Life with mountain women farmers

September 15, 2013

Dear Family and Friends,

This morning brought new meaning to the world of high finance. At 7AM we headed down the path to the next hamlet where Rajman opened the “bank” for business for the entire local community. Sitting upon a woven mat, on the front step of a mud brick house next to the town well, he opened his financial borrowing –lending ledger and began to collect cash. Money appeared from under their cloth belts. Careful accounting was kept for thirty customers (25 ladies, 5 men) while they all watched the individual transactions take place.

Their small children were fascinated by our gray hairs and western garb. They fed us penny candy, sang us songs, and demonstrated their Buddhist yoga positions, while mothers and grandmothers banked and looked on. Others bathed under the well tap and did laundry – all this in the “bank lobby.”

On the way to and from the early morning trek, the clouds lifted and we were treated to our first panorama of the snow-capped Himalayas.  It was surreal.

We are constantly bombarded by the contrasting ways of life: modern century cell phones complete with Facebook in the midst of mud houses, primitive farming methods, outside and inside cooking fire pits, outhouses, etc.

Saturday, our one day of rest, we took a long hike- 3000 ft. elevation drop- into the valley to seek water where we found the beautiful river, doffed all clothing, and submerged blissfully.

Back to school on Sunday morning early for the first day of our six-day workweek.

The sickle is ever present and ever handy....Maya opened the plastic Tang bag with it.  We put ourselves in the dark when we undress to avoid having to look at our big and increasingly fat bodies.  We are on an all starch diet complete with corn, potatoes, rice, bread and muffins three meals a day!!!!

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xoxox,

J and C