Kalme to Sedua

This was again a long stage but with the advantage of the majority of it being downhill. Our Sirdar planned to split the day in 2 with a suitable lunch stop being planned at the house of our Sherpa, Neema, in Tashigaon. This worked well and following 2-3 hours plodding down through the forest we enjoyed a leisurely lunch in Tashigaon. Being high on the ridge the village offers extensive views over the lower Arun valley and we could see Sedua, our final destination, further down and around the hillside. In the warm afternoon sun we made our way down to the village, moving in and out of the forest as the path dictated. As we got close to the village the terraced fields were a hive of activity. Whole families were engaged in the process of preparing the terraces for planting of rice or actually doing the planting. Buffalo, expertly controlled by their owners were put to work towing wooden ploughs to churn up the thick wet mud. The female family members would follow on behind planting the rice. As we stopped to watch the villagers would gladly demonstrate their skill, smiling as they worked knee deep in the mud.

The children of Sedua were noisy and playful, skipping around the tents and grabbing anything that wasn't securely stowed - much to the consternation of our Sirdar. Here we said goodbye to some of the porters who had no wish to go further down the valley, hiring replacements as required from this village and those lower down. This is not unusual with porters often preferring to do 3 or 4 day stints within easy reach of their own village. Much of this work is in addition to their responsibilities in the fields and we could understand their wish to get back to their villages at this busy time.