Nepal and Tibet

It has now been two weeks since the end of the trip, when I begin to write about our adventures and can say that the longing for what we left behind hit us immediately upon returning. We miss the sweetness and selfless attitude of those people: we never expected to find so much wealth amidst poverty. The scene of the friendly official at the departure from Kathmandu airport comes to mind, when he asks me how things are while affixing labels and stamps to my passport: his expression is surprised when I answer "not so well, as I have to leave this wonderful country." He simply replies "you can come back!". I retrieve my passport, respond to him, and he responds "you can count on us, Namaste!".

The photos and videos stored on the SD cards will remain a secondary (though important) memory compared to what we were able to experience by immersing ourselves in Nepalese and Tibetan cultures; two populations fundamentally different, yet united and separated by the Himalayas, poor in possessions but rich in spirit. The warmer climate of Nepal influences the character of its people, resulting in a more cheerful and "Latin" behavior. The Tibetans, like all populations living in high and hostile lands, appear cold and distant at first glance, but it quickly becomes apparent that this is an attitude of fundamental reserve, and reality demonstrates a willingness that goes far beyond appearances: over 50 years of submission to the Chinese giant and the subsequent restrictions on religious practice have undoubtedly contributed to their reserved nature. In the end, it becomes almost impossible to say whether those living north or south of the world's highest mountain range are "more likable."

Just as human nature often presents inconsistencies, it also happens that the geographical landscape offers unexpected gaps. This is how the Himalayan chain provides a passage exactly in the middle of its westward-to-east extension, which has historically allowed the passage of populations, cultures, religions, goods, and sometimes even armies: the canyon descending from Nyalam to Kodari and beyond to the green hills of central Nepal, although it is a narrow and steep fissure where the road was carved, creating a horizontal strip in an environment dominated by verticality.