The walk from Tengboche to Namche was the walk through clouds. But that came later. We walked till noon and stopped at this place for lunch.
We had our lunch but the rain would not let up. Our singing began and went on and on but the rain would not let up.
Just outside our building, on both sides of the street was this beautiful spread of jewelry, mostly semi precious or ordinary stones, but beautiful ones, by which sat Nepali village women, occasionally speaking of the specialty of their wares – it is difficult to find a stone this size, this is pure silver, etc.
As I picked up the pieces and examined them, it started raining and all the wares displayed on makeshift benches were immediately covered in blue plastic sheets. The pieces I had selected were carried to a shop and I was summoned there for further considering my purchase.
I bought a necklace made of a deep blue stones. Ink blue. With a matching bracelet to go with it.
And I bought another beautiful necklace made of sandstones.
Much to my surprise and relief these women accepted the Indian 500 rupee notes, the ones we had been worrying about as the days of departure came nearer.
I had hidden them in my bag alright but I wondered how rigorous the checking would be. I had not known then that the whole security act at the airport was going to prove to be a joke!
So I expended one note or two there.
As I put the jewelry in my bag and gave the notes to the women, wondering if it was a good bargain, one of them read my doubts and assured me, ‘Hum log aise nahin hai, hum achhe log hai – don’t worry, we are not like that, we are good people’.
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