The Swiss Suntali

FROM ISSUE # 154 (October 2008) | IN THIS ISSUE
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One road can change everything. That's what happened to Dolakha after the Swiss funded the building of the Lamosagu-Jiri road. If it wasn't for the Swiss, people would still be carrying salt and oil in 'dokos' from Barabise.  But they aren't – because the road has changed things. It revolutionised the area as we know it.  From then on, every trekker heading for Everest was thought to be a Swiss – to us villagers they were all the same as the Swiss who built the road. Thus, it became my dream to visit Switzerland and after 35 years of waiting, my dream has finally come true. Here I am sitting amidst the landscape of one of the world's richest countries all because of my goal to cycle around the world. 

Mona and Paul are the only two Swiss I know. They invited me to meet their neighbour, Suntali who was born in Charikot, Dolakha 25 years ago. At that time, there was a popular folk song, 'Suntali mai kati ma ramro durbara maryo ni maya le maryo' and that became her namesake. 

I agreed to meet her because of my curiosity. After driving ten minutes by car, we arrived at a beautiful house. Suntali's mother and father were waiting for us as they had already prepared breakfast in a small garden. The house was beautiful, but the view was even more so! Set in the foothills, we could see an immaculate view of valley not so different from my home in Nepal.

Suntali's family served me breakfast that was on par with most five star restaurants in Kathmandu; an array of breads and about a dozen types of cheese accompanied our coffee and tea. 

"Where's Suntali?" I asked while sipping my coffee.  I was anxious to see her.

"Wait," said Suntali's mother, "I will bring her after breakfast."

A few moments after we finished our cheese and bread, Suntali's mother brought out an old black and white photo taken in Charikot. The photo was the image of a very cute young girl in the arms of a traditional village woman wearing a 'bulakhi'. A long, beaded necklace draped all the way down to her waist and big earrings hung from her drooping ear lobes. A man standing to her side wearing a daura suruwal happily showed off a new watch to the camera. 

"This is Suntali," her mother said while pointing at the young child in the photo, "This photo was taken over twenty years ago when my husband and I were working for the Swiss project.  Now, Suntali is living in Zurich."

Suntali's mother gave me a big bag of cheese as a parting gift for the road. 

"Suntali mai kati ma ramro durbara." 

Uhi SaikaleBaden, Switzerland

Journey started: 29  November 1998
Aim: To cycle around the world to spread the message of peace and hope within 11 years
Countries travelled  till date:  123
Next leg: Italy