CHANDRAGIRI HILL
In winter 2019 I was in Nepal aiming to do volunteer work as a photojournalist. It was very promising chance to have experience in photojournalism, just what I have always wanted to do. But it wasn´t that at all. Despite all the fine things in project introduction, I never had any assignments. However, I got experience of that country I had always been dreaming to go. In project program was that that first week I should attend in Language and Culture Course, that was compulsory and the essential part of the volunteer project. One week is too short time to learn nepal language, but I don´t want to complain. I met lovely people during that course. Accommodation wasn´t what I could accept and I couldn´t stay in that hostel included in the course fee. Instead, I decided to take cheap hotel in Kathmandu, where in that time, out of highest season, was a lot of free rooms available. So I stayed at the hotel in Thamel, in the center of Kathmandu. That was good decision for other reasons too. Thamel was lively and lovely place to stay. All those tourists around, good restaurants, hotels, shops and everything, plus central location where ever I wanted to go, made me really enjoy staying there.
Gurkha player on the street playing Sarangi, the instrument played commonly in Gurkha villages. Thamel, Kathmandu.
Thamel, Kathmandu
While I was waiting for assignments that never came, I was staying in Kathmandu and exploring places there and around. Unfortunately I was informed that my work there would be documenting events in Kathmandu city, so I stayed there whole month, instead that I actually had time to go where ever around that beautiful country. Only two days I was in Pokhara. I also was told that in that time, mid winter, there was very few events for photojournalist.
During the Language and Culture course we visited in many interesting places in Kathmandu, so I don´t want to complain even about that. It was much easier to find those places and go there with some locals, than it would have been on my own. I got a lot of help from the brother of my teacher. One day we visited on Chandragiri Hill, about 2 500 meters above sea level. Even to the place where cabel car left, there wasn´t very easy for me to walk up. I had stayed in Kathmandu just few days, and I noticed that breakfasts and other meals too wasn´t like in normal life in home, so that has made my energy drop dramatically. On the half way there, I had to stop to eat in one small restaurant. I was totally sweating and it felt so good to have a break.
On the way to Chandragiri Hill
The road to Chandragiri Hill was very busy. Passing trucks and other vehicles made walking difficult at times
The road was important way of supply for the villages on the Hills, so at times there were endless line of trucks going up and down. Side walk was in some places very poor, so always when possible people preferred to walk on the road.
Side walk, or what it should be
Finally we got to the place where cabel car leaves and went up to the Hill. Landscapes there were really rewarding. I heard that just couple of days ago there was snowing. We still could see traces of snow in many places here and there.
In the cabel car on the way up to the Hill.
On the way to the Hill I also realized how difficult access it was to those villages on the hills
On the Chandragiri Hill can be seen snow peaks of mountains
Mt Everest should be somewhere out there
