We were descending. I caught on a weird persistent cough...everyone kept asking, how are you? I must've looked a mess...though I couldn't gauge it myself. Our group had its ups and downs through the trek but this was the day when humpty and dumpty had a fall. One part of our group reached the lunch spot late while the others were waiting for well over an hour. Possibly, I could be the cause of that delay :) There was some decisions during lunch on whether we would camp at Koina or beyond and it was finally decided that it would be Koina because of my condition. I was a little confused on what my response needed to be - should I be insisting no, am okay...let's go all the way or should I just follow instructions and not potentially trouble everybody. I decided to follow instructions - that was my role there.
We reached Koina. Our horses had moved ahead, some part of our group had moved ahead. The camping site was moist. Finally the group reunited...the ones who went further, returned. But by then there was so much stress...physical, mental, psychological that we had some fireworks amongst ourselves. Anger, confusion, frustration, sadness and all the stuff that usually follows anger. I did what I usually do...went and did my kriya in one corner in the mountains :) It was nice...calming. Then I cleaned up my bag, settled the various currency notes I had, ate some bar...just kept myself occupied. Nothing that one would say or do at this point would be perceived rationally because everyone's minds were up, up and away and emotion was rife. Tanaav is an amazing thing.
Dusk fell...it was cold. I found the family living in that Koina house (it was a house...with a choking cooking, fireplace inside) very endearing...the father especially. I sat and sketched the mountain ahead and the fallen tree. It seemed as though a landslide had occurred. The father took interest. I was sketching on a card that one Laughing Buddha-like lady had given me in Paro - beginning of the trek. I gave the card to him. It's been several months -- I can still see the image of that landslide place clearly...drawing is an amazing thing. Later the father offered me betel leaves and lime (it's called doma)...it does give a kick...I put it in my mouth. Sharing doma is a friendly gesture.
At night when I went to pee...I saw the moon. It looked like a tube-light...round of course but so bright and white. I didn't need any headlamps.
So that was that. The groups finally reconciled to the situation but stayed distant. Some were quiet, some laughed, some were normal, some were introspective, some observed, some smiled, some ignored...Late at night, a few of the staff members brought back our sleeping bags...they went all the way up and back. Torturous. We had put them through it. Possibly, I had in some way created this situation with my cough and such - I'll never know. When they arrived, the boys were still smiling. It was amazing, humbling.
Koina was very interesting.
We reached Koina. Our horses had moved ahead, some part of our group had moved ahead. The camping site was moist. Finally the group reunited...the ones who went further, returned. But by then there was so much stress...physical, mental, psychological that we had some fireworks amongst ourselves. Anger, confusion, frustration, sadness and all the stuff that usually follows anger. I did what I usually do...went and did my kriya in one corner in the mountains :) It was nice...calming. Then I cleaned up my bag, settled the various currency notes I had, ate some bar...just kept myself occupied. Nothing that one would say or do at this point would be perceived rationally because everyone's minds were up, up and away and emotion was rife. Tanaav is an amazing thing.
Dusk fell...it was cold. I found the family living in that Koina house (it was a house...with a choking cooking, fireplace inside) very endearing...the father especially. I sat and sketched the mountain ahead and the fallen tree. It seemed as though a landslide had occurred. The father took interest. I was sketching on a card that one Laughing Buddha-like lady had given me in Paro - beginning of the trek. I gave the card to him. It's been several months -- I can still see the image of that landslide place clearly...drawing is an amazing thing. Later the father offered me betel leaves and lime (it's called doma)...it does give a kick...I put it in my mouth. Sharing doma is a friendly gesture.
At night when I went to pee...I saw the moon. It looked like a tube-light...round of course but so bright and white. I didn't need any headlamps.
So that was that. The groups finally reconciled to the situation but stayed distant. Some were quiet, some laughed, some were normal, some were introspective, some observed, some smiled, some ignored...Late at night, a few of the staff members brought back our sleeping bags...they went all the way up and back. Torturous. We had put them through it. Possibly, I had in some way created this situation with my cough and such - I'll never know. When they arrived, the boys were still smiling. It was amazing, humbling.
Koina was very interesting.
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