Road to Ryale | Yatralogue

ALOK TUMBAHANGPHEY

Ryale from a hilltop
Destination: Ryale
Location: Northwestern corner of Kabhrepalanchok district, bordering Lalitpur
Getting there: 45-minute bus ride from Panauti for Rs 20
What to do: Chill out, breathe the fresh air, soak in the serene surrounding and make the best of Tamang hospitality
Must sample: Fresh milk and yogurt, makai ko jaand, chhyang, local kukhura ko masu, small fry fresh from the nearby mountain stream

Ryale is like any other Nepali village but it is easily accessible from Kathmandu. Nestled at the foot of the northeastern side of Phulchoki, a dirt road through the village leads to Panauti in Kabhre and Dhunge Chaur in Lalitpur. The road is said to be 50 years old and is still a nightmare during monsoon. However, the District Development Committee and Village Development Committee provided Rs 25,000 to gravel it and the villagers have volunteered. It could take years but the people here are really patient.

Like most bus rides through mountains, the drive to Ryale, whether from Panauti in the east or from Lubhu on the west, is quite a roller-coaster experience. Mountain biking this route will have adrenalin pumping through your veins. Picnic spots are aplenty with great views overlooking surrounding hills. You can munch away with the wind on your face as you gaze at the Manedoman Chaitya. But remember to pick up your garbage. The villagers don't take kindly to your littering the area.

Ryale is known for dairy products. It supplies 3,500 litres of milk everyday to Kathmandu. The local Kukhura ko masu is as famed. Fishing with battery-generated electricity has reduced the catch in the nearby stream, which once teemed with trout. Villagers have stopped this practice now, so the trout can multiply again.

If you want to stay overnight, you will have to find baas in a local house. There are no hotels or lodges here. If you can't find one, walk half an hour up to Adventure Tented Camp in Lakure Bhanjyang and enjoy the breathtaking view of the mountains and the Valley.

The community forest in Ryale, which is teeming with wildlife, is a success story. The 50 Tamang households and a few Brahmin and Chhetri families live in communal harmony. The main two places of worship are a small Buddhist monastery in a private residence and the other is the deity of Phulchoki.

The goddess of Phulchoki's main abode might be on the hill's summit but in Ryale, the villagers worship a blood stained rock with several tridents around it. On Chait Purnima, locals sacrifice animals in generous numbers. The village children use the temple walls for graffiti during the rest of the year.

The Gods of the Tamang Ghedung Monastery are satisfied with butter lamps though. According to the lama, Ram Bahadur, the monastery was built 23 years ago to avert the threat of communist influence and perhaps more importantly, proselytisation of the Buddhist Tamang community.

The walls of the local health post have rebel slogans painted in red but other than that, there is no sign of rebel activity. Most young people here have only primary or secondary education and work in Kathmandu. The able-bodied men have gone to India and a few hold subordinate positions in the army and police. The women and children till the land and tend the cattle.

The people of Ryale are aware of the importance of education. Kumar Tamang has two daughters and he says, "I don't yearn for a son. What is important is that my daughters receive good education. I will send the elder to Kathmandu in a year or two. For now, they can study in the boarding school here." 'Boarding school' here means a school that teaches English as it does in most Nepali villages.

Ryale has its own hero, Chaturman Tamang, who is known as a model farmer among farmers in Nepal. While you are there, don't forget to visit him. This clever man showed how it was possible to cultivate different species of grass to be used as cattle fodder in the leasehold forest. This indirectly lowers the pressure on community owned forest resources and even gives farmers some extra income. The villagers here are spirited and dedicated to developing their village. This is what has preserved Ryale's rustic charm and made it special.