Kalu's Village...Fishling!

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From Chitwan, we left for Kalu’s village, Fishling. We came by bus, of course, and although we were prepared for the worst, this ride was relatively smooth!

When we arrived, Kalu was immediately greeted by friends and family. (He is kind of a hero around here!!) News that his ‘bosses’ would be there traveled fast, and we felt like everyone knew us before we even got there…I think they were a little surprised at our ages, but they were all extremely kind and welcoming. Kalu gave us a tour of his village and introduced us to his family. He has three sisters (Putali, 16; Guri, 25; Sabitri; 28) and two brothers (Utter, 19; Mitra, 11).

For the most part, we just hung out in his house (biggest and most beautiful in the village) and drank tea (best in Nepal!) prepared by his sisters. They also cooked roti for us, which is a traditional rice bread…think donut/funnel cake only no sugar added. Once night time rolled around, Kalu broke out the Roxi (moonshine made from fermented rice…tasted a little like Sake, also prepared by his sisters!) and they also made us the signature dish of Nepal, Daal Bhaat. Daal Bhaat is lentil soup, rice, and curried vegetables (usually spinach and potatoes).

That evening, we taught his little brothers a card game and played by candlelight until 9:00 or so. The game we played was a little hard to explain so we were worried about the boys understanding it, but I guess they did as the game ended with Mitra as the winner and Utter as a close runner-up!!! That night we slept on the beach on the banks of the Trisuli River, in Kalu’s backyard, and where he got his start as a raft guide. The next morning, after some more Roti and Nepali Chai Tea, we headed back to the big city of Kathmandu.

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Photos

Fishling & the Trisuli River!
Here is a view up the Trisuli River from Fishling.

Gurung Family
Here is the entire Gurung family. From left to right, Guri, Sabitri, Putali, Mitra, Kalu, Leen, Ama (Mom), Chandra (Utter's wife), Dad, Utter.

Kalu and Mitra
Kalu's youngest brother, Mitra, definitely gets his energy & outgoing personality from his older brother.

Roti
Sabitri and Guri preparing Roti bread for us on their outdoor stove.

The Gurung Home
Four years ago, this house was very small and consisted of only two rooms. Thanks to help from Kalu and Leen and everyone's hard work, it is three stories tall has eight rooms with a big kitchen...it's beautiful!

Peeling Beans
Very rarely do Kalu's sisters allow guests to help prepare a meal, but we insisted and Kay, Leen, and Amber peeled beans for the Daal Bhaat...they figured we couldn't mess this up :-)

Kalu's Aunt
Kalu's Aunt has a small roadside stand just outside of Fishling where she sells fresh cucumbers dressed with a spicy salsa...they were amazing!