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| Christa working the plants |
“Yololo!” Govinda shouted. Best word ever you’ll hear on the farm, because that meant “Food is ready!” Mito, Govinda’s wife, prepared possibly the best food ever. After a semi-relaxed morning of work, we get pretty much the rest of the day off. Or we could choose to do more work if we wanted to.
We were volunteering at Hasera Permaculture farm. We went through a company called Volunteering to Learn. Rolling hills with huge mountains in the distance surrounded the farm. But their gigantic size makes it seems like we could reach a hand out and touch the top of one of the snow capped peaks. In just over a week, we’ll be working our way up one of those peaks. But for now, we were busy digging up onions, garlic, and feeding chickens and petting the cows.
When we arrived, we happened to jump right into the end of a workshop where we get to design our own permaculture farm from 2 days of workshop. Both of us had a lot of ideas on how to be hippie and in the end our house was bomb-tastic. Urban farming with veritcal gardens and seasonal green houses with a pond inside. Badass.
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| The view from the farm |
We got to experience local rural village wedding as well. It was an arranged marriage and a simple one. Nothing flashy. We took a stroll down the road and then down through other farm fields. It lead us to the family’s farm where the wedding was held. Colours decorated the trees and incense filled the air infront of the family’s Shiva temple. The couple sat side by side while family members on both sides took their turns blessing them while someone recited incantations and prayers.
Few days later, we got to celebrate Hanumans birthday, the monkey God who rescued Shiva’s wife, Parvarti, from Sri Lanka. We walked with Govinda, our host father, to the village Hanuman pagoda. People were already in deep incantation, burning incense, throwing blessings onto the Hanuman and into the fire sending it up to the Heavens for him to receive it.
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| Traditional village wedding |
These experiences were something few people get to do. To live right in with the family in a rural village in Nepal. We were expecting hard work and hours in the sun. However, what we got was more of becoming part of the family and local community. After the wedding, when we arrived at the temple, we recognized many people from the wedding and they recognized us (Wasn’t very hard).
Vishnu’s commerical potatoe fields needed to be harvested. He was one of the lecturers at Govinda’s farm during the workshop. We got a chance to repay his kindness by helping him harvest his humungous farm. Just fields and fields of potatoes. Even though he lectured at the permaculture farm, he needed commercial farming and so used chemicals. He knows the detrimental effects, but it’s the only way to provide locally grown potatoes in the local region. Otherwise, potatoes aren’t naturally grown in Nepal. We got to work alongside family and friends of Vishnu. It was quite a humbling experience as people older than us tear up the ground as we struggle to keep up with the work.
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| Vishnu’s fields |
After our 2 weeks of living at the farm, we exchanged very bittersweet goodbyes. Our experience was over, but not forgotten. It was a very rewarding experience that will sit with us through our lifetime. Our eyes turn over to the peaks in the Everest mountain range. Onward, journey!
