The Nepal diaries - Part#2 2/2 - A Portrait: Maya

The Nepal Diaries - #2 - A Portrait: Panchase - Maya 2/2

You can find part 1/2 here - scroll down for audio and the interview

In this Post, I would like to share a little interview I did with Maya. She is running a beautiful guesthouse (Happy Heart Guesthouse) in the tiny village of Panchase and proved to be a incredible generous, wise, smart and funny woman.

Some impressions:

We spoke while it was already pitch black outside, sitting at a little fire. I recorded the interview if you want to listen to it.

I suggest you listen to those 7 minutes with headphones, in a dark room, with only a candle burning.

I hope you can work with the quality, I know it´s not the best

Maya

So, how long are you living here?

Mhh, twenty-five years.

And you are running the guesthouse here?

Yes, I have seen this thing when I was thirteen years old.

Ah the honey hunting? (We were talking about honey hunting before)

Yes, I have seen it.

So, are there more or less tourists coming than ten years ago?

It is different, before, a lot of camping people were coming. They would bring tents, many Sherpas, guides, many Nepalese people. Now there are only one or two people coming, staying in the guesthouse.

But it's better for you, or?

Yes it's better for the business, but before the earthquake, more people were coming. After the earthquake, it got less and less. When the camping-people came, many Nepalese people had a job. Now only guest houses make money.

I think it might be because of the smartphones, nowadays, people know where to go so they don't need a guide.

Yes, before there were more porters and guides, so they spend more money.

So you have no husband here?

No.

I don't think you need a husband.

Maybe with a husband only fighting comes. -Laughing-
I think so yeah, maybe you are a few years together and have a good time but then blabla is coming and fighting comes.
It is not quiet anymore.
But I don't know, I don't have a husband.
I have seen many couples, husband and wife. Only a few couples are happy, not everybody.

Yeah true.

You are traveling now in Nepal and maybe you meet veeery good women.

Maybe :)

If you are nice then everybody is nice.

True, yeah. You say: "Do good and good will come".

Are you religious? Are you Buddhist or Hindu?

Yeah... Everything and nothing...

Everything and nothing?

Yes, you understand? -laughing-

Yes, I think I understand.

But many gurung people (ethnic group), they follow both, Buddhism and Hinduism.
My parents, they followed both and we do the same. And no complaining. "I need this, I need that" -I do don't do it like that. Everybody does what they do and I do the same.

Do you believe in something when you die?

Ahhhh, you do this question with me! -laughter-
I did the same question with that English guy who stayed here for nine months and he is doing this Hindu Devi (it is a hindu goddess). I think you know this Devi name? And Ganesh and Shiva. He put many pictures inside his room -giggling- and I have never been in his room and one day I went to clean his room and asked him the same question. And he told me, what you believe will happen.

I think that is a really good answer.

You know, my father died nine months ago and a lot of times he visits me in my dreams and I ask him that kind of question. My father does not want to go to another place, he is always staying with us.

So your father lived in this village too?

Not here but in a village below, so we went there many times, took care and helped him but most of the time he was in his home.

And what do you think?

Hmm?

What do you think of that question?

What I am thinking? I think that the answer this english guy gave, is a really good answer. That what you believe in, will happen. And I think that everybody can decide what to believe in... and mhh... for me, I think that it is not over afterwards. I think that it is not all done, you know? My body will stay here, but there is something inside of me (pointing at my chest) that will go somewhere else. I think, as soon as one person dies, another person gets life on the earth. That is what I think. It is not the same person anymore, the energy is going away but then it is staying somewhere and coming back to give new life. It's all a circle, going around and around.

Yeah... after dieing, nobody comes back...

I had a magical time in Panchase, a village with 7 inhabitants on the border of civilization. It is so far away from everything I am used to. The people are so connected to the earth they are living on. If I ever question the life I lead, I know where to go.

Do good and good will come,

genius_loci

This posts music should be something deep and meditative. One of my all time favorites: Recondite (if possible, enjoy with good headphones)

All of the photos were shot by myself.

If you like what you see, check out my little online gallery
This post is part of the The Nepal Diaries