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Published: December 19th 2009
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12/12/09
Tamghas(@1600m) is the district headquarters of Gulmi area. 3 hrs by bus(85 rupee) would get you here from Ridi. Not a really appealing town at first sight, far bigger than Tansen and without much old houses, and the standard of lodging were limited and low, but...what do you expected in a out of the track town? In fact I discovered there was many lodges in town, only they wasn't any signs written in English, still...all was kind of students hostel or trademan overnight stop. The mixed ethnic town lived mainly Brahman and Magar. The main sight was the Resunga hill top(@2300m).
there is a religiously popular Yagyashala (fire place), old temples, dried ponds and a view tower are the attractions of the place. Region's holy festivals Harisayani Ekadashi (June-end), Saune Aunsi (mid-August) and Haribodhani Ekadashi (mid-October) take place in Resunga annually.
An 2 hrs climbing would get you to the top. After the last 50 steps up the view tower. The view was magical although with the semi-hazy surrounding, a row of icy laid across in mid-air within the vast universe. From the far right it should be the Manaslu, then the Annapurna group and the easy recognized Fish-tail,
then the two giants Annapurna I and Dhaulagiri, and further on to the far left was those hilltop related to the Dhaulagiri. the view created a strange sensation, blue sky, snow caped mountains and a deep void in between the bottom green land of the Terai. I was lucky to got up here before the noon fog drifted in.
Some information said the Tamghas region also grow coffee, but I hadn't seen any coffee plantation yet so far, and also not any product were sold in the local market. But later this afternoon I saw a sign written "organic coffee Gulmi" with some posters and newspapers cut-out on a noticeboard, seem like the coffee was somewhere inside the district after all.
15/12/09
Instead of going out the same way through Tansen, I went to Sandhikharka in the Arghakhanchi district 2 days ago, also hoping to discovered something unexpected as there wasn't any info on this place, tried a searched in Google, and there wasn't a single registered showed up! Anyway... It took 3 hours by shared jeep over a really rough road, we passed through many villages, the surrounding should be pretty, but the foggy morning made it
impossible to see much, and inside the packed car with low window...no chance at all! And Sandhikharka(1000m) got nothing much to offer, same like Tamghas, "a temple about 2 hours walk on the hill" a young man told me when I asked him the most interesting place in the area. So...I just took an relaxing day off, and this family hotel actually got solar hot water....my first hot shower for the week!!!
Took the bus down to Butwal yesterday, a 4 hrs ride through another snake curving road, half way was a place call Supad, where a sacred Hindu temple attracted many pilgrims. Over a 1700m pass and finally down the Terai plain.
Butwal(@200m) although not much a tourist destination, individual travellers would came here to switch buses down to Lumbini, most people got the tourist bus wouldn't even stop here. But geographically Butwal was situated right at the crossroads, an importance trading center between India to Tibet, and the highway through Terai from East to West pass through here. For me...after a week in the mountain, arrived in Butwal was like in heaven, busy market, colourful fruits and vegetables, many restaurants and shops. Yes...it was noisy and dusty, but
a short walk up the Hill Park was a retreat from the secular world, climbed the long steps to the top, but which offered no view as it was blocked by trees in all direction. But just walked through the trail would let you out from the other end of the town. The Tinua River ran through Butwal, and the old town was on the southern bank of the river where some old houses still stood, and a small home factory still weaved fabric with their old style loom. The fabric's pattern had already designed on a roll of mould card with many holes. It ran with every step the weaver had made. The area between the bus station to the Traffic Chowk was the most busiest, and by night fall, many vendors setup their food counter, and there was where I looking for my meal. Beside the standard samosa and dal, the grilled kapba was attractive too, but I like the omelette with chapati, rolled up together with potato and onion. And the special treat was the Nepalese cuppocino, they got a small machine that created steam, kind of extracted from the coffee machine I guessed. The hot steamed
milk with coffee, sprinkled with couple of layers of chocolate powder, yumy...it became my favourite hangout right away, just sat there holding the hot glass and watch the world went by!
Note:
2 jeeps/day from Tamghas to Sandhikharka (06:00/13:00), Rs 200.
Sandhikharka market date on every Friday. And bigger market on Friday and Saturday in Butwal.
Bus Sandhikharka to Butwal Rs 210.
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Yujin Bhalami
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Grt view.................