Nepali Porters

Do you think your job is hard ? You probably don't know about the Nepali porters. Their job is one of the hardest ones known to me.

Porters carry huge load across mountains of Nepal

Mule Train

Mule Train, photo credit: Subbotsky

The Nepali alternative to rail cars in the Himalayas are mule trains. Villages deep in to (or high above) the Nepali Himalayas are inaccessible by motorized vehicles, let alone railway. Helicopters and small planes have emerged as a new option in recent decades. Mostly to be used in search and rescue operations. Trekking and riding stays predominant modes of traveling for personnel, while mules serve as the most common and effective options of cargo.

Stone in Nepali Masonry

Houses are made of brick sized stone slabs, mud-gravel mixture is used as mortar

Stone is predominant material in Nepali masonry. Specially in the Himalayan parts. Rough slabs of about uniform thickness is the most common form. Mud-gravel mixture is usually used as mortar. The slabs in use having varying length/breadth gives rise to an strong organic texture, unlike the regular pattern of brick walls.

Stone slabs are also laid on flat ground to make pavements, much like cobblestones are used in European architecture. Slabs are laid on sloppy hillsides to make stair ways. Large to medium stone slabs are usually used. These stairs can go all the way starting from deep river valleys to the villages perched on mountain tops.

Didi

Ladies of Nepal are your "Didi" (elder sister). That's the ubiquitous polite way of addressing a Nepali lady. You'll see them running grocery stores, tea stalls, restaurants, working in fields, carrying big loads across mountainous Nepali landscape and may be managing the hotel you're staying at.

Ongma Didi, busy maintaining business correspondence on a snowy morning in Manang. Ongma manages a hotel in Manang with her husband, Tashi.

Picking Up Nepali Language

Picking up a language is fun. It's like putting together a jigsaw puzzle, except that the pieces are words, phrases and grammatical structure of the language you're trying to learn. If written form of the language has a different script, that adds a new layer of challenge and fun.