THE BUMPY ROAD TO HEAVEN!

We read a lot about the Prakriti Resort and Organic Farm in the foothills of the Himalaya, where we planned to spend a week. They told us about their wonderful organic farm and their hiking trails. But we didn’t read their website closely enough to be aware that to get there, we’d have to drive through the Shivapuri National Park over bumpy roads that rivaled the rutted grandeur of Mongolia. They did not say that a neck brace would be helpful. Cary, who heard me say yet again “This is the worst I’ve ever experienced in my whole life,” rocked and swayed from side to side and went with the flow. We were told by the driver and those who ran the resort that the roads were not paved so as to protect the wildlife habitat in the park. I took it in, but thought to myself that trying hard just to stay alive doesn’t give you much time to appreciate the wildlife they are hoping to preserve. But this discomfort soon passed when we stepped onto the grounds of the resort, and into our wonderful, peaceful room with its exquisite view of the mountains. As we arrived, the air was redolent with the smell of marigolds, something I had never before experienced.

Click on photos to enlarge.

It was obvious by the end of the first day that this resort was a very popular spot where Nepalis could go to get away from the city and enjoy good food, companionship, celebrations, and parties. The BBQ room had an unusual open flame grill where we joined some parties, energetically dancing to lively Nepali music, as well as sipping local tongpa, a fermented millet drink. We had the fun of joining several groups who, when they found out my age, started clapping, pinching my cheeks, hugging me, and calling me Grandma. I continued dancing ’til I thought I would fall. The next morning when I arrived at breakfast, I greeted my new friends with “Good morning from Grandma,” to which they applauded. I don’t think I’ve ever met a more friendly welcoming group of young people. I was more than happy to be their “Grandma.”

My new crop of grandchildren.

I was all excited about going on some hiking trails, but discovered that, since the resort was built on the terraces of a steep slope, the trail going up started with a narrow, frightening rocky section. However, with the help of our guide, Ram, I made it and the trail was easier after that. Eventually, it became an unpaved road. Halfway to our destination, a reservoir made out of a wetlands, called Lake Pokhari, we started picking up small bits of trash along the road, thinking that there was a dustbin (trash can) at the reservoir. Unfortunately when we got to the lake, there wasn’t a dustbin in site. Alas, we had to put the trash in a hole and hold it down with rocks. It became my mission during the rest of our stay to talk people into putting a dustbin at the reservoir and pick up the trash, or even better, put up a sign “Do not litter.” I’ve been on a campaign about litter since my college days, but my suggestion went nowhere here, and I gave up. You can’t win ’em all!

On another day, we opted to walk the 6 km to a trout farm and tea plantation. We found it delightful…blooming trees in winter, unusual hay mounds, and a herd of goats scampering up and down the hill much more easily than we! However, after a Nepali 10 minutes (ha ha!), we decided we didn’t want to walk on the rutted roads any longer, and left them to the goats and their shepherd.

It was wonderful to have a chance to read, get up early and see the sunrise over the Himalaya, and veg out on our porch in the sun.

Once we had trained up the chef not to add chili or pepper to the food (“no spicy, please!”), we enjoyed our meals in a little covered alcove outside the dining hall.

Breakfasts were outstanding, and more than ample. For lunch, two things we liked the best were the fresh salad, straight from the organic farm, and the homemade mushroom soup with garlic toast. We ate it almost every day.

It can’t get any better!

Cary enjoyed exploring the organic farm on the terraces of the resort. She was fascinated to see what is grown at different times of the year, and winter here is a far cry from winter on Whidbey Island. Read more about their commitment to sustainable agriculture and tourism HERE and HERE.

She was quite amazed to see strawberries flowering, but we sure enjoyed them in our garden salad! Tucked in little patches on the terraces were familiar veggies like beets, bok choy, mustard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, carrots, cilantro, lettuce, and more. Potatoes had just been sown, and young radishes and greens were germinating. Kiwis and vines were integrated into the terraces to provide shade and layered production. Also fascinating to see were the more tropical plants like turmeric, taro and squash varieties growing at the 2,000 meter altitude.

Insects were everywhere. It was quite the thrill to see a praying mantis right at our feet in the outside dining area, which shouldn’t have surprised us considered the unspoiled environment around us. After years of living on the East Coast where insect noises were part of the flavor of evening, it was fun to hear them again as the sun set. Bees accompanied us as we sat next to the marigolds on our porch, and we finally caught a photo of a butterfly as it rested the sun.

One of the highlights of our stay was our friendship with the staff. Being long-term guests made all the difference and we got to know everyone. They couldn’t do enough for us! We felt like part of a family.

Prem Giri, Manager

Keshab Giri

Kapil Lakhe

Shailendra Gurung

Dipess Limbu

Nirmala

From meals, to room service, to helping us keep warm on a cold evening, the staff was wonderful.

I won’t end this post with the bumpy ride home, for I’d rather leave you with a few more photos of our week in heaven.

Sunset over the Himalaya