Wow, this was an eventful day. It was supposed to be a relatively easy day - ten kilometres over fairly easy terrain, not too much up and not too much down. But things worked out differently for us.
We eventually left again and we probably only got 500m away from Jhindu Dadi when Kamla fainted. She'd been sick and it seems now she was probably dehydrated. We have two nurses on our trip (Cathy and Isy) and they immediately took care of Kamla. Once she stabilised, they got electrolyte into her. Jimmy then split the group with six of us going ahead.
Toby was quite upset by Kamla's distress. He was shaking when he finally walked down to where I was (he'd been quite close to Kamla, whereas I'd been ahead). We gave him some hugs and reassured him that Cathy and Isy were going to take care of her.
Mike led our group with Simon, Becky and Clare. We went over the bridge and after checking maps (two of them, one at a hopeless scale and the other only a little better) Mike asked a woman working in the fields. She agreed this was the path to New Bridge. We walked a bit further then stopped for tea. Toby had a Fanta.
Eventually Kamla got to our wee tea house. She had a sprite and was only five minutes behind us at our next tea stop. Each stop she looked better, if not tired still.
This was hot work. So steamy. The sun was strong and rain was in the air. Jimmy showed us a mill grinding millet being powered by a water race. We saw another one later on.
Lunch was at Landruk and we ate chow mein and spicy tomato soup. It started raining at our lunch stop. And a family from Tasmania dropped in and chatted to us. Parents and three children. They looked like they ranged from 8 to about 13 or so. Awesome holiday adventures.
After lunch it was only 1.5 hours to Tolka. We walked in solid rain for a while and it brought out the leeches in their droves. As we approached Tolka, Mike Toby and I split off to see the chorta (monument) to Mike's Dad. The others took the shorter but harder route to Tolka.
We saw water buffalo in a pool of water. Toby approached them quite closely and he should have good photos.
Just around the corner was the chorta. It was still in great shape. We stood there for a while, taking it in. Then we continued up to the guesthouse five minutes away.
Everyone was de leeching themselves. Turns out the short way was full of leeches. One even got Simon on the hand after crawling up his walking pole! Toby had several on his boots. He's not happy with them now. His boots, I mean. And the leeches too. If he ever gets a wish to eradicate a single species from the face of the planet, it might be leeches.
I had a shower (yay) and we all had tea. Then Jimmy took us all down to the chorta and decorated it with prayer flags and incense. Mike placed the photos from Vivienne behind a heart shaped rock still on the side.
There are grasses and mosses growing over the base. Its view is spectacular. Kim said a prayer in Hindi and Cathy and Becky sang a waiata. Bharat spoke and said that although this time last year they'd only known Mike about five days, they were all privileged to share that special time with Mike. Bharat said Mike was a great man and that they knew his dad must have also been great. Bharat was lovely. Mike also spoke and thanked everyone for sharing this moment with him one year on. He told how his dad gave him the love of the outdoors.
It was very touching. I got a real sense of the emotion that existed a year ago. Bharat and Jimmy were there both times and they must have been a great source of strength for Mike.
Mike got hugs from everyone. Gratefully received.
We wandered back to the guest house to dinner - the best ever! Dhal bat. Great pickles. Ate seconds.
3 Oct - Tolka to Dhampus >
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