Hundreds of tourist from Nepal
and India were visiting this special
place; one which would not be ac-
cessible to many if the road was not
built – that balancing act of progress
and keeping things pristine and un-
touched.
Pressing on up the mountains
through a loose-rock outcrop and
moving into the Upper Mustang area,
I found out the motorcycle did not
have the correct carburation air-fuel
mixture to continue in the thin air of
this elevation, but this was my final
stop I had planned as the next area
required special permits.
Returning down the mountain,
revisiting the same villages, provid-
ed time to reflect on the changes,
and how the people are coping with
them. I have now visited all the same
villages on foot as well as motorcycle
– so I do have a sense of comparison.
The intrusion of roads, anywhere
in the world, impacts so much of
the once limited-accessibility in the
world – bringing with it both positive
and negatives.
In Tatopani, I spoke with the own-
er of the guesthouse - the same I had
stayed at twenty years earlier. It was
here that I had a discussion about
progress, development, and access
into the former secluded villages
along this route to sacred Muktinath.
As with all roads, access to remote
areas is a doubled-edged sword. On
the one hand, it brings the tourist
economy closer to the locals. It
also provides faster access to goods,
services, schooling, and medicine to
the people. The owner, a multi-gen-
erational native, was in favor of the
progress and felt it was good for
business, community and the people.
Perhaps our western view is limited
and judgmental. This was one road
that appeared to have been built
more for local access on Nepalese
and Indian people than the access of
outside tourist.
On the way back to Kathmandu, I
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called upon the town of Gorkha, the
ancient ancestral home to the Shah
Dynasty and home to famous Gur-
khas (or Gorkhas) soldiers.
These soldiers, combined with
others from India, were recruited
for the British, Nepalese, Indian
armies, and UN peacekeeping mis-
sions. Although it appears that this
is a bygone era, it was of historical
significance to me. The town’s main
square is Gorkha Durbar, which con-
tains a fort, a palace, and a temple,
with a great deal of damage from the
earthquakes, and a wonderful view
of the Manaslu Mountain Range.
Although I did not see any Gurkhas
in action, I have the mental vision of
their brave and committed service
of which legends are made.
The final day into Kathmandu
Valley was as eventful as the first.
Gone were the quiet nights and days
of the Annapurna Mountains. The
Mad Max movie replay started even
earlier as kilometres of backed-up