The World Cup turned out to be an one-sided affair. A few of our trip friends joined us for a round of drinks and World Cup. The game was decided in the first 20 overs and I continued watching until 2:00 AM in the morning in a desperate hope of magic – that didn’t come.
In between, we had laughter particularly because one of our friends was too drunk and had to be carried to the room. We later found that he was sleeping in a odd way covering two beds and it was fun laughing at mid-night.
Soon, I found we, Bikash being the other, were left without a room. We couldn’t enter the room that the drunk friend was covering for it was too smelly. I almost decided to sleep on chair but Bikash managed somehow to get a floor in the room for me and put two beds together for three people to sleep (two were already there!)
Next morning was the race – the event that I was there to cover. I barely slept for two hours and had to wake up.
After seeing off the 21 cyclists from the starting point, I decided to hike up the hill. It looked easy as the locals were saying it would take around one hour for us. Krishna Thapa, the Kantipur reporter there, Annapurna Post’s Rajendra Shrestha, Prateekshya and Trishna – the two female journalists, joined me.
After half-an-hour uphill, Rajendra and Trishna decided to stop and rode on the bus. We continued, as a few points thinking we too should have stopped. It was steep uphill for almost two and half hours before we reached the Bhanjyang. From there, 20 minutes uphill to the View Point which we didn’t missed though Krishna decided to stop.
Then a downhill walk for 20 minutes to Goljung village. The village was nice and people smiling all over. The children were somewhat dirty but were shying smiling.
The race had been already decided. After a round to talk with the winner, it was time to the prize distribution and that was to be held at tha school premises 10 minutes away.
Walking again! Oh My God!
The program was as usual. Speeches. And, there was a welcome song-dance. It wasn’t a professional performances and girls singing and dancing were doing it like they were playing with each other. I really liked their rawness – something only visible in remote areas (I think)!
During the program, the guests were served with Makai Bhatmas (surely, a delight).
After the program was the lunch. We were given a coupon, asked to form a group of 10 and go to a house for the homestay lunch. The lunch was good, the hosts were nice and as went to the rooms designated for the tourists and I found it better than the Shree Ganesh Hotel.
But we had to return as there wasn’t internet or fax to send back the news. Though I had confirmed with the organizer that they would be able to provide me the vehicle for returning to Syaphru, I could not get that service as they took all the vehicles for the village trip to VIP guests.
I wasn’t happy. I had to send the news and were left with almost no other option than walking the whole distance again. Luckily one of the organizing officials found us – four journalists – seats in a vehicle of Chilime Hydro Power Project. The vehicle meant for eight passengers were cramped with 14 passengers and it was not easy sitting on it.
Riding on the vehicle proved good for us as we befriended officials from Chilime and they let us use the excellent speed internet at their office. After two hours, we all along with those three guys from Chilime would walk down to Syaphru for a splendid round for drinks.
The evening spent nicely. Despite not finding rooms in three hotels we managed two in the low cost one and sat for rounds of drinks joking with each other and talking about of course media and hydroelectricity.
We would only sleep at 11:00 PM, happily!
