Living the simple life

No 12 Dhura from the hillside above
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It wasn't all swanning around Darjeeling and Kalimpong, rafting and seeing mountains! I spent the majority of my time (weekends excluded) in a tiny little village called No.12 Dhura (aka Barranumber), which is North-east of Kalimpong near the town of Pedong.

During my time with Mondo Challenge I lived with the Head Teacher of my Primary School and his lovely family.  They fed me fantastic food and we spent the evenings chatting and laughing together.  I even attempted to help preparing food a couple of times - I became a fairly accomplished Momo maker, although wrapping pastry parcels is only the final stage, after the filling has been expertly prepared by my hosts!

View from the school - a rare sighting of the Kanchenjunga range in the distance. I am told it's quite common to see them at other times of year.....!
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The village itself  consists of around 90 households, accommodating roughly 600 inhabitants. The houses ae simple but charming, made of wood and mud, painted in attractive bright colours, and as yet there is no electricity so evenings are lit by kerosene lamp and lives are unaffected by the fairly regular power cuts in neighbouring villages!

Between the houses, very little land is unused, with crops grown to feed the villagers and provide a modest income for some. Maize, ginger, cardamom, bananas, peaches, mangoes, potatoes, vegetables and more. The people in the village are warm and welcoming andnever failed to offer tea or Tongba/Chang/Bamboo (the local brew made from  millet or maize). Nepali hospitality in fantastic!

No.12 Dhura from accross the valley
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The teaching was good fun too, very small classes and highly enthusiastic young pupils who would cheerily greet me as thney arrived early for school and I was still padding around the yard in my scruffy 'non-teaching' clothes! Afternoons were passed (once the weather warmed and dried up a bit) with walks accross the valley to Kashyem to visit my nearest fellow volunteer (or vice versa).  A beautiful and tranquil stroll around the hillside, crossing gurgling streams and listening to the birds once they found their voice and heralded the Spring. Late afternoons brought stunning sunsets, with the sky turning orange or pink and the sun glowing vibrantly before it disappeared behind the mountains.The nights were beautifully starry, with no streetlighting to dilute the darkness, although the moon was so bright that no torches were needed when walking outside to the bathroom at night! I have fantastic memories of the place and also, of course, the people - my hosts who were so much more than that - they were my family in fact, and my fellow volunteers with whom I shared many a happy day!