On a recent Monday, I took the day off work and got myself a river fix. I told work I would write a story on "adventure sports," in return for a day off. I am usually on the river in the summer for about 65 of the 90 days of summer in America, hence I miss it a lot. Anyway, I gladly paid the standard day trip fee of about $50, hoped on the bus with a bunch of first time foreigners and played "customer," not guide, for a day. After stopping at The Last Resort Lodge, near the Tibetan border, famous for outdoor activities, watching someone bungee jump down a 500 ft river gorge(!), we hit the Bhoti Kosi river for some awesome class IV-high water- monsoon action! Great whitewater, great guides, great time. Although no excursion like this can go off without a hitch in Nepal; we got stuck in a 2 hour traffic jam right outside of Kathmandu due to a bus stuck in the mud. Nothing like 10 singing French-men on a hot, crowed bus to pass the time!
For four days I went to Chitwan, with my teacher's son Brendan, for a jungle experience. We had a blast! Although, according to guide books, we broke every rule possible, some of which are:
1. Don't take a bus anywhere in Nepal (not trying to sound like a hero, but I take at least two buses everyday).
2. Don't go to Nepal in the monsoon season, which is now (too late for that, already survived 8 weeks of the monsoon!)
3. Whatever you do, DO NOT go the Terai area (which is where Chitwan is located) because of (old) political tensions and malaria
4. Forgot to take the malaria pills
But hey, you live and learn, and I'm still doing both! We stayed at a little jungle lodge with good food, all activities and a guide for only $70. We went on two elephant rides, saw one rhino in the wild, along with deer, birds, wild boars, and crocodiles. My favorite part was the elephant bathing in the Rapti River. The most depressing part was going to the elephant breeding center, where they have to chain the babies up so they don't run off into the jungle. The baby elephants could have possibly been the cutest things I've ever laid eyes on. But their eyes glazed over, just wanting to be by there mom's was heart wrenching.
It also really bothered me how the elephants are treated (hit with wooden and metal sticks if they don't listen or go fast...it's an elephant, they don't walk fast!!) Is this eco-tourism or animal maltreatment?! (I feel an op-ed piece brewing inside me...) I may be a little backwards when this bothers me more than poor, hungry village families, but I can't help it.
Tibet Protester
A man is taken away by Nepali police during a Tibetan protest outside of the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu.
World Peace Pagoda
This is a holy site for Buddhists on top of a hillside over looking the Pokhara Valley, about seven hours west of Kathmandu. It is believed Buddha came to this hilltop to find enlightenment,
Tibetan Flags
Rows of the flags waved over the film festival on the June 6th. Almost everyday in Kathmandu, Tibetan protesters are arrested outside of the China Embassy.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Tibetan Protest
About two weeks ago, while on another assignment, I got a phone call from an Agence-France Presse photographer/mentor/friend that there was a protest going on outside of the Chinese Embassy in a half hour. I immediately left the (boring) Oliver Twist play I was covering, for this, something I had been wanting and hoping to cover while being in Nepal.
I got there just as it started and there were about 100 Tibetan protesters in the streets marching, shouting and waving flags and banners. Pretty peaceful I would say. Apparently not to Nepali cops; this does not fly with the them. Immediately protesters were detained and thrown into awaiting trucks, taking them to local jails. I have never seen people so passionate, and with so much conviction as these Tibetans. Right before my eyes, people were being punched, pushed and kicked to the ground. I even saw one man get kicked in the stomach and head, after he was unconscious. This is when I stepped in and tried to help him.
You have to be a person before a photographer sometimes. I could tell he could have been killed if it was to keep going. I got a group of other protesters and helped them drag his limp body to the sidewalk. I was punched by cops and told to stop helping him and leave the scene. I said, "This man could die!" and was pushed some more by that response. My first aid and WFR kicking in, I made sure he was still breathing then tried to wake him up. People were screaming and crying that he was dead. They dumped cold water on him and a few minutes later he woke up. Needless to say, I was sure there were many internal injuries, just looking from his bruised and battered stomach. I have a picture of this man's head out cold on the cement with a cops boot next to it, right after he kicked him one last time.
Meanwhile, nothing stopped as more and more people were hauled off into more awaiting jail trucks. The protesters would not stop the chant "Free Tibet!" even as they were thrown into the trucks. It didn't matter if it was women or old people, they were treated just as poorly as the rest. Absolutely no human rights in this process. Bamboo sticks flying in the air, coming down with a snap onto limbs and skin.
After about forty five minutes of hell, it was all over, streets cleared, photographers scanning their photos, other tourists continuing on their way, storekeepers back in their shops.
However, I was shaken up for days to come.
I got there just as it started and there were about 100 Tibetan protesters in the streets marching, shouting and waving flags and banners. Pretty peaceful I would say. Apparently not to Nepali cops; this does not fly with the them. Immediately protesters were detained and thrown into awaiting trucks, taking them to local jails. I have never seen people so passionate, and with so much conviction as these Tibetans. Right before my eyes, people were being punched, pushed and kicked to the ground. I even saw one man get kicked in the stomach and head, after he was unconscious. This is when I stepped in and tried to help him.
You have to be a person before a photographer sometimes. I could tell he could have been killed if it was to keep going. I got a group of other protesters and helped them drag his limp body to the sidewalk. I was punched by cops and told to stop helping him and leave the scene. I said, "This man could die!" and was pushed some more by that response. My first aid and WFR kicking in, I made sure he was still breathing then tried to wake him up. People were screaming and crying that he was dead. They dumped cold water on him and a few minutes later he woke up. Needless to say, I was sure there were many internal injuries, just looking from his bruised and battered stomach. I have a picture of this man's head out cold on the cement with a cops boot next to it, right after he kicked him one last time.
Meanwhile, nothing stopped as more and more people were hauled off into more awaiting jail trucks. The protesters would not stop the chant "Free Tibet!" even as they were thrown into the trucks. It didn't matter if it was women or old people, they were treated just as poorly as the rest. Absolutely no human rights in this process. Bamboo sticks flying in the air, coming down with a snap onto limbs and skin.
After about forty five minutes of hell, it was all over, streets cleared, photographers scanning their photos, other tourists continuing on their way, storekeepers back in their shops.
However, I was shaken up for days to come.
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