Corner with a Full View

Every year, since so many years before, people (male and female) from the villages beneath Everest go to the Namche area as porters, students, cooks, house workers, suppliers of crops, and small time vendors mostly during tourist season. But some stay throughout the year and some throughout their lives, waiting upon the houses of locals who now are in Kathmandu or overseas. The most expensive tourist destination in Nepal, the Everest region, has benefited the inhabitants in and around the base camp much in terms of economic growth. Apart from the peak tourist season, its no surprise that they do not stay much in their native place as they already have enough resources to move to Kathmandu or even New York for that matter. But those other people, those who come from villages beneath Everest, theirs is a different tale.

( Just wanna check out photos?Scroll down to bottom n find my album's link in photobucket) Zigzagging through Nepal-India; alternating between Nepali Rupees and Indian; sweat drenching 90 degree uphill treks; bone chilling icy wind; Chauri Goth as top class hotels; loosing your way in snow clad Rhododendron forest ; loosing sense in snow white beauty of a pristine landscape- experience this all in an offseason visit of Sandakpur in Ilam district during winter!  The colors may not be as spring-vivid or the mountains not as autumn-clear, but you will witness something else entirely. A live size cake of nature complete with gingerbread house, trees with snow icings all over. A different vista of nature, that you will never witness if you do not dare to step out from traditional "right season" tourism. Our journey started from Dharan where an early morning bus took us to Pashupatinagar. You can also fly to Bhadrapur airport, and then drive there. Since it’s a wint...