We all gathered on a cold Saturday morning at the foot of Kabilas hill, about 20 kilometers from the university. Nobody except for me, and Dipak who arranged the venue, had been here before. So it was a bit of a surprise for everyone to discover that there was no road access to the picnic site. There was no option other than starting the hour-long climb up the hill!
Here is a farmer we passed on the way up. He was ploughing his steep terraced land with a couple of indigenous bullocks. He will probably plant millet or corn when Spring comes.
Some of the men were already on top of the hill when we arrived. They had slaughtered a goat and were butchering it before cooking. Everything was used. Even the intestines were rinsed out and cooked as an appetiser!
Only 2 of us were vegetarian so we were provided with extra vegetables. Here are the mushrooms ... waiting to be cooked, ... and the broccoli ... already overcooked!
There were about 50 people at the picnic ... so the cooking pots were extra large size! Three ladies had been hired to do all the cooking. This was done outside on open wood-burning fires. You can see how the burning wood is placed on the lid of the cooking pot, as well as below it.
After we had eaten our meal, somebody produced a huge ghetto-blaster that blasted out Nepali music. And so we danced ... Nepali style ... without partners ... the men dancing in a group ... and the kids joining in.
I'm not sure why the ladies didn't dance. They usually do. Perhaps they were too embarrassed by the mens' antics?!
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