Porters, Guides and Locals
Friday, September 3rd, 2010
“Jambo”, “Namaste” and lots of other local greetings often welcome travelers to new and distant countries. A key reason that I like the idea of the “Seven Summits” is because it forces me to travel to all sorts of different countries and regions. I have no idea whether I would have ever gone to Tanzania if Kilimanjaro were not there, but I somewhat doubt it.
I read a book years ago, “Worldwalk” which has always stuck with me. The nonfiction book details a traveler who decides to literally walk around the world, taking transportation only to cross oceans as necessary. One constant the author finds throughout the entire book is the generosity and kindness of the human spirit. This lone traveler was consistently taken in, housed, and fed by strangers – many whom didn’t speak English.
The further off the beaten path you get, the more likely you are to experience these types of things. For this reason, I’m a strong believer in engaging with the guides, porters, and other locals you can encounter on a trip. Our guide in Nepal, Lolit, remains a friend years later. Although we weren’t as close with our porters, we did share a couple beers with them and made conversation as much as our language barriers would allow.
Sherpas in particular are some of the friendliest people I have ever encountered. They are also unbelievable athletes, and their legendary mountaineering prowess is incredible. It’s not uncommon to see them carrying loads of over 100lbs up steep slopes at high altitudes. Truly a sight to behold. These sherpas are pulling incredibly heavy loads uphill from Namche Bazaar.
In Tanzania, they are restricted to much smaller loads – 40lbs max I believe. I was a bit embarrassed to behold the small army of cooks, porters and guides that accompanied us on Kilimanjaro. This “siege” style attempt on a very accessible mountain is something I don’t hope to ever repeat. Nevertheless, it was great getting to know a number of the support staff who came with us. They were friendly, helpful, and worked hard the entire trip making our climb more comfortable. The highlight was at the end, when they sing a traditional song celebrating the safe and successful ascent. Below is the recording one of the members of our group took.
Just a reminder that much of the joy in travel is meeting the people, not simply seeing the sights.
Tags: everest, kilimanjaro, nepal, porters, sherpas, travel | Posted in everest, kili, travel, wanderlust | No Comments »
