Ms. Emily Melick had an adventurous Lower Dolpo Trek with Explore Dolpo, which was also her research trip. After the trip she flew back home and wrote us a beautiful mail. Here we have a mail that Ms. Emily wrote to us.

Hi Jag  & Explore Dolpo!

Thank you for making my trip fantastic. Here are few points I would love to share about my Lower Dolpo Trek with you guys.

1. My research trip was more valuable than I could have possibly anticipated. It most definitely did not go as planned, yet learning that nothing goes quite as one expects was an important part of the journey. There is so much to be learned from the people of Dolpo, their environment, and the cultural traditions that allow them to live so successfully in it. Dolpapa are always willing to share their stories with you. These conversations are never without endless offerings of butter tea and hospitality.

2. The landscape is diverse and consistently breathtaking during the trekking in Dolpo- both physically and emotionally! The positive energy and warmth that every person and every community exudes hits those foreign to the region with such incredible force. Despite harsh physical conditions and its remote geographical location, Dolpapa thrive. The resilience, compassion and kindness that in so many ways defines culture in this region is truly inspiring.

3. The weather and terrain can be quite unpredictable, and can change drastically from one moment to the next. Traveling in this region is not for the small hearted! An appetite for tsampa, butter tea, dahl bat is vital to one’s survival, and will inevitably be cultivated throughout one’s journey. Proper gear and a flexible, easygoing, positive mindset will help a traveller get through almost any obstacle they may encounter.

4. Surya is an incredibly kind, strong, open minded and understanding person, and I could not have asked for a more incredible companion. Although translating was quite difficult at times, his good intentions, dedication and determination got us through just about everything! The local food was generally delicious and satiating, and the kindness that came with every meal warmed my heart and soul. For someone foreign to Nepali cuisine, the monotony of the food may be problematic – however this would only be the case for a picky eater.

5. Ensuring that guides have proper gear would be my only major suggestion. That in addition to being familiar with the trekking route to be taken. One of the best things about my experience was that Surya knew the route and the people along the way so intimately. For the sake of the foreign trekker, a guide’s proficiency in the language they speak is vital to their sanity and the value of their experience – otherwise, they will be surrounded by silence for nearly three weeks! If I could not hear about the lives of people we met along the way through Surya’s translation, my experience would not have been enriching beyond walking through an absolutely incredible landscape. The most beautiful part of my journey was not the scenery, despite its undeniable grandeur, but instead the interactions I had with Dolpapa (people of Dolpo) both those facilitated by Surya and spontaneously occurring.

Sincerely,

Emily