There is no place in Nepal that can lure me to call home except for my house in Dhapasi. At least that is what I thought all my life until I visited the Kuwepani village of Parbat District in May-2018.
My dear friend’s sister lives there, taking care of her beloved father’s village and the forest that he started when all of them were gone leaving the bare-naked hills behind. That was 40 years ago.
It was a planned trip for my work, organizing health camp my organization, Healing Hands Nepal, come August. I visited Lamjung on the same mission with my brother. It was our first trip to both the districts, Lamjung and Parbat, just the two of us.
Kuwepani village is at the far end of the Parbat district touching Myagdi on the northern side. We rode a Bolero jeep from Beni, a 2-hour rollercoaster ride. This was a perfect adventure for us because it was an untrodden path in every way. The district was new, jeep ride was new, steep hills were new. When I posted a video of ant-sized jeep motoring its way up the steep hill in between the hills of Mallas on my Ask Me About Nepal’s Instagram post, I got many many wow’s and whereabout asked.
I, like a proud mama, answered their queries and suggested to ride a jeep there.
It was four of us from Pokhara, my aunt and her son (my second cousin), let’s call him dai, and older brother, tagged along with us on this adventure.
It was already dark by the time we reached this beautiful cottage at the Kuwepani, which my friend calls her den.
Well-put! Because She is this ever-giving and fearless woman working on the conservation of the forest there even at late sixty. While many retire at this age, she is living the moments she missed when she was young.
She is reliving her childhood memories.
She was born and brought up here until she moved to Malaya with her British Army father and family. She has never-ending yet interesting stories on her life, about the village, about her father and even the folklore from dog’s years, up her sleeves from this territory.
Next day, my aunt fell ill, actually, she was already under the weather from the day before’s jeep ride. So, she decided to take a rest after breakfast, while the rest of us ascended Falame Danda, a hilltop that has a spectacular view of the mountain range.
I am a slow walker, so I was behind the two boys while my cousin stopped once in a while for me. I saw my brother holding both hands high in yay as he reached atop, I told my cousin, he is definitely bluffing. Because villagers told that we were already past mountain view time. Then, the cousin who was accompanying me left me behind and soon I saw him yay(ing) too. Ah, I see boys no bluffing please, I said to myself.
And when I climbed up the hill, I couldn’t believe the soaring mountains in front of my eyes. Dhaulagiri, Annapurnas, Tukuche and Macchapuchre (Fishtail) standing in one line, blessing us all.
I ran towards the end of the hill-top to fit them all into my eyes ignoring my ear0-to-ear smile that was hurting my jaw.
How could I not take photos there? I was so proud of myself to have found heaven on earth. I immediately wrote an itinerary for the Clinics elaborating about the vistas the dentists should expect with a photo attachment, after my return. Sadly when we went back to Falame Danda in August it was monsoon, and all the mountains and even the nearest hills were enveloped under mist. But it was still a good bargain because they were literally treating patients in between clouds, which was another definition of majestic. Mountains or no mountains, dentists said that this was the best camp in all the districts we had covered in half a month.
I have visited Kuwepani several times with doctors and friends after my first visit. All of them loved it there and every time I depart I ask people there to adopt me and hold me captive there.
Like I said in the beginning of my blog, this is my home away from home. I am a freelancer I would need my computer and if there was a strong internet connection, I could see myself living in a hermitage away from the hustle and bustle to work calmly in this heavenly atmosphere.
For now I can only imagine breathing in the fresh air, eating fresh produce, and living a secluded life at my lovely Kuwepani.
