Nepal, April 8th - May 7th 2006 by Anna Pettigrew

When asked to write about my experience in Nepal, I thought it would be an easy task to undertake. But when faced with a blank sheet of paper the reality was somewhat different. Trying to cram in all the wonders of one of the world most beautiful countries is a mammoth task.

After graduating and leaving the snug cocoon of The Edinburgh College of Art, where I had studied photography for 4 years, I attempted to plant some roots from where I could build up my photography. However, they never took hold, and it became apparent that they were not meant to. Instead, my photography was going to take me places.
First stop, Nepal.

Nepal was somewhere I had always longed to travel to. So when I got the opportunity through The Mountain Fund, I jumped at the chance. My main goal with going was to do photography work for the fund, where my job would be to document the efforts and progress the Mountain Fund and its partner organisations were making.

The news in the papers and on the internet was sparse but what was available didn’t look good for my prospects of going to Nepal. Over the winter months of 2005-2006 the situation in the country had worsened, threats of strikes where being announced, and the situation was looking more and more vulnerable. Yet, to the horror of some family members, I still got onboard the plane bound for the Himalayas.

Up until I landed in Kathmandu, I wasn’t aware of the curfew the city was under. The confusion buzzed about the airport terminal among the passengers, and no one knew quite what was happening, or how we would get to our hotels. The Opposition Party of Nepal had announced a nation wide strike, which had seen the whole country grind to a halt. The King had then responded with a curfew and a ‘shoot on sight’ order, which in toll meant the Nepalese were denied access out into the city, and as a result where house bound. Fortunately tourist busses where still allowed to operate, so a trekking guide company at the airport greeted me with warm welcomes despite the uneasy situation. Driving through the city was like entering a ghost town. The otherwise heaving and busy city of Kathmandu was deserted and only glimpses could be caught of locals peering through half closed shutters to see what vehicle was defying the curfew.

I had never met the group of people I was going to spend the next month with before arriving in Nepal. Scot MacLennan, his son Max and their friend Holly were waiting for me at our hotel. Also Scots friends Gyanendra and Puskar came to meet us. And to my great relief, once we got together it became apparent we would get on just fine. Due to the strike and curfew, my group and I spent days confined within our hotels walls. We had to wait for an opportunity to get out of Kathmandu, and up in to the mountains where we would embark upon our first trek to Langtang and Kyanjin Gompa. There was not much to do cooped up in our hotel. So whilst riots where happening out side, I spent my days photographing the empty hotel.
But after weighing up the situation for some days, we packed up our gear one morning and headed up the bumpy road to Syabru Bensi before the curfew kicked in at 8 am.
The drive up was fantastic. I hadn’t imagined what life out side the city would be like, so I was overwhelmed with completely new sights and views. The many knocks and hits I received in the car from the colossal road holes were worth it. Not only do you pass some of the most spectacularly colourful towns with names like Trisuli Bazaar, but because of the height gain you also get a great geological perspective of the country. Every hour or so, the landscape and colours change dramatically. Firstly you travel through forests, then out into intense orange farm land, over rivers where bright green rise fields lie, and then at last you reach a height where only white mountain tops and bright blue sky’s are visible.
After spending the night in The Buda Hotel in Syabru Bensi, we started our trek and headed up the trail towards Lama Hotel. The path was steep, but offered excellent views of the Langtang Khola River, and thanks to our guide Surendra I was lucky enough to see Himalayan Tahr (a mountain goat) as well as Langur monkeys. One thing that affected me deeply on this trip was seeing how many porters were carrying far to heavy loads. Just before reaching Land Slide Lodge we came across a young porter sitting by the side of the path visibly exhausted by the heavy pack he was carrying, so Scot and our guide took some of his goods to ease his load. The porter wasn’t aware of the wages he was being paid, and as it turned out, when his employers/trekkers were confronted by us, we found they were under paying him. It is in no possible way fair to underpay, and then over load your porter. They are good people, trying to make a living, and I find it truly grotesque that westerners have the nerve to literally rob this people out of what is, at the end of the day, a few extra dollars or the equivalent of a cup of coffee in a café back home. Shame on them. In the nicest possible way, trekkers need to be informed about the consequences of their own actions. If they can afford the air ticket to come over and trek, they can afford to pay their employees fairly.

Our trek continued its planed route up the path, but my outlook had broadened, and I was beginning to feel disillusioned with my reasons for being in Nepal. Could my photography be of any benefit to the people of Nepal?

Much later on in my journey I did realize I could influence things in a positive way. Every westerner I met I told about porter’s fair rights. I explained to them it was their responsibility to ensure the porters well being when trekking with them. And all around me I met good response. Back home in Scotland the issue popped up again, and I was glad se the decisions some trekkers where making, such as taking an extra porter, and using a fair trekking organization such as EWN in Pokhara.

The Langtang trip was a marvellous experience, and to have seen at first hand how hard, but beautiful life is high up in the Himalayas has had a profound effect on me.

Where ever I went on in Nepal I was greeted with the utmost kindness. Even in a time like that, were the country was in turmoil, the Nepalese people were warm and smiling, and in this friendly fashion my trip continued. I spent a wonderful week in Pokhara with Empowering Women of Nepal, otherwise known as the Chetri sisters, who run a women-lead guide education centre for young Nepalese women. I was able to help out there, by teaching English, and helping in their office. I value the experience given to me by the sisters, and was happy to offer my services to their fine cause.

Once back in Kathmandu we found ourselves restricted to our hotel for a second time. And here I once more felt frustrated with the lack of effort I was able to contribute whilst caught up in my hotel. To keep myself occupied and get exercise I went up and down the 5 floors of stairs over and over. I also figured out it was possible to walk over to the neighbouring hotel with out being seen or stopped by the guards. This happened to be one of Kathmandu’s only 5 star hotels where half of the foreign journalists and TV crews were checked in. Like me they felt frustrated not being able to get out and capture a story, so they spent their time interviewing the hotel guests. I was interviewed my New Deli TV, but was disappointed when the journalist tried to steer the subject onto the theme of me having a ‘Bad Holiday’. And wasn’t it a nuisance this whole strike business?
I directed the interview back to the subject of the Nepalese people. It was their lives that were being affected more than mine. I had if I wished a plane ticket out of there, but they where there for good. And no, my holiday had not been worsened by the strike! In fact, I felt educated by experiencing the current situation Nepal was in. And despite the turmoil, I felt optimistic about the future of Nepal.
Soon after my interview King Gyanendra stepped down.


Going to Nepal and not knowing a single sole was not the hard part of my journey, it was returning home. For weeks after arriving back I felt the weight of everyday life attempting to hold me down, and make me fit back into its speedy routine. But I have resisted, and despite the danger of sounding horribly cliché, my experience in Nepal changed my outlook on life. I have become more mindful, and instead of questioning everything I do with a critical attitude, I have become more accepting of myself, and of others. Before setting of to Nepal I had a predisposed knowledge that there was something in Asia that mesmerised and enchanted people, something so strong that people almost always return back for more. What that addictive feeling is exactly I am still uncertain off, all I know is that I’ve been captivated by it to, and now I long for more.