I was walking up for more than two hours. The hill which is not that high feels like Everest to me as we’ve been walking up and up and more up. It was only 3200M. But the stream of the river down played a beautiful sounds in my head enough to make me smile. The view of the valley with all the green trees and ray lights was easy to keep your heart filled with sense of good things and keep you going. It was a pleasant day, the wind was chill and soften us who’s sweating during the walk. Kumar the guide whom I met two years ago during my first time visit in Nepal walked patiently behind me.

According to Kumar we still have to walk up at least another hour, I gave my face to him and said, “Really?”

Just a split second I saw a porter struggling to make every single step. I don’t know why this particular porter brought all my attention among other many porters who also keep passing by that morning. His small body obviously drowned by his load on his back. His small, muscly and short legs wrapped by the brown socks all the way to his knee, looks like shaking every time he made that step.

Kumar had a friendly talk to him when we catch up with him, exchange smiles and namaste. Kumar told me that the weight he’s been carrying is around 90 kg, I couldn’t hide my drop jaw face when I heard the weight he’s been carrying. Meeting that porter made my daypack which contains nothing but my camera and water weight like a feather and also after I saw what’s in his basket. Oil, rice, milk most of them were in boxes.

That day was only my second day since I started my trekking from Lukla airport, it’s like a short cut for every body who has enough money to fly there. We’re on our way to Namche Bazar in Everest region.

Kumar continue talking with him. I asked him what his name, it’s Bahadur.

For about 10 minutes we talked and have a break. Which surprised me that I didn’t see any slight of tiredness in his face, only the smiles that make his eyes smaller and looks like he’s closing his eyes. It really shows there’s no burden in his life. Even though if there is, I’m sure it’s not as big as his load in his back.

Seeing Kumar and Bahadur talk and joking around it’s brighten up my day but at the same time breaks my heart to see him walking with the load he’s carrying. Kumar told me that he made 300 rupee each day, he’s also not really sure.

Finally we said goodbye, I couldn’t stop looking at Bahadur until Kumar told me that Bahadur been walking from Jiri, not from Lukla like us, that means: he’s been walking in the last 7 days at least!. My broken heart went to pieces, and I saw him again making that steps and stopped every two to three meters.

Come on Bahadur it’s only one more hour.

My visit to Nepal this time is my third one, I fell in love the first time I was there two years ago. My heart was left behind somewhere there probably forever. I fell in love with the nature, the river, the mountain, the sunrise, the rain and the lovely Nepalese. Two days earlier, when the aircraft touched down in Kathmandu, I felt like I was home.

After staying only two nights in Namche Bazar I had to go back to Lukla to catch the flight the next day. The hill we ascent for three hours, this time only took 45 minutes to descent. When me and Kumar having a fun time descending all the way to Lukla, I’m not sure exactly the place I saw familiar figure coming up right at me. I recognize the brown socks up to the person’s knee. No mistake even with his head still bow facing the ground carrying the load on his back… I knew that guy.

“Bahadur!!”

Within two days he’s already walking up again, this time I could see there’s less load in his basket. Only Rice.

So when was the last time you appreciate your current job now? :-)