Fakhel : One day Trip

Curiosity bring me to bazaar Fakhel. The first time I met Fakhel, while flying to Chitlang a year ago, was from a jeep seat. I was fascinate by how the little bazaar just came out of nowhere, after several kilometers of woods and fields spanned by sparse village houses. I learned as much detail as I could from my brief city experience, its white Buddhist chhortens, vivid Buddhist flags of prayer and terraced fields. What I saw was adequate to lead me to question and prompt an investigation.

Located in the district of Makwanpur, Fakhel is 35 kms from Balkhu, according to the odometre of my motorbike. The landscape widens once you cross Pharping, and the road narrows. Typical rural houses outnumber new concrete structures and most of what you see are terrace fields on the hills. The vision against Fakhel stays the same all the way. It is a pretty flight.

Fakhel Bazzar

When I reached the bazaar of Fakhel it was way past midday. While Phurba show me in my room, my lunch was prepare by his mum. Phurba suggest that after lunch I go hiking to the proposed site of the park soon to be establish.

The walk to the park started off at the front of the lodge and went uphill. The dirt track was quick and twisting uphill, every curve showing something utterly beautiful—rolling hills, ready-to-harvest spinach fields, yellow mustard plots sparkling under the light, and typical houses’ clay tile roofs baking under the warm midday sun. Following nearly 15 minutes of climbing, the danda finally came into view. It was a walk of at least another hour from where I was from. Perhaps Phurba neglect to note that the location of the park was a half-an-hour walk for villagers who used to climb these hills, not me.

About 30 minutes into the climb, no houses were notice on the trail, just dense pine trees. The only sound was the loud swooshing sound of wind gushing through the pines. I loved walking and dedicated myself to biking to the park site, and then the trail broke down. I decided to explore the new trail and see where it was leading. The other direction walked slowly up a sloping hill and took me to an abandoned crematory. It wasn’t a position I want to end up in. The trail’s peace and quiet went from pacific to terrifying.

Then it didn’t seem like a good idea to walk all the way up alone, through dense trees.I wanted to take a different path back to the lodge to make me feel better, and maybe to prove to myself that I am adventurous. I take a small walkway and past a pair of houses that had a dog that didn’t seem to be please about my appearance and barked until I was no longer in their field of view.

Although others do not agree with others regarding the historical importance of the park site, the views are certain — I claim they are good enough to fly to Fakhel bazaar for.