Back from Taplejung: some photos

Finally a post! I found a reasonably fast internet connection to upload photographs from.

Firstly, a view across the Phawa Khola valley (Taplejung) looking south-east. We arrived here (Ian, Dhan Kumar and Santos) after 5 hrs walk from Taplejung bazaar. Stayed in the village of Warokpa (Bakhim) for 5 days with the brother of a Limbu General (ex-Brit.Gorkha) I had met in Kathmandu at a Yakthum Chumlung meeting (Limbu Association).

The Limbu clan Kangbha lives on the eastern side of the valley across a number of villages, from Warokpa (furthest north) down to Kunjari (an hour walk south-east).



View of the back of a Limbu house in Kunjari



View of Mamangkhe village and the Kabeli Khola facing south. This village is two days walk from Taplejung Bazaar (some 12-14 hours walk), and the last majority Limbu village to the north-east. Other Limbu villages further north can be found in the Mewa Khola valley (where several anthropologists have worked) and in the Tamur Khola valley (leading up to Taplethok and Hellok). One of two trekking routes to Kachenjunga passes through here, up to Yampudim (mostly Sherpa, Bhote, Rai and Gurung), which is officially the furthest-east permanently inhabited village in Nepal.





View of hill-side on walk back from Yampudim.


The primary school in Mamangkhe. Classes run from 1-8. For 9-12 children have to walk to schools further south along the valley towards Sinam (where the first 2+, that is class 11 and 12 was built in Taplejung). A faded Maoist flag is visible on the volley-ball court. That and the grand memorial gateway are the only visible signs of the long term Maoist presence in the area.

Photo of a Resource map of the Mamankhe (spelt incorrectly here) VDC funded by UNDP.

Morning rises over Limbu households in lower Mamangkhe. Something that particularly attracted me to this village was the relative clustering of households due to the large population size and limited space for house-building (agricultural land is precious and the slopes higher up are too steep).




Memorial gate and rest-hut built by the villagers for a local (Limbu) Maoist army commander killed in battle.


Another view of the Kabeli Khola valley facing south.



View of the Kabeli Khola valley and mountain range (south of Kachenjunga) facing north. On the western valley-side lies the village of Mamangkhe (as well as Pawa)