Ghalegaun- Kaulipani (Gaunsahar) Trip - 3rd Excursion - 2017 JAN 16-18

Ghalegau

About Ghale Gau.

Ghale Gaun is one of the best villages among South Asian villages and a perfect example of home-stay based tourism destination in Nepal, situated at an altitude of 2070 m from sea level belonging to warrior ethnic Gurung tribe. This beautiful village lies in along the round Annapurna circuit route, the world’s as well as Nepal's most popular trekking destination. Most of the men serve in military groups in Nepal army, Indian army, British army as well as police services. Besides this, the main occupation includes agriculture and animal husbandry. The total numbers of houses are about 115 and majority inhabitants are Gurungs. This majestic village is only 205 km northwest of Kathmandu and 125 km northeast of Pokhara.

The rustic and traditional settlements, the ancestral home of brave Gurungs: Ghale gaun, lies in the Ghale UtterKanya Village Development Committee. The road lanes are stone paved and clean. One can feel peace and harmony when one will be there. Now-a-days, everyone is praising the place. Similarly, during these few years, Ghalegaun has developed tremendously along with the home stay. It has attracted many foreign as well as the domestic visitors. Women here, normally wear blue and red attires, called Ghalek and Lungi whereas men were Kachaad, Bakchu etc.

Motive: Educational tour of Annapurna E.B.School.

Tour coordinator: BHTTC.

Date of Trip: 2017 Jan 16-18

Personal Trip Dairy

This was my third trip of the year. I have collected my memories and experiences, below here.

Day 1 2017 Jan 16.

As before, I woke up early in the morning in order to reach Suryabinayak for the bus but I got the information that bus was coming from Banepa, so I felt it was better to wait at Jagati. I had to wait for 25minutes and so, I had a cup of tea while reading newspaper. I got miss call from Kumar dai, so I went to bus stop to catch up the bus. Then, we straight headed to Chundevi to pick up Raaga sir, and after that, we moved to Sallaghari bus permit clearance. I was not feeling excited because something was playing in my mind. I was staying alone until we reached Annapurna School to pick up the students. Everyone was ready for moving on. While waiting for some students, the school principal and chairman sir along with Raaga sir were discussing about the school establishment and experiences. I was so interested to listen the incidents that occurred in 2046 and about the civil war. I wished to hear more but then, we had to move on to Kalanki. In order to avoid the traffic jam, we chose the alternative way to save our time. Due to limited number of students, we soon completed our breakfast and moved on to target Benighat for lunch. But after crossing Thankot, we observed there was road jam, hence, we began to discuss about our recent trip road jam while returning Bhaktapur. We stuck in the jam for 30minutes. So, to utilize the free time, students wished to view a movie. Kumar dai played the movie ‘Chaaka Panja’. Raaga sir began to act some scenes of the movie which was making us entertaining. We reached hotel Blue garden at 12 pm and like before, there was no crowd of guests. Without wasting time, we had our lunch. While we were having lunch, I found that sir was feeling like before and so, I suggested him to have lemon and salt. I moved forward to gather students, when I found Prajwal was drawing mermaid in the sand, which made my memories refresh. When I was at class 11, for the first I came to this hotel and like him, I had also drawn the pictures in the river bank. Prajwal and Bipin were so excited to hear about my experiences and I added that I would be sharing my experiences and we would be enjoying more in Ghale gaun and Gaushar. 
                                                      We approached the bus and I was assured that sir was more active than before because I had shared hajmola of my previous trip, given by Tulsi sir and ms.Anu. We were recalling our memories when we had trekked Ghale gaun 4 years before. Students were enjoying the remaining half part of movie and sir was still continuing his acting of the dialogues of movie. Kumar dai sped up the bus. I was remembering and sharing our Ghalegaun memories. I was comparing my position 4years before with current one because this time my position was completely different. Students were enjoying the view of beautiful nature and when they saw Marshyangdi river flowing, they got more excited for the remaining trip. We reached Besisahar at 2pm where Dawa dai was waiting for us to march to Ghale gaun. 
Students were so surprised to meet him and wished to take a photo. Then, he told us that the way was farther and thus, we needed to move quickly before 5 pm. I was at the last seat where I started to interact with the student Prajwal, who was very excited to be with me, I could tell. They shared their junk foods with me and I shared my experiences. After driving for hours, we took a break time on the way.

Pemba stunned me, because he reminded me of my classmate Shankar, who also used to do the same act whenever we took a break. Everyone was feeling so excited but I was warning them that the way was very dangerous and we had to trek up hills and up hills continuously. After break time, I saw Dawa sir praying for good luck. Watching that, I began to worry and started to think if driver dai was scared, then what would be our conditions. I left my seat to approach chairman sir along with Raaga sir, and then, we sat over the floor to discuss for tomorrow’s plan. Students were scared viewing the up hills and down hills. At Ramasigh, our bus got stuck and it took minutes to clear up the problem. However, as predicted we reached Ghalegaun at 5 pm. I was astonished to find that Ghale gau had changed. I was just waiting to view the whole Ghalegaun sites wanting to compare it 4 years before and after it. Raaga sir registered everyone and allocated them their respective homestay. On the other hand, we moved to Krishna Maya aama homestay, where she welcomed us by serving local organic tea. Then, few hours later, we had our dinner, when I felt surprised to know that Bivutu did not know how to have dinner with hand. He tried to copy me but I could tell that he was feeling difficult to do so. He asked for a spoon then. We enjoyed the dinner and after that, principal sir and chairman sir began to share their experiences. I was so interested to hear their experiences.

               After discussing for hours, at 10 pm everyone moved to their room for rest.

Day 2 2017 Jan 17.

@Ghalegau viewpoint

This is our second day of our trip. Early in the morning, everyone woke up in order to move to the viewpoint to watch sunrise. We were on time, due to which, we got the chance to have a clear view of sunrise. Everybody was enjoying the natural scenery whereas I along with Raaga sir, sat in a chair to discuss about the upcoming plans. I was feeling very different because when I was at Ghalegaun for the first time, I couldn’t view the scenery like this and it was raining as well at that time. Raaga sir took the first ever group pic, and we spent 30 minutes. Everyone was just snapping pics and at departing time, for captivating memories, I requested Prajwal to click my pictures.

@Ghalegau viewpoint

Then, we moved to Uttarkanya temple but before that, we crossed a school and reached a football ground for which we had to pass through slippery hills. I skated over the slippery area and Prajwal and Bipin tried to copy me but they slipped. After crossing, Uttarkanya temple, we moved to local tea farming where we spent 15 minutes. Snapping pictures was still on, and then later, we informed them to have breakfast at respective home stay, after that got ready to move. We had our breakfast at 8 am, soon later we marched to check out. There Dawa dai, and Raaga sir were discussing, because Dawa dai wished to travel with load, not an empty bus. He was describing that it was difficult to drive in rough road with empty bus. Everyone got ready to travel by bus but some of the mam, had already moved front through the trek trails. So, principal sir phoned one of the mam to wait at the main road. After driving for minutes, we picked up the remaining teachers. Then, at 11am we reached Rapasingh where we had our lunch . I was recalling my memories because home stay had tremendously changed but aama over there, havenot. We spent hours and aama farewelled us by tika and garlands. Everyone was so happy to have such a farewell, we took our pictures and had some rest for few minutes.

@Rapasingh.

After that, we decided to move forward for Gausahar. I was walking by sharing my experiences and at one point, we just got dispersed. I was moving with Bipin Bikash Prajwol Aman Sijan Sidhartha Dikpal Pemba Piyush Aakriti Krtitishma  Samana Sahin Sneha Itisha etc .We walked for hours to reach Chihandanda. Incidentally, we decided to approach in a group and as per my command, students were walking. They were very excited to hear my Ghalegaun experiences. 
Walking for hours, they were exhausted and thirsty too. I told them to have patience because I knew that a local tap was nearby us. We rested for 15 minutes at a local school premise when Raaga sir informed me to stop. We waited for rest of the teachers and students, and after gathering, we moved forward for Gausahar.  
                                 Walking for hours, Siddhartha waited to have some rest. I was describing about my Ghalegaun trip to Aman .We reached Gausahar at 4 pm and I was surprised because I had told Aman that there would be a welcome gate, consequently he asked me about the gate. I showed him the gate. There was a drastic change comparing four years ago and there was not a hall before and a way to Kaulipani temple was under renovation. In the hall, everyone got busy in their cell phone and I decided to visit home stay, where I rested before 4 years ago. Aama was so surprised to meet me and we interacted for few minutes. Waiting for hours, everyone was feeling bored, so Raaga sir told me to take them to Kaulipani temple. Interested joined me and we headed for temple. After reaching there, Siddhartha got excited seeing a fish over the pool. Bipin and Siddhartha tried to catch the fish up and I warned them not to do so. We stayed there for about1o minutes and moved back to the hall. Gathering everyone, we moved to Lamjung Durbar where I interacted with new faces, and after returning, most of the boys went for playing football. They did not leave the ground unless they scored a goal. We waited for Dev sir, who was going to host the welcoming. He requested us to move back to then welcome gate for welcome ceremony. We were welcomed by Pancha kanyas (5 girls). After awhile, we moved to welcoming hall where Dev sir welcomed and called out our name in the dash line. Clapping and hooting began, with louder pitch. Dev sir called out my name to be in dash line. That was my unforgettable part of this trip; I felt so happy to know that in four years, my position had changed. In 2012, I had visited Guasahar as a student, and now as excursionist. I had never thought that one day I would be staying along with teachers. I was recalling my 4 years’ old trip memories and keeping a smile in my face.

2012@gausahar

  Later, Dev sir began to describe about Gausahar Home stay Tourism and its achievements. Gausahar has been award as the best home stay of Nepal in 2014 and has been listed in top ten villages for tourism home stay, on the occasion of “Ghumfirbarsa2073”.While he was briefing; aama was welcoming by putting garland and tikas. Everyone was offered local organic tea, sell roti, corns etc. while we were offered with cold tea knowing that we were fan of it. After welcome session, we moved to hall where Gurung performances and dohari was going to be held. Students took me to make me dance (funny moments….. ahahhahaha). I began to dance and everyone laughed and joined me to dance. Then, dohari began and Bipin informed that he was feeling scared. Dohari started with fun and Sahin joined to help. It was very entertaining and lastly Dev sir ended the dohari program. He requested everyone to move to their respective home stays. While I was moving to Dev sir home stay, I told him about my visit 4years ago and described about the progress and achievements in Gausahar. We conversed for few minutes, and then we had our dinner. Later, I was offered with cold tea but it was getting over me because I had a heavy dinner. Chairman sir was so happy with our guru-chela relation (Raaga sir and mine), and he just adored our discussion styles.

After dinner, we conversed with Dev sir for few minutes and then decided to move to our respective room for rest.

Day 3 2016 Dec 16.
This was our last day of the trip. Wowwwww, a very superb morning, I woke up early to view the mountains in the morning time. Before that, I helped the home stay aama to prepare sell rotis. I congratulated her for, she became a grandmother. I shared my first visit talk and she was surprised that I had been in Gaushar before too. At 7 am, sunrise was making the mountains shine, which made us lighten up and chairman sir shared his memories. I was very curious to listen to their experiences. We had a very heavy breakfast, then later on, with Raaga sir we went to home stay premises, where rest of the people, were getting their bags packed. We began to discuss about the water fountain. Sir told me to open the fountain and I did so. Suddenly, then fountain burst and water soaked me. It was a very funny moment, being watched by our chairman sir who told that the discussion has begun again, (hahahhha) everyone laughed. After getting ready, we moved to hall, where students were waiting for us along with the organizers to farewell us. They offered us garland, tikas, locket and curd etc.

At farewell gate, they sang a farewell song and offered us sell rotis, and cold tea. Raaga sir offered me cold tea in a traditional style and looking at me, students wished to have the same. Just like me, he offered them too. I took a can of cold tea for Kumar dai, who was waiting for us at Sera. We moved downward where we dispersed slowly. I was walking with Aman, who used to control rest of his friends. Walking for hours, I got called from sir informing that sir had arrived at the bus stop. 
Consequently, after 45 minutes of his call, we reached the bus stop too. Kumar dai was so happy to meet us and I told him about the can. He was so pleased to have it. After that, I went to Bheri hospital to pick up rest of the teachers and students. Gathering everyone, we began our travelling and driving for hours, we reached Abu Khaireni at 2pm, where we had our lunch. I found that everyone loved the lunch. After completion of lunch, we directly moved for Kathmandu. For few minutes, I sat in front seat and knowing students were feeling asleep, I approached the last seat where I communicated with the rest of the students. Interacting for hours, everyone started to feel asleep. Hence, I moved to the front to hang out with sir. Seating in front seat, and listening to South Indian songs, was my best part of the trip. Everybody was stunned to listen up the telegu and tamil songs. Kumar dai was questioning me about the songs and I replied him that although, those songs are not understandable, they were heart touching (hahahhahhaa). I was playing my favorite songs, which was making my travel enjoyful, but rest of the students wished to change the music, and so, I played the music according to their desire. We reached Thankot at 5 pm but trapped in the jam at Kalanki, was making us late. At 7 pm, we reached Annapurna school and we dropped remaining stundents at pepsicola and thimi. Then we straight moved to Jagati . I was feeling so fresh because I was listening to my favorite south songs and  before that for the first time, I had visited Duwakot. Soon, we departed from there and we dropped Raaga sir at Chundevi .Then our fun began because Kumar dai was asking meaning about the songs. Me and driver brothers were just laughing and laughing until my last departure.  At Jagati, I left them and they moved on to Banepa.  I was enjoying the 600m walk listening to my favorites song pooolane/pookale/tu chale…(Denakri_ka_dhanita_dha.Denakri_ka_dhanita_dha naaa).

         

       Overall, I enjoyed the trip a lot sharing my previous trip. I hope that students and teachers were also satisfied with this trip.