Learning while travelling: Dolpa-Rukum-Bardia

Journey which had name as "community knowledge management", "diversity trails". Tourism Development Endeavors, YES Nepal and Korean Green Foundation was supporting journey which was meant to be for several purpose. Our journey began on august 26 with flight from Kathmandu to Nepagunj. As per plan, we were supposed to stay in Nepalgunj and fly to Dolpa early morning on 27^th August.

It was the day before traditional ceremony called "Teej". It was surprise for us, this city didn't sleep whole night instead women's danced in the beat of folk song and men were gazing those beautiful ladies in red traditional customs.

 It was so difficult to survive that hot air and temperature with mosquito buzzing around ear whole night.

27^th, All bags were packed with the excitement to see beauty of Dolpa. We entered airport at right time. Unfortunately, we had to roam around departure room for one hour and were informed flight has been cancelled!! Back to hotel!! Survived one more day in hot city.

                                 

Airport, Dolpa  

Next day, our adventurous journey started with the flight, Small mountain plane with capacity of 8-10 people, it was so small that space inside plane ended as it started.  It was 35 minute journey to Dolpa airport. I was nervous as i could see plane was not in that good condition along with my next seat partner was terrifying me more, shaking, praying until it landed. One of the local person said airport is near and we will be landing within a minute but we couldn't see airport, then plane started tilting front side downward. We were still above height of most hills around..  Breaking my nerves i thought we got into accident. Suddenly a turn from hill comes without pitched airport and plane lands as it turns from hill...WOOHH. An experience it was.

                         

Rupgad, Dolpa

From there we walked and went to place called Rupgad. Big steep hills with green grasses and olive trees on north side while barren Greenland on other side with flowing river which divided these hills in the middle. The settlements were on both possible sides of the hills with very less agricultural land. we could see buckwheat in high altitude of the hills.

Hotel Blue ship "was place we stayed. As i thought this place being isolated with no direct connection with highways, people might be living a rural and poor life. As a day passed i learned more about this place. Cool atmosphere, mesmerizing environment,  Bheri flowing  by side  that kept us in peace. Every facilities was available in the place the only difficult thing for people from out of the place is  the price of the food products which is three-four times more than anything we buy in Kathmandu. Since the basic income of people in Dolpa is collecting Yarshagumbha and selling it in minimum 15 lakh per kg. People are very rich here and live a good life.

                           

Dunnai, Dolpa

The purpose of the journey was to gather relevant information about Indigenous Traditional Knowledge in agricultural practice to combat climate change effects in three ecological part of mid-western Nepal. We were pleased to meet great personalities from Dolpa as we had to gather information from government authorities, NGO's and CBO's and community of Chhteri and also a collect clips for documentary.

According to the people of lower and upper Dolpa, intercropping, crop shifting, farm yard manure, homemade pesticides, local tools, local seeds and storage indigenous ways. People even mentioned the changes precipitation, intense, low rainfall pattern over decades, rise in temperature, and disappearance of some plants while appearance of some plants in lower parts of Dolpa started to grow in upper parts of Dolpa. Cannabis sativa (local name: Bhango) is found everywhere at this place. Most of the people take it as medicine while some take it as entertainment. One of the interesting Indigenous practices of the palce was the indigenous practice of Sahatara, they shift wall as they have high and steep hills, they have certain boundaries, and people who have farmland up may have down as well, as they leave upper land with walls for some time.  Insects starts to settle at that place then they shift the walls little down as the insects make soil loose making it fertile and next year they again shift their farm land.

                           

on the way to upper Dunnai

On 7^th September as the work completed in Dunnai, we had some plan to visit Shey Phoksundo which took 2 days to reach by walking 10- 12 hrs per day.  We walked through side of blue river originated from Shey Phoksundo lake, dense forest, hills, with heavy bags was very difficult.  After 8 hrs. walk we reached to place called Syankta, where the atmosphere was more cool than Dunnai as we were heading high in altitude. Unfortunately, there was no room for us to sleep so we decided to stay in tent that we brought in rainy night.   Next day, we walked towards Chepka in afternoon and reached Renchi in evening and stayed there and enjoyed evening.

Early morning, we started our journey to shey phuksundo, i earlier said that we were team of 6, but here due to walking pace three of our friend were almost 4-5 hours before us.

On the way we asked women for the way to Phoksundo as there were two paths that we saw.  We three didn't find the bridge as mentioned by women, walked straight on same path, and asked each other if it is the right way to go because we could see next path exactly opposite to our hill, across river, still we kept on walking thinking its right path. After 2 hours we reach to a village called Rike. In villages here, you will always find flags that determine the territory of village and after few minutes' walk you will  see Chorten (palce where they worship), then you can see village clearly but you need to walk 30- 40 minutes to reach village. In higher parts of Dolpa you will mostly find Tibetan communities that have been living here since ages. Village i am talking about was as beautiful as we see place in fairy tales, people as generous as i never thought. We had lunch at this place. The owner of house where we rested loved and cared me as her daughter.

                                         

Chorten

                                   

Biggest water fall of Nepal

Now, here begins our toughest day to see Shey Phoksundo. When talked to people we knew it was the wrong path , we remembered someone telling us that we have to pass through the biggest water fall but we were opposite to the water fall then we realized that we were in wrong path. Thank god, we could still go from same direction but the it was only open for horses and donkeys to take loads and goods to Shey. People rarely walked.  We had no option. We started to walk in steep hill, path was so small and at the same time wind was blowing so forcefully. We were advised to see foot step of horse and recognize the path. Two times we went wrong path which was very slippery while following foot step as i think horse might have gone to eat grasses in that steep slope.

                              

 Near to Shey Phoksundo

After 4 hours walk to hill top we had to walk down the hill, we still could not see any sings of lake but as we walked in-between jungle we saw something which was blue in color and occupied large space. As walked nearer we knew that it was Shey Phoksundo Lake. We finally reached there to see the beauty. WoW pleasing it could be to eyes, mind and heart. 

                            

Shey Phoksundo

We stayed at Shey for two days.  I had a cool bath in blue lake as well. Our plan was to capture full moon as it was in full phase making its mirror image in shey but it was so cloudy we couldn't capture it as we thought. Since our three members had to return back to Kathmandu, we were only three people now who had to walk all the way from Dolpa to Rukum. Returning back, we six separated our way from Suligad, Dolpa. One night at Suligad in mysterious house, where some of the things were weird but i loved rabbit which was raised in the house.

                                 

With Rabbit, Suligad

 Next day we walked towards Shreebinde bazar. Sky skippers hills almost 70-80 degree i guess. Hills were all made of stone that looked like marvels, small path was curved from that Rocky Mountains and thuli Bheri flowing cutting those hills from middle. Since it was rocky mountain, it was dangerous as rocks would fall anytime. While coming from Shey, i had injured my legs and couldn't wear trekking shoes and was in slipper which time and again slipped on the way.  I thank to our potter dai who carried all our bags all the way. With little small hills and greenery. We could see the changes in landscape from Dolpa to this point. We reached Shreebinde bazar and stayed there. Then, we walked early morning. We were still in Dolpa then we realize... yeah it is the biggest district of Nepal.

. We reached Gotamkot in the evening. It was worst night in the journey. The hose we stay looked good, after we had dinner we went to sleep but we couldn't sleep. Me and my room partner almost stayed whole night outside room, room was occupied with Udus(local name). Then around 4 o'clock my friend said we shall sleep on the floor, she slept on bag cover and i slept on bed where udus was not seen. Our friend and potter dai stayed on ground floor with interesting conversation and could sleep well whole night without being troubled by udus.

Next day, paths were similar but had to encounter with several landslides on the way which didn't had any way through it, if we didn't walk carefully we would directly roll down to Bheri. I was scared to pass across but I was always saved by one of the friend without whom i couldn't have made to walk through all the way. Some of the point we thought this is it "we are dead".  

On the way we saw a hill which had snake curved structure and people has their own belief. We stayed in place....

                               

Snake hill

4^th day, walked along way and around 3 we took jeep which took us to Radijhula from Jajarkot. This place was memorable.

Next day we walked for some hours and again took jeep that left us to place due to landslide on the way we had to walk half day to top of the hill crossing over flowing water falls. At some point of the day we had no water and walked empty stomach. We survived whole day on cucumber and little water until we reached to a place where we had lunch. From there we again walked for several hours and reached Biskot and stayed.

5^th day early morning we took four wheeler which took us to headquarter of Rukum, Khalanga... this place is situated in top of hill, it looks like Kritipur. After many days as we were able to see concrete tall buildings, pitched road, buses. We stayed here for two days to collect information from government authorities.  When i compared Dolpa, people, knowledge, care, environment conservation, Dolpa was way above Rukum in everything.

                           

Night at Khalanga

                                

preetibang

After collecting information from authorities, we went to Preetbang where we had to collect information from households. This place welcomed us rudely, later we knew all of them were treated very badly by Maoist . One of the person who was supposed to pick us to his house didn't come, we had to stay in goth in that bad smelling mat. People were no more generous and hospitable at this place. We were waiting sun to rise so that we could walk for 20 min and reach a place where could find place to stay. Next day, we could only get one room, we had to adjust anyhow. Whole day we collected data from community of Magar  but wasn't enough. Next day we divided three people into two team where i went to collect information alone and two of the friends went to next village which took 30 min to reach from the place. Since my work was little i completed fast and returned back. I was scared to walk alone on the way because it was same place where i read news about rape case in bus just few weeks ago,  as i could see some small trucks passing by and teasing sometimes i looked around if i could see anyone so that i would go with them. Scared but walked all the way to hotel and waited friends to come. As they came we decided to travel to next destination i.e Bardia and catched a bus which travelled to Tulsipur, Dang in evening.

Well in Rukum Indigenous traditional knowledge in agriculture used to combat climate change effects were, intercropping, crop rotation, mulching, farmyard manure, homemade pesticide, local tools. One of the interesting Indigenous practices is mulching in ginger to control weeds. Climate has been changed, less and intense rainfall, late monsoon, pest attack and production of food has been less too . One of the indigenous method is use of  Ausuro and Khirro for mulching purpose as these works as a pest control.  Before plugging, manure is spread thoroughly in the field. Mulching is practiced in paddy bed for the fertilizer purpose, maintain soil moisture and to control the roots of paddy to go deeper as it will be difficult to pull during plantation.

Next day, early morning we reached Tulsipur and catched bus to Nepalgunj from where we took jeep to Guleriya, headquater of Bardia district, now landscape changed from hills to terai.. Here, information with authorities was collected. We stayed here for two days and went to Shivapur in village called Sundarbasti, Tharu community.

It was third visit for one of the friend so it is very helpful to stay. We stayed in same house as he had stayed before. This village was inside Bardia National park territory, in the middle of jungle.

                             

Discussion with locals

We were cared and loved so well by these loving people, we got chance to eat different tharu foods and learned few tharu culture as we were just few days away from phulpati, Dasahin. They even showed fascinating tharu dance in which i couldn't stop myself to dance. Tharu community is very rich in culture and indigenous practices.

The Indigenous practice of this community was intercropping, mulching, local tools, farmyard manure, homemade pesticide, homemade seed and grain storage tools. One of the most interesting indigenous practice is Dheri (mud pot to store grains and seeds) acts as cooler and grains/ seeds are preserved. Recent flood swept away all the grains stored in floor but the grains kept in Dheri was preserved as is it lifted few feet above ground level but is attached in floor

                                 

 Dheri

We stayed 4 days but made us emotional while leaving this family. With promise to revisit again we went towards Dhangadi. Instead of heading towards Kathmandu we decided to stay in Dhangadi, as it was my birth place and i had never visited since i was born.. I never thought Dhangadi was so well urbanized but extremely hot. We enjoyed last day of our journey remembering we are going back tomorrow after exactly one month on September 27, 2014.

Whole way while returning back to Kathmandu the flash back triggered me, that lovely times and moments, that atmosphere, environment, people are going to be missed ever.