arrival in Lohaghat

We arrived in Lohaghat and were met by two weather beaten and cool looking dudes wearing head bands and smiling broadly. The local newspaper sees us arrive and sends out the photographer to get a picture for the next issue! We hit the headlines – must get a copy!

Loharghat

A huge and totally delicious lunch has been prepared by Sakets mum – known by all as Mummy. We eat and she makes chapattis throughout the meal, keeping up a steady flow – a traditional role for the person who has cooked we are told when we ask why Mummy is not joining us to eat. It was so delicious and set the tone for the next few days. We were very well fed by this family who are real foodies! We were cooked for three times a day, chai came in a continuous flow and we took the opportunity to join in and pick up what we could about cooking with the local ingredients in Uttarakhand style. We leant how to cook chapattis, parathas, a variety of spicy soups, egg sabji or curry, bean sabji, some chutneys, and much more.

Arrival at the town house and Christmas present opening

We spent our first night in the town house and walked over to Khuna along the valley in the morning. Susie, who is like a mountain goat in her walking and choice of mountain path - included one of her challenges in this walk. We were subjected to a life threatening walk along an overhanging edge with a 100 foot drop into a rocky river. I saw her disappear around the corner before I looked down to see the hideous drop. I stalled for a while taking in the meaning of life and then, dropping caution into the void below, took a deep breath and looked forward rather than down before tentatively following. Clare seemed relatively calm in the situation. We took the lower river route every time we passed this way again - Susie felt threatened by my pallid demeanour I think. She is a bold and ballsy woman!

Susie and I on walk up to cottage in Khuna

I had a go at this and I think it takes a lot of practice

In Khuna is the cottage where Saket and Susie spend their time, when not in Nepal or elsewhere. They have a large tract of jungle and fields around the cottage where Saket and Susie hunt - for boar and pheasants to eat. They grow hemp for the seeds and the fibre from the stems - from which their caretaker used to make sacks to sell at market, wheat for flour,  satsumas, lemons and apples - on the terraced slopes below the cottage.

The caretakers family was to play a large part in our next few days. The family consists of four generations, the eldest man - Jugta - died about a year ago. I took some lovely photos of this man last time I visited Khuna. He was the caretaker of the Punetha family land and his family lived with him in the caretakers cottage. Jugta lived on this land for 72 years. He was a hard worker, he used the terraced fields well, took good care of the land, never stopped finding ways to earn a living for his extended family. Now he has passed on the family dynamic has changed and the care taking of the land has to be taken on by someone else. No-one has stepped in to take on this role - Jugtas daughter works the land as best she can but her son drives a jeep taxi in town and his wife and their three children are less interested in the country life. Jugta's wife has left to stay with other relatives. 

We had a captivating time with this family - sharing their days, eating with them, drinking chai, celebrating the five year old girls birthday with a party! They were so engaging and I think it was as much a thrill for them as it was us just watching each other. The children were transfixed by Clare's white tummy particularly - they caught a glimpse which sent them into a giggling frenzy!

Suehany, Susie, Puyosh and Saket

Preymar and Amu preparing our supper

Puyosh the youngest - a slightly suspicious look, he relaxed after a while, thats his dad in the background.

The birthday celebration happened around supper time, there was a cake - made in town and a box of sweets - which mysteriously we ate before the main meal. Mum and Dad had brought their little daughter a red woollen outfit and we too had brought her a red sweater. So she was well kitted out in red!

The cake!

Little Deepi in her new red gear

Below is Amu - a teenage niece staying with the family, Deepi, Suehany and Susey, and me in my new and gorgeous beret, unmatching shiny black coat and sun reddened cheeks.

Streamers hanging down and happy faces!