Hiking Route: Kurintar - Keurepani – Manakamana Temple - Kurintar Duration: 10 hr Date: Sunday, August 24, 2008 Participants: RudraP, LunaG, GaneshT, SauravD, SameshJ, DijupT, SitaP, RinaM, KesavB, SangharshaB, BidhaR, SumitS, and DhilungK. Photos: EU Team (SangharshaB, KesavB, SameshJ, SumitS, RinaM, BidhaR, DijupT, and DhilungK) Caption: DijupT, BidhaR and BishwaS Report by: BidhaR and SangharshaB Creative Support: Dijup / Pallavi This was the first EU Special hiking for the EU team members. We were all very excited as we were going to visit one of the temples-Manakamana reputed for fulfilling one’s wishes. Although some of the team members couldn’t make it, we were there to represent them too. 

01 Team Members: Dijup, Sangharsha, Luna, Kesahv, Sita, Sumit, Bidha, Rina, Dhilung, Ganesh, Saurav, Samesh and Rudra.(Left to right) 

02 Mountain View This was the shot taken from Thankot/Nagdhunga. The mountains above the hills and the clouds were simply awesome and the weather seemed to be in our favor to start our enthusiastic journey. At Dhading we stopped for tea, while Rudra dai took a walk to visit his relatives. Interestingly, the tea shop was named Pandey’s Kirana Pasal, later we found that the owner was Rudra dai’s relative. Our journey continued with the visit to our regular breakfast point at Naubise – The Chadeshwori hotel, where we stopped for half an hour. 

03 Getting ready Finally, from Kurintar – Cable car station, our real hiking started. It was already noon and we were in the worst possible time to start the hike. Under the midday sun we got exhausted and it was the time when the group got separated into two. The exhaustion grew stronger whenever we saw the cable car passing above us, like a glider and we were there walking just to reach the top of the hill. The weather got better after an hour which brought life to our walk. 

04 Thank you As we would get late to visit the schools, we rather distributed the copies/pencils to the school kids returning from the school. 

05 Children of Keurepani Write nice things, beautiful words, draw nice pictures and remain happy as you are now. 

06 Manakaman temple Ahhhhh... the temple is here, we finally reached Manakamana with complete expenditure of energy. We worshipped there and just waited for the other group to get there. Finally they reached the place after 45 minutes. We were planning to return by Cable Car but to our disappointment we were too late to catch the Cable car. We just could not imagine returning through the same path on the same day. But there was no other option left for us. So, we had lunch and a small photo session there. 

Photo Session Part I: Can you guess what were we doing out there? Trying to make EU symbolically by our hands. It was a fun indeed. 

Photo session Part II: This is the EU… 

10 Ready to return Way Back to Kurintar: Our journey back on the same trail started at around 6:15 pm, and we were obviously late. The evening was cool though, as we walked down the hill passing through the villages on the way, talking to the locals returning from the jungle with their cattle. The path – bright at first, gradually started to fade. As we moved ahead, we kept loosing the light. 

11 Dawn By now the sun had already bid us good bye -the sight of the twilight spilled all over the horizon. As we started rolling down the same path that we have started, gradually the visible path turned into a faded whiteness, then it slowly merged into the darkness around us. Next resort - the mild light of the cell phone guided us through the darkness and jungle. We all were little tensed too because it was a long way to get down there. But without losing hope and courage we all progressed towards our destination with as much speed as we could make. We could just see the lights of Cable car station from atop the hill and except the distant light and the surrounding darkness, all we had was ourselves, and nothing else. “This is a dry land covered with forest… most prone to encounter a tiger” Rudra was saying while we returned. (Were we less scared already to walk on that dark trail?) 

12 At the base Finally, we reached the base, loosened ourselves, had some cool air on the suspension bridge over Trishuli, The mission had been accomplished – the steep track which seemed less possible in the midday sun had been measured with our footsteps and we were back to the station. And then the moments of recollection started – the dry hike to the top and the dark descent back to ground zero had left us with lots of insight. We listened to the silent roars of the Trishuli waves and the reflection on the water while we waited for our friends to catch up. We spent some speechless moments. The clock ticked 8, it was late and we still had to travel 3 hours to reach Kathmandu. So without wasting time we travelled back to Kathmandu. Running out of energy, we collapsed in the van, slowly reviewing the day that had passed and exchanging the cameras to recap the timestamps we had captured on the way.. 

13 Lava and his philosophy     14 all set and ready to go     15 EU photography     16 EU shutters     17 carrying things     18 this is how we look form back     19 Time to go school     20 waiting for future     21 Experiment     22 Here we come     23 jamka bhet     24 We are getting late     25 buddha stupa     26 Fountain     27 Scenery     28 Land of temples     29 start     30 we can do it     31 The journey begins     32 it looks impossible     33 exhausted yesss     36 holding the car     34 behind the scene     35 Here comes result     37 what to do no monkey in the town     38 I can smile though......     39 ready for shot     40 what is the price of this smile     41 Dhilung with his shot     42 Exhausted not, GT opts for a short halt     43 balak what do u want     44 Back together     45 is this real smile     46 It`s tough yaar     47 hdr 2     48 running time once again     49 Tough road     50 water supply exhausted     51 looking to the other side     52 Paani ra Tirkha     53 this is the smile of rest     54 working full time     55 working part time     56 All about EU     57 innocent     58 children of the nation     59 we will be ready to walk with you     60 Childish shot     61 there you go     62 Ramro sanga padhnu hai     63 will anyone cary my camera     64 height of dream     65 View from height     66 Our destination     67 things have changed a lot     68 finally we are near the destination     69 Small shops at the temple     70 Balla darsan garna payo     71 means of transportation     72 Want to know my wish....     73 Devotees     74 let`s call some one     75 salute to EU     76 Planning     77 both side of EU     78 dancing .....     79 E     80 Temple     81 Dhilung with trisul in his hand     82 Feels good     83 U     84 Side view of the temple     85 What is the EU ?     86 Glorious dusk     87 Blissful moment     88 Light of life     89 View just after sunset     90 Time and nature     91 Dawn     92 Lets take a nice shot from here     93 Its too dark can`t see anything     94 A night to remember     95 haha can u do this     96 Light birds