Story: Forbidden Kingdom of Mustang

Trekking through the Kingdom of Mustang allows one to experience a way of life that has changed little over the last 200 years. Residents of this autonomous region of Nepal still plow the land using farm animals and disperse seeds by hand. The 9 day trek required much effort as we climbed to 13,000 feet from Jomsom, our entry point to our final destination Lo Manthang, a small city across the border from Tibet. The climb was arduous, but the changing scenery and beauty of the area ameliorated the pain of the hard work. We were treated to fantastic views of the snowcapped Annapurna Mountain Range. Further on in the trek, we walked along a canyon floor where the colors of the cliffs changed from brown to various shades of red and orange. At times the wind and duststorm were so severe that the only way to move ahead was to cover our faces with kerchiefs. Tsaile was a small village on the way to our destination, one of many where we camped for the night in a farmyard. Our days began at 6:45 AM with tea brought to our tent by the crew. By 8:30 we were underway anxiously awaiting our next adventure. Each day brought new experinces in the landscape or the people we encountered. Monastaries along the way date back to 1200 AD. A caretaker monk allowed us inside this ancient monastary to see the ancient Buddha. The beautifully painted walls were covered with soot from the burning of the butter candles, which burn day and night. Local citizens light these candles for a small fee to gain with the Buddha.
Sleeping was often difficult because of the nightly routine of dogs barking -seems they sleep most of the day and become vigillent at night.
On the 9th day, we arrived in Lo Manthang, a midieval walled city with only 1200 inhabitants .. here life has stood still, grain is thrashed by hand with a long pole with a flat board on the end. Women winnowed separating the wheat from the chaff. Children collected dried animal dung that will be used for fuel. A fountain in the center of town provided water for the community. Here women washed their hair and cleaned the dishes. Children carried water for the household. Solar panels give some light to the otherwise non-electric world of the farmers.
On our last morning we were awakened by small hailstones falling on the roof our tent. The sun soon elevated the temperature enough so that the helicopter could land and transport us back to Jomsom. Children and villagers gathered to bid us farewell as we ascended on our journey back to the airport.
This remarkable journey ended with our helicopter flight over the region that we just over the last 9 days traversed on foot. From above the views were even more spectacular.
In Kathmandu we felt the contrast between the serenity of the mountains and the chaos and pollution of the city with its many vehicles, traffic and people.