On a journey from Kheng Buli to Rendibi: Revisiting the Degala Train!

Taking a recess en route Phulabi

I journeyed into the woods of Kheng again after spending years of my initial appointment. It was a nostalgic appointment as I was deputed to conduct the national council elections of a remote ‘Phulabi’-A very remote village in Upper Kheng., Gears, backpacks, sleeping bags, provisions, transportation and other election materials! All set and done! I and my team of eight people went for the said event. We were dropped by another friend who was again deputed for the transportation of election officials.

My team near the polling station

We resumed our journey from the Election office to ‘Buli’ and then to a shanty settlement of ‘Churmlung’. Other teams who were deputed to some other remote villages had their porters and ponies waiting. But the Porter who was to pick my team was missing. This made me lose my temper. The other team had a spare pony and we loaded our provisions. We climbed downhill and after crossing the river, the porter was there with four ponies to my relief. 

The elections went on to be a success and no mistakes or errors whatsoever were reported. Satisfied with the job well done, we sat down and rejoiced in some ‘Bangchang’ that our host made for us. 

One of the many poles that dot the Degala school

After the elections, our team decided to take the downhill route towards the road point and this gave me an elated feeling that I will again see my former school. When I actually reached the school, we calculated we had walked downhill for almost six hours which made me and my team-fatigued! At a glance I could see electric poles, many electrical wires and other electrical equipments in Degala school. This was what I had wished for Degala school years back and I do have a mention about this in my book! 

 Some of the people might have heard, “Lopon Lobzang jon zai cho” and to make me miss my time in Degala, they had brought some boiled eggs and Bangchang. We stayed in the school for the night and walked all the way towards Rendibi.     

I have known the literal meaning of NOSTALGIA and the experience of going and revisiting down memory lane!