Farewell to Himalistan

[writinghawk]

A power cut one evening. I walk up to the shedra rather than sit in the dark, and was given dinner there. Afterwards Phuntso walked me part way back. I say 'Maybe the power is back - there are a few lights there.' He says, 'I think those are fires in the potato fields to keep the pigs off.' People sleep there all night to protect the potatoes from

Comments

[writinghawk]

Half an hour later and here I am at 6.15am in the Dragon Air business class lounge at Himalistan's international airport. There are two flights today: it is a busy day. On the journey here I was charged an excess because of the weight of my baggage - all that ultra-warm clothing that everyone told me to bring which I bought at great cost and which never left my suitcase - so on the return, a business class flight seemed like a better use of the same money. (It's a dinky little flight with a dinky little airline so the price difference is not great.) This is definitely the way to travel: just before you get to the queues of people standing waiting for the check-in desks, a functionary murmurs 'You can leave your bags here, Sir' and ushers you into a large room where you sit in a comfortable armchair while a smiling lady issues your boarding pass and sends you off to immigration to get your passport stamped, before you come back and are sent upstairs to the plush lounge with tea and croissants and wifi. On one side a wall of darkened

[lillibet]

Thank you very much for chronicling and sharing your adventures. I've enjoyed your snapshots and memories very much.

[writinghawk]

Thank you - I'm very happy to know that anyone's reading them!

[lillibet]

Always! I rarely have much to say--you've written so beautifully that comments often feel inane--but a post from you is always a treat.

[kalypso_v]

Thanks very much from me too; I've enjoyed all the reports, even when I haven't had anything to say. My abiding impression is of life perpetually lived on a slope...

At least you won't be short of traditional Himalistani woven fabric bags to hand out to family and friends.