Bringing Progress to Paradise by Jeff Rasley

Author:Jeff Rasley
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9781609252892
Publisher: Red Wheel Weiser Conari
Published: 2012-07-05T11:49:25+00:00

Children on the trail to Kenja

I taught Karen how to ask a child's name and how to tell her name in Nepali: “Timro nam ke ho?” (What is your name?), “Mero nam Karen ho” (My name is Karen). She would have learned every child's name we met along the trail, if Sanga had not gently reminded her that we needed to push on.

But before we arrived in Kenja, we had to stop and play. Even Sanga agreed some fun time was justified. We met a young fellow who had built, no doubt with help, a swing along the side of the trail. It was constructed out of chopped-down tree limbs and rope. He offered to let each of us take a turn on the swing. It wasn't a money-making project; it was just for fun. Karen would have spent the rest of the day swinging and playing if our motherhen sirdar had not gently scolded her, reminding her we must hike on to our lunch stop for needed nourishment.

Bill, however, was not having fun. Outside of Kenja, he unsuccessfully tried to rent a mule. He was not getting better trail legs, as Sanga had hoped. His pace wasn't slowing, but it wasn't improving and his knee was bothering him more than it had the first day.

Bill knew he couldn't hike fast enough to get to Basa within our time limits. Sanga, Bill, and I talked over what we could do that would still allow Bill the chance to have a positive experience. We had been in such a hurry I had not spent time with, or gotten to know, the porters. I was not happy about that, as I very much like to get to know every member of the crew. But, of course, Sanga knew all the guys well, as they were all from Basa or villages near Basa.

Sanga told us that one of the guys, Some Rai, was studying English and had volunteered to be Bill's porter-guide. Sanga assured us that, of the crew members we could afford to release, Some was the best for the job. Some, Bill, and Sanga planned a teahouse trek for Bill that would begin at Kenja and end at Phaplu. Some would carry Bill's duffel in his doko and allow Bill to set a pace comfortable for Bill. They would eat and sleep at teahouses and lodges. Sanga assured Bill he would have a private room each night. Sanga doled out enough rupees to Some to cover all of the expenses they would have for the teahouse trek, and gave Bill the ticket for the flight back to Katmandu from Phaplu. Sanga and Some calculated that Bill and Some would get to Phaplu a day or two before the rest of us were expected to arrive. So Bill would have the choice of flying out before the rest of the group or waiting for us, assuming we made it to Basa and back on schedule.

The porters separated Bill's duffel from the rest of the loads they were carrying.

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