The North Face Yak Attack - Day 3
A Village Curious About Yak Attack
What was Day 3 of Yak Attack like? Well, more heat, and even more dust. This section had quite a few buses, trucks, and even a bulldozer plying the dirt road, kicking up a cloud of dust in their wake. The race today was from Dhading Besi to Gorkha. However, a suspension bridge midway meant that our jeep had to make the trip to Gorkha first, and then come via the finish line to the middle of the race track. That meant that we had to wake up at 5 am. Which we did. All that early dash though went to waste when we got to the dirt track which had a broken-down bus smack in the middle, blocking the way. We did eventually get on our way, and got to a village with a big shady peepal tree. The spot was somewhat of a village meeting point, and as soon as the medical team set up shop, we started getting surrounded by the curious inhabitants of the village, especially the children. On finding out that the Yak Attack was a 15 day race, an old lady asked me why foreigners wanted to do such crazy things: "Don't they have families?" Another lady had heard that foreigners have cards that gives them money anywhere in the world. She wanted to know if it was true. I explained to her that they too have to earn the money first, and then put it in a bank account. "Oh," she laughed, "I thought they kept getting money, just like that." A kid who cycles 10 kilometers uphill "on a gearless bike" to school every day ventured that he might be able to beat the riders. I told him he probably could, and he should talk to Ajaya Narsingh Rana, the coach of the Nepali National Team. Ajaya is riding at the back, taking care of the riders on this year's Yak Attack. However, by the time Ajaya had arrived alongside Brit Neil Cottam, the kid had disappeared. Everyone in the village was especially impressed with Narayan Gopal, who arrived again, well ahead of the rest of the riders. "I ran downstairs from my house to look, but by the time I got out, he was gone!" explained third grader Sugam. "Is he Nepali?" He wanted to know. Story: Mamata Pokharel Photo: Samir Jung Thapa and Sunil Chandra Sharma
