2 Weeks in Rural Nepal

So I've been placed out with my host family in a wee village called Bistachhap. Compared to some of the villages we passed on our hike in Nagarkot though, Bistachhap is a town. Its surrounded by lush hills, terraced with various agriculture endeavours, accesible only by brave bus drivers or crazy motorcycle owners, or the even braver pedestrian. Its a hilly, rocky, uneven dirt track that brings the adventurous here.

The village has four chiyya pasal (tea shops come Four Square or corner Dairy), a tailor's, a school, two orphages (in reality more of a children's home) and a whole lot of children. Life is slow and dictated by the hours of daylight. At first light the women are up and heading out to the fields or somewhere, perhaps doing a bit of cleaning and getting brekkie ready first. The men soon follow (or the kids) heading to the community tap to get the morning or daily supply of water. Morning ritual also includes pujaar (prayer/worship), which involves walking around the house with incense and ringing a bell, and I think also "annointing" the house with coloured powder. My family do this at round half seven so its a nice alarm, others though are doing it way earlier. As its only a wee village, once the sun goes down its all over red rover. Dinner then maybe some TV is the usual. Lights are commonly out by 2130.

If you are a guest in a Nepali house, you generally eat first. Alone. Or with the lady of the house watching over you and making sure your plate is constantly full. Dinner is usually a quiet affair as the ladies don't often speak English and your Nepali is pidgin at best. If your family has a small kitchen (where dinner is served on the floor and you eat with your hands) you get booted out so the rest of the family can eat. Fair enough. Bit tough though if you're used to chatting with the whanau (family) or friends whilst dining. Sigh.

So far Rural Nepal agrees with me. Lots of nature. Lots of accomodating locals to practice pidgin Nepali on. Lots of chhiya. The occasional thrill ride that doubles as a bus journey into Kathmandu.

Wunderbar!