Caption: Date: 1967-10
Location: Namche Bazaar, Solukhumbu
Description: This photo of Namche was taken from the junction where the trail to Thyangboche leaves the town. Note the wooden roofs and stones used to hold the individual boards down. Almost all buildings are only two stories high with the animals living on the first floor. No electricity and all families had to gather water at the spring, faintly visible in lower left and carry it to their homes in wooden "chu's". The Stupa in the lower left just out of the shadows, is still there (2008) and has only been moderately altered. The Gompa or religious building used only for occasional ceremonies is the highest building toward the right of the photo. There were no hotels or inns but two or three houses allowed guests to spend the night. Tibetans escaping Chinese persecution in Tibet had brought smallpox with them in '67 when they escaped to Nepal and anyone wealthy enough had left Namche in fear of the disease. Even the down valley Nepalis who usually brought food and supplies to sell at the weekly "haat bazaar" stayed away and so there was very little to eat in Namche. Only locally grown potatos and barley flower "tsampa" - not bad when mixed with sweet tea. Keywords: Nepal Photo History Project, Peace Corp Photo History, Peter Von Mertens, community, landscape, stupa/chorten, temple, village
