Mar 30 - Khechuperi

It takes forever to prepare for departure. The yaks need to be found, our gear packed, then loaded onto the yaks. Everyone's mind is on Bikash's situation and it's hard to focus on anything else. Bikash is able to sort it out in the end, but it takes him most of the day. He ends up calling a friend in the government who has risen quickly. This friend is able to cut through the bullshit that is being thrown at Bikash and tell the police and other local officials that if they don't put aside their petty grievances, they will regret it. This changes the police from being aggressive assholes into boot licking suck-ups. Bikash says they were amazed at the horsepower he was able to bring to bear on them and they won't be messing with Bikash any time soon. This whole episode highlights the corruption that occurs every day at all levels of government within Sikkim and within greater India. 

We set off at 10AM and hike on heavily terraced slopes that have crops planted. The contrast between this and the park, which has no farming, is marked. We drop 1000', cross a river and then start the long climb up the other side of the valley. It takes waaay longer than I expect, and I'm starving and very thirsty by the time we reach the small village outside the Khechuperi Sacred Area. 

I order drinks and momos and am well on my way to recovering when who walks in but the American climbers. We joke about following one another around, chat for a bit and exchange email addresses and websites. They are a good bunch and there is a good chance I will see them again in Darjeeling. 

Yuksom to Khechuperi

As one of the most sacred places within Sikkim, you would think that the name of Khechuperi would be accurately documented somewhere. I have taken my spelling from a sign by the waterfront of the small lake. However, checking on the web uncovered no fewer than six different spellings, including Khecheopalri, quite different than the one I'm using. Many of the names in Sikkim are like this, probably passed down orally without written documentation until today, resulting in many spelling variations.

The Sacred Lake of Khechuperi is tucked into a valley and surrounded on three sides by hills (what they call hills here, perhaps mountains for most). As such, it is quite protected and the surface of the lake is usually calm. The east end of the lake is the most sacred, or at least, its where the most prayer flags and mani flags have been placed, and there are a lot these flags. In many communities in California, it's popular for school children to plant trees. Perhaps in Sikkim, school children plant flags? No matter how they got here, there are thousands of them. There is also a long double line of prayer wheels on a wooden platform that stretches out to the water's edge. For as beautiful at this is, and as important as it must be to the local Buddhist community, Bhim and I are the only people here. I'm not complaining, just observing.

Bikash does make it to our "Last Supper". It's both happy and sad at the same time as Bhim, Jiwan, Gyalpo, Tashi and Bikash all gathered in the cook tent one last time. I'm happy that it's been a fantastic trip and sad to be leaving my newfound friends, although as you'll read in the next few days, Bhim invites me to stay with his family in Thapa Dara Busti, a very small village, so I get at least a few more days with Bhim. They bake me a cake, not sure how you do that over a kerosene burner, but they do, and it's a great ceremonial ending to a great trip.

Would I do it again? Absolutely! Would I do it with Bikash's young company? Yes, especially if I could have Bikash on the trek, as his English is so good and he is very knowledgable about the whole area around Kanchenjunga. I've read accounts of other trekkers having awful guides that are either not knowledgable or cannot speak the trekker's language. Either case is bad. Bikash has also promoted Bhim to a guide and he is a fine guide, with good English skills, good knowledge of the countryside, lots of energy, and most important, a positive attitude.

 

Bikash's email address to contact him is

bob_czetry@yahoo.com

He uses the name Bob for international clients as its easier to remember and spell than Bikash.