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Double Rainbow Farm
When you're travelling you get the chance to meet some fantastic like minded people. Backpackers with experience. Backpackers who know things that you don't. People, new friends that can inform you of information you may never have found out otherwise. On this trip there are too many wonderful people to thank for informing me of some amazing opportunities that have now become integral parts of my travel. I only hope I have returned the favour somewhere along the way.
Insert Chrissy from England. Chrissy is a beautiful person, full of charisma, always with a huge smile spread across her face, one so infectious that you can't help but feel happy around her. I ran into Chrissy and her boyfriend when I was doing the Everest trek. I was fortunate enough to run into them again in Pokhara nearly a month later. Chrissy told me about Help Ex, a website based in the UK that is essentially like WOOFING. You sign up, for a small fee of $30, and you have access to a broad range of projects wanting your help. In smaller, under developed countries like Nepal, you generally have to pay a small fee to
contribute to costs. But in most bigger more developed countries you typically work for you board and food.
I logged onto Help Ex and typed in Nepal. Hundreds of varied homestays, farms and orphanages popped up. They were all over Nepal. I was excited already. I was currently in Pokhara but knew I wanted to venture elsewhere. I started looking in the Kathmandu Valley section. I scrolled through about ten. As soon as I saw his smiling face (Krishna's) in the photo on his page I knew I wanted to know more. As soon as I started reading the first few sentences I knew that I just had to go to Double Rainbow Organic Farmstay. I love when my gut instinct is right. In this case it was more than right. I jotted down Krishna's details and within the week I had planned to visit the farm, and what an experience it was.
The 21st of May approached and I found myself hailing a taxi and requesting the overly grateful for an early day service taxi driver, take me to the Ratna buspark. These were my instructions from Krishna, whom I'd been messaging. He sounded so fun already,
I couldn't wait to actually meet the man. Literally minutes after jumping out of the cab and questioning where the taxi driver had dropped me (insert he's mis understood me and taken me to the wrong place, he's trying to rip me off...) I had enthusiastic bus men asking me where I was headed, "Banepa" I reply, and within seconds I'm put on a bus. It's as easy as that, sorry for doubting you taxi man. About an hour and a half later I arrive in the bustling town of Banepa, how lovely it was to see a very typical Nepali city, a city free of tourists, free of supermarkets offering cadbury chocolate and foreign brands. How wonderfully hectic. I get off and start off in the direction of the Scheer Memorial Hospital, also instructions from Krishna. He said that if I could make it to the hospital his son would meet me and take me to the farm. Sounds like a plan. I start asking locals, who obviously speak much less English than those living in and around Kathmandu, and soon after some gesturing and attempted Nepali dribble I have the direction of the hospital. I start walking, confident
that I can find it, with the assistance of Google Maps. It's hot, really hot. My bag is heavier than I remember, I've obviously packed far too much for my week long stay, but you just never know what to expect, especially up in the hills and especially when working on a farm (whatever hannah, you've always been hopeless at packing light). I've also brought along my guitar, for the quiet parts of the day. I'm stacked up like a pack horse, trying to look confident but without even trying, looking like someone completely out of place and uncomfortable, I don't know, like a child in an old people's home, although they'd probably enjoy it. Anyway, I was walking around in a big city in Nepal, I'm attracting a lot of attention, not bad attention, it rarely is in Nepal, just inquisitive looks. Now if only they could speak English and help a woman out! Within five minutes of walking in the ever increasinly warm sun, with the dripping sweat starting to become apparent on more parts of the body, I start to lose faith in Google Maps. I know that I've gone the wrong way. That wonderful sense of
direction of mine has been clouded by technology, but the internet is the internet, it knows more than I do, it's working with satelittes and stuff. I continue to walk until at least 30minutes have passed and I stop. There's no use continuing. Follow your gut Hannah, and when I got off the bus I knew I should head in the direction of the big hill behind the city, because I knew for a fact that the farm was 1700ft up and that hill just made sense. Listen to your gut. I turn around and attempt to ask a few more shop keepers, they indeed point me back in the right direction. I head back down the hill, that's actually steeper than I was aware of, and head back to a small street almost directly opposite the bus station. Insert annoyed at my stupidity here. It's heading in the direction of that hill I thought, logically, that I should head towards. Never mind. I weave through a few streets as per a local's instructions and within 15minutes I reach the hospital. A good looking man, that looks about my age, approaches me and introduces himself as Pukar, Krishna's son. He
the man himself- Krishna
on the top of the bus enroute to Namo Buddhatell's me he wasn't sure if I was still coming, he'd been waiting over an hour. Oops! I soon find out that Pukar is Christian and a wave of worry comes over me, oh no, I'm going to be spending a week with a family full of preaching Christians. This thought was only temporary, I realise it's wrong to judge and to have expectations, just don't think. I also know that there's very few Christians in Nepal and there's no harm in a religious person. I would just tell them straight away that I have no belief, yes, that I'm athiest. But Hannah, just don't think too much about it. Concentrate on small talk walking up this increasingly steep hill. We walk straight up for about 40minutes, it's almost comforting to be getting physical again, it's going to be a good week, I can just sense it.
First impressions are always interesting to reflect back upon. When I first met Pukar I thought he was a very intelligent, well spoken individual, those impressions didn't change. When I first met Krishna I knew he was a special man. After 40minutes walking uphill with my pack Pukar pointed to the final
the tree house
my little hangout house backing onto the jungle, a big house with a big bright sign reading 'Double Rainbow', very appropriately it had a big brightly coloured rainbow below the words. Krishna was sitting below it, no shirt, bald head, beads around his neck and a huge smile showing off his super white teeth, his smiling lighting up his entire face and making his eyes crinkle at the edges. Krishna, he looked just like in the photo. I meet Kirshna and then Sarita, his beautiful, quiet wife and before long Poakrity, his 9year old daughter comes home from school and I'm introduced to her as well. She too is beautiful and shares in her father's big smile. I'm shown around the 4acre property. It's beautiful, I feel at home already. The farm has been organic for more than 13 years now. Krishna grows all of his food; vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, organically. As a family, they are almost fully sustainable. The only products they bring in are rice (it's not wet enough to grow in their area) and gas. However they do use human waste for biogas, which is beyond cool, and one of the greatest ideas ever, very impressive. He has not
long purchased a grinder where he now grinds all of the produce necessary for cooking; millet, corn, you name it, he grinds it. The water is stored in two big (Nepal big) water tanks, he also built a small dam where the water is stored for washing dishes. He is in the process of trying to divise a new plan for water storage, as big thousand litre tanks aren't possible, it's logistically impossible to get them up the hill. Creativity and ingenuity are something the Nepali's are really good at. If there is a problem it's solved with what's around the house. Krishna does things exactly the same, they use the environment to solve problems. Can you tell I was impressed?!
You walk up to the main building, which houses the family's room on the first floor and the kitchen on the bottom. All clay/mud brick, clean enough and functional. Outside is a small 'workbench' area for grinding seeds and doing the heavier preparation for cooking. There's a bamboo structure in a tree just outside the kitchen, the 'tree house'. This became my little sanctury for the next week, my favourite spot. Around the back of the house are
small plantation plots for their vegetables and produce. There's fruit trees spread out around the property, and instantly I pray that he doesn't want me to try any. Doom washes over me. Within moments I'm offered a piece of fruit, similar to a cherry. Memories from the forced eating in Japan in the cherry fields comes flooding back. I put it in my mouth and when he's not looking pretend to chew. I feel terrible wasting such a nice looking specimen, but there's just no way I can eat it. I continue to pretend to chew, adding that it's nice but I don't love it and won't have any more thank you, disaster averted, I spit it out. We move over to his prized aloe vera plants. He breaks off a huge leaf and starts eating, he informs me that it cures over 80 diseases, I think of Nana Yetman, I think they would have got along just fine. Right next to a big raised wooden hut, the family hut so I'm told, is a campfire area, where they often have campfires and play music, ohhh I like the sound of that. Next to that are three more thatched bamboo
huts, spread out for the adventurous/outdoor loving guests. Behind the back of the raised wooden hut is a huge bamboo teepee. It's amazing! It has been covered in thatching and looks like a dream tepee, everything you imagine a tee pee to look like. I want one. It's not long been built with the help of one of the backpackers working here. We walk inside and I can picture lazy afternoons been spent in here. Can this place get any better?! We walk down a makeshift path, past fruit trees and lemongrass into his 'work shed', a bamboo hut where he's drying lemongrass and to make mattresses and cushions (it apparently keeps away the bed bugs) garlic and the grass that all local people use for their brooms. Ingenious indeed. We walk down another dirt path behind the biggest of the buildings, past the 'washing' area, where i'm to do anything involving water; laundry, brushing my teeth, dishes etc. Around the corner, we peer inside the big building, his parents, both still alive and in their 80's (rare for the people of Nepal) live there. He also has a brand new grinder to grind all of his grains, the one
taking the lead
world class hoe'er I was telling you about, just inside behind the door. There's a chicken coop next to the entrance to his parent's home but there's only two chickens inside, we've eaten the rest he informs me. Beside that there's a cabin for people like me, guests. It has a nice balcony, and two beds. The outhouses, yes there's two, although one is reserved for his parents, and the shower building, just a little clay room where you shower with a bucket. Up some stairs now and heading back in the direction of the kitchen, I come to an extension of the big building, a cute little cabin, and this is where I'm staying. Up a small flight of stairs to my bedroom. A wooden structure with two beds, wooden floors, a nice straw mat for yoga, and a chair in which to read on and of course the very necessary mosquito nets. I chill out and have a look around at the actual property, the plots of land and the produce and after a shower I meet Sophia from Switzerland, she's just arrived. It shall be nice to share this experience with someone. Sophia and I will be sharing the room.
We get to know each other before dinner, sharing brief life stories and then sit down with our new family to enjoy our first of what was many delicious meals, dal bhat, Sarita's specialty and by far my favourite, dande bad!
The next 7 days were a blur of wonderful times, good vibes, hard work, delicious food, creative times in the tree house, music, hippie times in the teepee, campfires and special teas, lost hours and days, adventures to Namo Buddha and Banepa, rooftop bus rides, inhaling chocolate, lazy days playing the guitar, writing and listening to Krishna's amazing life story. Now I'll try and do justice whilst sharing some of that with you. I still think one day someone should write a biography on him, what a great man.
Krishna grew up as a street kid. His father had little to no money. He lived a difficult life, being forced to work for child labour. He was sent to India at ten to attend a Christian school but only on the days or weeks when his father had earnt enough money for him to attend. He returned to Nepal without being converted. His sisters were married off
lunch
peanuts, lentils, popcorn, surprisingly filling and super entertaining at 10 and 14 to strangers, in order to provide a secure future for their families. He started working at the local hospital in Banepa where his father worked. After some years he quit. He was uncomfortable working for such a horrible man. The Argentinian doctor was in charge of running a 'christian' hospital, welcoming to all, although he only paid Krishna 250 Rs a week, less than three dollars, and would force families to pay for their relatives deceased bodies. Krishna decided he didn't want to work for such a man and quit. He then worked as a labourer, moving concrete. He was married, as part of an arranged marriage, although this ended after some time, when his wife's family found her another suitor. He started working as a teacher at a local school for five years, and attempted to start up his own school. He was successful at first, however after a year he had to close it down, there was not enough money to keep it running. He started working as a rafting guide but this was physically difficult, so after some years he switched to a trekking guide. He still continues to guide people on various
treks around the valley. At the age of 66 his father acquired some money and purchased land outside of Banepa, his children (including Krishna) couldn't understand why he would purchase land and not a business in town. It took him quite some years, but Krishna finally started working on the farm somewhere during his mid to late 30's. He found and married his now wife, Sarita and they moved onto the farm. He now has three children. Two sons, Pukar and Rupak, 28 and 26 and Poakrity their daughter, age 9. After having his two sons he spent eight years in the jungle. He would spend ten hours a day in the jungle with no food or water and then return home late at night for one meal and to sleep. He spent time with nature, all part of his quest to become a baba. He discovered Chandi chanting after he broke his back in an accident. For 7 months he lived with nerve damage and extreme pain. No doctor could fix him. He refused pain killers after his operation. He ended up healing himself through yoga, meditation and chanting. He discovered the idea of organic farming thirteen years ago,
when a friend from the hotel he was working at got him a pass to attend a conference on organic farming. The rest is history. No one supported him, not even his family. Everyone was prepared for failure. But through hard work and determination Krishna has allowed his family to not only be almost fully self sufficient but reaping the benefits. With backpackers coming and going as woofers or home stay guests he's getting income. They rarely spend money on food, there's no need, they have everything they need on the farm. He has become a successful business man, a wonderfully inspirational man. The above information is definitely not accurate, some parts of his time line may be mixed up, but I'm sure you get the idea of what kind of man he is. Before I continue I want to share one final thing about Krishna, his plans for the future. In Nepal, you are repsonsible solely for your parents. Once they die you are responsible for your daughter, once she has been married off you have no more responsibilities. Your children are now responsible for their parents, in this case for Krishna's wife Sarita. Krishna told me on more
than one ocassion that he will leave the farm, once Poakrity is married. He has no further responsibilities and will leave the farm and all of his hard work to his son. He has no desire to stay. He has always wanted to be a Baba, a saddhu, who lives in the forest, is dependent on no one but himself. This is his desire, to find a place in Nepal or India where he can live peacefully forever without any contact. This is Krishna. A spiritual man.
For the first four mornings we woke up at 5.30am ready to start the day at 6, after indulging in the varying herbal teas, a lovely way to wake up really. The first day of work was easy, sociable and easy. We basically walked alongside Krishna and Pukar planting seeds; the first day kidney beans and corn. Because Krishna was doing all the work and loved to share, I was able to ask the questions and hear the incredible answers about his life, from the beginning.
Day two was a shock. Again we wake up at 5.30 only today we woke up easily, expecting the work to be similar to that
teaching me some moves
...for my "bumpy" back of the day before, ummm wrong. Today we were asked to carry tree branches (they'd been chopping them down to clear a plot) up a 100m incline on slippery leaves and on a makeshift 'path' to make a pile at the very top of the hill. Not so easy. Hot, hard work. But all in all good to get a sweat on again. It had been a while without any physical work and was nice to 'get back into it'. After four hours of work we earned our morning meal at 10am, usually consisting of dal bhat and my new very favourite millet bread. Made from a seed similar to quinoa, they make a flour, add water and peanuts and fry like a pancake, a big thick bread like pancake, delicious, really really delicious. So it was fair to say that after our very generous servings of dal bhat and the expectation to eat seconds, we were full and ready for our leisure time. I would usually read my book, the amazing Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac, in the tree house, or play the guitar or write, usually all three. We went for evening walks up into the jungle and
enjoyed nuts and popcorn and seeds for a late lunch. Dal Bhat would again follow for dinner, but everyday was different. Sometimes there was more spinach, sometimes the potatoes were cooked differently, but every time, each mouthful I'd eat with my hands would be amazing, very satisfying, especially when followed by a yummy herbal tea; home made, non artificially sweetened masala tea, lemongrass (another new favourite) tulsi, guava and many more.
We spent the late afternoons and evenings playing with Poakrity, who had excellent English. What a great upbringing, living in a wonderful place with a father who invites backpackers from all over the world to work on his farm. Her written and spoken English, for a nine year old who's first language isn't English is fabulous. We would read stories together and make up our own fairytales after dinner. It was expected of us. She was reading The Jungle Book. An Australian backpacker had left it for her. We also read some Nepali Folk Tales, quite intense and scary, but a good listen. Some times I would quiz her on what a word meant, most of the time she knew. A very smart little girl. One afternoon we
wagon lady
waiting for the bus were even lucky enough to watch The Neverending Story in one of the guests rooms on her relatively new computer. I've never actually seen the Neverending Story, believe it or not, I felt like I'd missed a part of my childhood and have vowed to watch the entire thing when I return home.
We had some 'hippies' from Kathmandu visit. One of the guys who'd stayed here a month before brought out some friends from his guest house. They enjoyed music time in the teepee followed by not one of Sarita's best dishes, but nevertheless, dal bhat, before making their way back to the big smoke. Krishna was like a child in a candy store, so excited that people had come back, that he had more potential people to stay, more people to spread the good work about Double Rainbow. Ahh he deserves all of the good wishes he can get.
On the last weekend, three days before we were to leave the farm, it happened to be a full moon and Buddha's birthday. Krishna delivers the good news that people who follow the Hindu or Buddhist way of life typically do not work on this day and
some take work off for the whole weekend. Well, excellent. Krishna told us he'd love to take us to Nammo Buddha, a nearby, very famous temple and monestary for monks. We were planning to walk but Krishna thought we might like a sleep in and because the weather had been quite warm the last two days said a bus would be easier. The bus was easier, obviously, but logistically it was quite a hassle. It was basically a public holiday and everyone was planning on going to Nammo BUddha. There were no extra buses and when the last one left an hour ago, we were told there were about 80 people still waiting. We waited at the bus station for a bus that may or may not ever come. We waited nearly two hours, but filled in our time with hunting down 'tourist' chocolate and stuffing our faces with the glory that is cadbury chocolate. The bus arrived and at least 80 people flocked to the doors, we were never going to get on that bus. We should have taken the jeep that was offered to us, an hour ago, but oh well. A very smart local devised a plan.
Sophia & I
enroute to Namo Buddha on the roof of a bus Catch another bus out the road and then ask this bus to wait. When we're out of the way of the police we can ride on the roof. Said plan worked a treat, only the extra 20 people that were squashed on the bus in spaces that weren't spaces, wanted only not to be squashed and to be in the cool breeze on the rooftop too, so up we hopped with about 40 other people on the roof of a bus. It was indeed beautiful, full and bumpy, very bumpy. So bumpy that you can't even sit down on the grated roof racks. The sun was beaming, thank goodness for my sarong for shade and I finally devised a sitting position where I didn't actually have to sit, more like an asian squat, brilliant. After nearly an hour of driving through the lush hillside we were very relieved to arrive at the stop for Namo Buddha, very relieved. With sore behinds we walked up a fairly steep hill to the temple. Quite beautiful, with ornate gold carvings on its roof, beautiful. We went inside after a quick look around, but like I said, it was basically a public holiday and
so every man and his dog was there. The people inside the building were so unbelivably rude. They were talking inside the temple where the monks were praying, in the lobby where it specifically said no talking, quiet please. Mmmm, some people. We sat down behind the monks in the temple to pray for about fifteen minutes, Krishna fully immersed in it all. We then got up and walked around the rest of the buildings, which consisted of smaller temples and prayer rooms, all beautifully decorated, and surprisingly well kept. We wandered through the do not enter zone to the top of the hill where we found a cute little hippy hang out complete with their own produce. After a couple of hours wandering, being fascinated by the detail in the stupas and statues, prayer wheels and the copious number of prayer flags we stopped for lunch. After that it was back on the bus, only this time Krishna had devised another plan to walk down the hill and catch the bus before it stopped at the main bus stop, so as to get a seat inside. We had a tea whilst we were waiting. The bus arrived. It was
the monastery
so naughty taking a photo full. Thankfully not too full, so we squashed our bums in any space we could find and had a much more pleasant ride down to Banepa. We went shopping for some goodies for our celebratory pudding; coconut, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, and when we arrived back home at 7 started the preparation. You basically cook the rice, add milk and then add all of the goodies. We chopped and peeled and chopped some more and then waiting for the deliciousness to arrive. We headed out to the camp fire, played some music, enjoyed some tea and some pudding, not as nice as I'd expected, probably because of the soggy cooked rasisins that I kept finding in mine! We stayed up quite late watching the fireflies and listening to Krishna chanting, quite medatative indeed. The next day was a super lazy day. Krishna didn't work much so we basically had a big sleep in. Lunch was delicious, as always and then we geared up for a last day of work. Tomorrow was our last day at DOuble Rainbow. The week had gone so fast, I could hardly believe it. I wanted to stay longer, but had to head back to the city
to organise my Indian visa.
On our final day we woke up to rain, lot's of rain. I can't say I was all that dissapointed about another lazy morning. By the afternoon it had cleared up and we got to work. We planted peanuts and kidney beans in the top plot whilst Krishna planted tomato plants and chillis. It was indeed a rude shock to the system to be doing the actual planting. Bent over with a hoe in your hand,mud in your bare feet and hot sun baring down upon you, it's definitely not easy work, but again, it was good to be doing something, and to feel like we had been of some help to Krishna and his family. Over all I think we planted over twelve plots, cleared one full of tree branches and had a great time doing it. I learned a lot from Krishna, from Sarita and Poakrity. I enjoyed the peacefullness of the farm, the tranquility, the beauty and simply enjoyed observing the way they live. I took away from the farm a newly acquired interest and respect for the Hindu religion, for chanting and the lifestyle that Krishna leads. I took away
my family
krishna, poakrity and sarita x new recipes and cooking tips from Sarita, and learnt new rhymes and stories from Poakrity. I had one of the best weeks at Double Rainbow. I learnt a new style of farming, yes dad it's very, very different to how we do it! I was able to completely involve myself in one of the best books I've ever read, to write blogs that I hadn't started and to constantly be inspired. I was given the opportunity to love Nepal even more than I did already. I can never thank Krishna and his family enough for giving me such a wonderful experience, an experience that goes beyond working on an organic farm, a shared experience of life in Nepal. Thank you.
I headed back to Kathmandu on the bus, feeling assured that I would return. I felt lost back in the big city and missed the tranquility of the farm. Sophia and I met up two days later for dal bhat, we had missed it that much. I picked up my visa only to find out I'd been granted a six month, double entry visa. I was stoked, and straight away I was planning on extending my Nepali visa. I
just wasn't ready to leave yet. Stay tuned for my final month in Nepal.
N.B: My journal entries explain my time at Double Rainbow with much more emotion, much more inspiration. It is some of my best writing. But I've decided there are things I need to keep for me. Moments I need to keep to myself. I only wish I could share, but I hope you've got an insight into how special this week was and how wonderful it was that I met Chrissy who told me about Help Ex, and how lucky I am to have found Krishna's page. How happy I am to have been able to spend a week with Krishna and his family on Double Rainbow Organic Farm.
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