To ILAM and beyond......

Today we went to a village in the southern side (near the norther Indian Border) called Ilam (famous for tea) and saw a tea production factory which was so interesting! Illam is high up in the hills, and the air couldn't have been more enjoyable, even though it slowly rained almost the entire time. A relief from the intense humudity that averages 80% was very enjoyable! Have you ever seen the multi-faceted process of making tea? It's intense! Funny thing is that Ilam is right next to Darjelling, India and they even purchase some of Nepal's excess tea and package is up as if it was their own! Name brands really do rule the world!! We were fortunate to have two of the local Nepali WFP staff escort us up there. Bharti and Tara (a male who is one of the most energetic people we have come accross thus far) was very enthusiastic about showing us how to truly experience Nepal on a Saturday; the only day the entire country takes off for the week! We again drank some Tongba, this time right on the Indian border and also had the chance to visit a cheese factory which although closed was generous enough to let us sample and ever purchase. Their cheese was fantastic soft cow's milk and was about $2 for more than enough to feed 8 people and have leftovers!! We ended the night back in Damak at our guesthouse where we ate the first fish we have had on the entire trip! Tara's father caught 4 river fish (which were Carp) and fried them, and then boiled them for 4 hours with all sorts of Nepali spices and onions and garlic, then fried it again before serving it up to us. I am not exagerating when I say that I can't remember a time where I had better cooked fish in recent times. It was truly sensational!