Naina of the Himaal
Not for sale ❤️
Artwork Metadata:
Title: Naina of the Himaal
Medium: Pen on handmade Lokta paper
Dimensions: 29.7 x 42.0 cm
Description:
As part of my trip to Nepal for the Manang Artist Residency, I met Naina, who helped me navigate my way through altitude sickness. While we were still trekking up the road by car, I started to feel dizzy with a light headache. She kindly offered me some cloves, which she suggested I place in my mouth and suck on. This helped me a lot while travelling up the mountain.
Once we arrived at our destination, we were exhausted, but I felt so much better. As the night drew to a close, we drank some rokchi, which is local rice wine. When you have fun with local people, you need to remember your body is not local. Unfortunately, that small bit of alcohol really did not agree with my altitude sickness. The next morning, I drank about four glasses of hot water with lemon and ginger, four cups of garlic soup, three glasses of hot water and garlic, and a glass of hot water with a local flower. And all of this before 10 am. It did help me feel better, though. I am so grateful to everyone who helped me on this trip, not only for my safety but also by helping me feel comfortable in unfamiliar surroundings.
The dog in the portrait is Red Dog, who stays in Ngawal. Naina always made friends with the animals wherever we stopped. Red Dog was amazing; he guided the sheep in the village completely unaided, as if it was his duty. Without human intervention, he made sure that every evening the sheep would make their way home. This dog has survived snowstorms and terrific weather, yet he remains strong in the face of adversity.
Su-Naina also offers tour trips to Nepal. You can find her Instagram account here.
Website: Inspiration Tours and Travels
Please consider booking a tour.
