The Hills Are Alive

The Nepali Himalaya is a truely magical place, a short trip from Pokara took us once again into the heart and soul of the Nepali hill communities. It's truely amazing how the country folk live in tiny villages nestled into the side of gigantic mountains with no road and often steep climbs of between 1000 and 3000 vertical metres to the nearest road. The only possibility of farming the inhospitable landscape is to cut horizontal concetinas into the side of the mountains where simple vegtables and barley are planted and harvested.

Walking through the Himalaya is like being transported into a fairy tale land where mist hangs low over magical mountin views and dreamlike bamboo flute music drifts across the mountain air from nearby villages.

In sharp contrast it's difficult to see the big picture of the terrible goverment structure they have in place. There are constant problems often resulting in numerous killings between opposing political parties, all made far worse by the king who is trying to wrest power for himself. It's a constant struggle for the Nepali people who are amonst the poorest in the world and are just desperate for a strong uncorrupt democracy that seems impossible to come by. Hopefully one day, after the king has departed maybe, the country will finally be united and peace will return.