Nowhere like Namche

Nepali Times issue #215 24 – 30 September 2004.

If there was one place that was relatively unaffected by the Maoist war even at the height of insurgency, it was Namche in the Everest region. Foreign trekkers were left to explore on their own, security guards were at their most relaxed, local businesses were flourishing. According to the locals, this was because Maoists weren’t expert climbers unlike Sherpa people, and Sherpas are no Maoists.

Excerpt of the report published 20 years ago this week on issue #215 24 – 30 September 2004:

At the entrance to Namche Bajar, a group of armed soldiers relax, chat and greet this season's first batch of European tourists.

Nowhere else in Nepal do security forces seem so friendly and at peace, and for good reason. The Sherpas laugh when asked about the Maoist militants. "It's too much hard work. They'd have to be expert climbers to cross the passes and come all the way down to Namche," says Mingma Sherpa, who runs a trekking inn at Phakding, a four-hour walk from Lukla airport. "Only Sherpas can do that. None of the Maoists are Sherpas," adds her husband.

Mingma invested over Rs 800,000 to renovate her hotel during the last couple of months, and is confident that with tourist arrivals looking healthy, it will be worthwhile. "The investment will attract more tourists to my hotel. Besides, we never worry about tourists. This is Everest and everyone's full of hope," says Mingma.

Preparations for the tourist season are in full swing right up the trail from Lukla. Up to 15 flights from Kathmandu landed in Lukla's famous inclined runway during a break in the weather last week. Porters and yak trains can be seen carrying tons of supplies like kerosene, gas cylinders, mattresses, beverages, and chickens.

Many hotels are being renovated and redecorated to welcome even bigger crowds of Europeans expected next week. In Kathmandu, trekking agencies report only minimal cancellations, and those who had booked treks in other parts of Nepal have shifted to the Everest area.

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