8 February - Hima films

A happy week of little festival in its first year. And wouldn't you know it, one of the organisers happens to work same place as me. What's the chance of that? Two of us wannabe free spirits marooned in same corporate land of lies. But I go to the films on my own, better that way. Like indulging in secret pleasure. I watch 'Kagbeni'. Oh, how I cry when I see those mountains. Automatic tears as in when I hear 'E lucean le stelle' from Tosca. Go figure what tap those two things open. So, Himalayas, w/o question happiest time of my life. It's filmed in/near Mustang, which wasn't open to foreigners when I went up there (Annapurna side) but they go to Marpha, they talk about Jomsom down the road, they cross the Kaligandaki river. Harsh harsh life in wind and sun (and snow of course but you never film at that time of the year, too complicated. I ask the director (who's a TV director first and foremost) if he knows of my friend there, also in TV, KC who I've lost contact with. He says yes and I leave clutching business card that will get me reconnected again. Then I go see 'Riding Solo to the Top of the World' and that's even better, many long shots of so much empty space and sky that you ... space out. The director, who filmed it 6 years previously is trying to convey just how his soul expanded when he went there. He ends up almost looking silly, like on drugs but I get it. Same happened to me and I didn't do it on my own as he did, nor spent a week with the itinerant tribe. Am delighted that the basic language they communicate in is Hindi and I get the odd word here and there. I'll be fine too once I get my basic level up one notch. Then I buy the DVD as A. in Holland will just be thrilled to get it (she rides motorbikes so extra meaningful to her. Then I find on the net the travel blog and photos of an american who was on those mountains practically at the same time as us ten years ago. We didn't have digital cameras nor proper ones so have few photos. He has uploaded /scanned his and they could be ours as we saw exactly what he saw at that same time of the year. He rates Everest side higher for the views (in fact on Annapurna side you're always walking at high level but never that close to the peaks so they're far away in the distance, whereas on steeper Everest side the mountains are just behind you).
Am dismayed however to hear that there are now roads up Annapurna side to a certain level. Delighted for the locals not to have to lug their massive loads up and down either on their backs or on mules but... dismayed because it will never be the same as when was inaccessible. But of course patronising of western tourist like me to want to keep it undiscovered (not that it was when we went, the trail was well busy) but you know what I mean, back to The Beach sort of wishful paradise only I know feeling.