not be able to carry them out.
You have to walk five hours on abrupt land, that becomes dusty in dry season, and muddy in the monzones
Parents either have time. Many times they are not at home, They are part of portators or guides, in the best, from some expedition to dangerous mountains found throughout the mountain range Himalayas.
I remember a girl, was not more than five years, Playing with his little brother, almost a baby who had just learned to walk, With clumsy steps typical of his young age. She wore light -colored pants, Brown dyed by Earth, some flip flops a couple of larger sizes and a sweatshirt of the same color as the pants. Earth -colored hair, dusty and very stiff. He, A yellow and black short sleeve shirt. The yellow almost seemed black from how dirty it was. At the bottom, I was naked and barefoot. I wasn't the only one I saw, I guess it's because the mother is not possible.
Upon arriving at the village I only see elders. Feed: Where will adults be?
As soon as the girl saw me, They were both running and after a "Namaste", A "one chocolate" came. Of course I lied telling him that he had no. It is obvious
Why I lied. Those children do not wash their teeth as much as they should or could and my chocolate, caramel or that of others, All he gets is that in a short space of time, that impoluta denture deteriorates, leaving them a tare for life. Do you think they will go to the dentist for the first caries? Neither do I, More than anything because the closest dentist is in Katmandú and the expensive treatments cannot be paid.
Upon arriving at the village I only see elders. Feed: Where will adults be? I look at the fields where they harvest and see female silhouettes carrying large packages behind the back, Just behind me come five adult men with loads of more than 80 kg. Loads that transport in huge baskets made with bamboo and subject by a rope to the forehead.
The woman releases the deck, Take a stone, He puts it in front and he is advised by blows until he dusts
The elders are not standing watching sunset. An elderly woman with a single arm is sitting on the ground next to a lot of stones. In the useful hand, A MAZO. Loose the deck, Take a stone, He puts her in front of her and is advising blows until she dusts her, literally. Hit after blow, The stone is shattered. A man who barely stands, curved, He is sharpening a little sickle. looks at me, With clear eyes that I had not seen before in this country, semi -raised, and smiles ... "Namaste", I answer him. Other, of least, But the same as older, is sitting on the floor with the huge bamboo reeds, hitting them with the help of a hammer. Once has hit them, separates them with fine strips. With them it will sign the union of wooden sticks that will later become delimiting fences.
The houses are made of wood, A very old wood, suffered by weather. We are a 2.250 meters and if it is not the snow that falls in winter, It is the rain of the Monzones that is responsible for punishing it. There is also a new concrete construction, just this is where I stay.
I leave my backpack in the room and after enjoying a fried rice with tortilla and cheese, I go out to the little and unique way to travel it. In a wooden bank I see a group of five young people who see me greet me with a "hello". We exchange four phrases in English, Very basic, And I continue my path.
A man greets me and asks me where I am from, Where do I come from and where I'm going
I continue up, There is nothing flat here, On the ground and stones track. A girl from some 10 years we are weaving a wooden loom. It tells me to look at your store and buy something. Your store is nothing more than a wooden cabin where you place your fabrics as you finish them.
Without realizing it, I have reached the end of the town after ten minutes walking. I start going down. A man greets me and after asking me where I am from, Where do I come from and where I'm going, It tells me that there are now few tourists, The cold is going to start and will no longer come until next season. He is the owner of a beautiful "Guesthouse". You must have some 45 years, It is difficult to put an age, When they are young they look like children and when they are adults, They seem older.
Things for Ganesh have changed, for better. Has even a dog like pet
Only two years ago the business could be built. Before I worked as a carrier taking the material to people who entered, like me, In the Langtang Valley. Know Langang's trekking and the Gosaincund. Was 20 years transporting heavy loads on his shoulders until he gathered some money and could find an alternative way of surviving.
Things for him have changed, for better. Has even a dog like pet. He is the father of four children, They are still small. He wants them to study, He is seeing how Nepal's life is changing and knows that children who fail to finish their studies will not have another future to carry loads for expeditions. Ganesh, This is what is called, had no other chance, His father could not send him to school.
Every day after the hard carrier work, I read the English-Nepalí dictionary. It didn't matter how tired he was
Learned English during 20 years that was a carrier. One day he joined money and bought an English-Nepalí dictionary. Remember that every day after hard work, I read it, It didn't matter how tired or the top I would have uploaded that day, He knew I had to learn English to be able to leave that job with an expiration date.
It has become late, We have spent more than an hour and have not even introduced ourselves. It did not take, We both looked for conversation, He with a foreigner who will speak English and I for satisfying my need to know a little more about Thulo Syaphru's people.
Namaste.
