Retro Diary II: Jumla

July 12-21, 2010

Woke up at the crack of dawn to catch the first flight from Nepalgunj to Jumla, in Northwest Nepal. But as with most things in Nepal, the flight was delayed with no idea of when we’d be taking off. Weather in Jumla was apparently not suitable for flying (more on this later). Cue four hours of waiting in an enclosed airport cafeteria with no A/C in scorching heat. I think I sweated away some of my love for Nepal away today. Haha. Lo and behold, about 5 hours after our original (supposed) flight time, we took off for Jumla in an airplane that made the GUTS bus (my Gtown people will relate) look humongous. (See picture)
 

The flight was very rough for having only lasted about a half hour. Every little gyration the plane went through made my stomach do somersaults. I was lucky to go in with an empty stomach because I most definitely would’ve hurled all over the air hostess sitting in front me!

But all discomforts from the flight were dispatched as soon as I stepped out of the plane and walked into what felt like outdoor Air Conditioning, especially after Two Hells for the Price of One, aka Nepalgunj. The scenery was grand, too. Surrounded on all sides by mighty hills and lots of greenery around again. There’s a river that I have to see up close before I leave. The place itself is very rural and the (relative) urban areas remind me of the more rural parts of Kathmandu. The roads aren’t pitched. There aren’t but a few small corner stores spread out all over and there are very few vehicles. Most people commute by foot. Our hotel, though, was surprisingly decent in terms of cleanliness and spaciousness. And the food was fantastic as well. Had some of Jumla’s famous red rice (no, not red beans and rice haha) and their infamous apple liquor (basically Smirnoff Green Apple, only 10 times stronger).
 

The next day I got a chance to walk around and see a few other parts of Jumla. I walked through a vast, treacherous path across farming realty to make it out to the bridge in the picture. After the half hour trying to tiptoe across farming fields, I found a new (more heightened) respect for Frodo and Sam. The view from the bridge and the other side of the river was well worth it (Cue Pic). It looks like a doctored postcard but it was taken from my modest camera. Like a woman who still looks good without makeup; the essence of natural beauty.
 

I will now defer to the pictures to do what my words will surely fail to. I hope they convey why I feel Jumla is one of the most beautiful places in the world. And why Nepal is truly my heaven. (Click on photos for larger, better quality versions.) 

Our tiny little plane

Seriously, it was smaller than a school bus!

That, in the middle, is a GPS sat nav just like the ones used in cars. Not the most assuring thing to see on a plane!

Jumla Airport runway

My first view of Jumla

The Jumla Bazaar, where most of the shops in the area are found.

Doesn't look too different from some parts of Kathmandu does it?

This on the other hand...

A view of the landscape

A typical house in Jumla

An ass. Literally. Or as they call it here "khacchad." Used to transport sacks of food and supplies.

A view of the river than runs through the valley

Some of the more modern houses/buildings.

A Jumlali traffic jam!

Worth a thousand words. Also my current wallpaper.

A view of the hills across the river.

The remedially long path we walked to get to the river.

A suspension bridge that hangs over the river.

A view of Jumla from the other side.

More wallpaper material.

The lush fields.

"One cannot simply walk into Mordor"

A cool painting in our hotel.