Lupra is a Bon Po village not far off the Annapurna Circuit. Just below Eklabhatti and Keg Beni on the road towards Jomson, this little village now has its first Guest House - the Dakar Lodge.
The Bon Po religion predates Buddhism. This chorten should be circumnavigated counter clockwise to give it the proper respect. No mention about the motorcycle!
Lupra is reached by walking along a rocky, windy riverbed or over the pass from Muktinath.
We walked up the rockfilled path under the newly trimmed poplar trees towards the Bon Po Gompa which is the spiritual and cultural center of the town.
The new Guest House is the Dakar Lodge. It was still not open for business when we arrived (April 2011).
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They were still working on the dining room, though it was open for tea.
You can see the nice traditional details in the rooms. I believe there are 4 or 5 available.
All rooms have nice views with traditionally built windows.
The upstairs rooms come with small balconies overlooking Lupra proper and the dramatic mountain views across the river bed.
This is the view as you approach the Lodge, with the upper balconies apparent.
Even before they opened, they have all the necessities for a quick snack after a hard trek. I talked to the matriarch of the family and I can tell you that she will be a good cook. She is certainly a good hostess.
The Bon Po Gompa of Lupra is painted in red in the foreground. The route from Muktinath is shown here just below the bright blue sky. This route does not (yet) have a road for motorcycles or jeeps.
What to do in Lupra? You can climb up the mountainside to see the sights and listen to the flapping of the prayer flags.
Just across the river, there are meditation caves, including one with rooms and chambers set up by the monks to take care of the meditator. Some monks have spent 3 months to a year in solitude - in the dark, fed once per day, in a tiny space.
Wildflower walks are always fun in the HImalayas.
You can wander through town and learn about the Bon Po religion at the Gompa.
You can comb the river bed in search of Shaligrams. Shaligrams are ammonite fossils that are considered to be a representation of the Lord Shiva by the Hindu religion. They are only found in the Kali Gandaki region. Shaligrams are illegal to export from Nepal, even though they can be found for sale throughout the region.
If you are lucky, you can go for a walk up into the hills surrounding Lupra with a local dog. This dog adopted us and joined us for 4 hours as we explored the area.
As you can see Lupra is a great place to spend a few days and the new Dakar Lodge has made this possible. Please comment below if you get a chance to stay there. Let me know how the food and accommodations are!
When I arrived back home, I found a website where this dog had spent 6 days in the Annapurna Sanctuary with a group of trekkers. This was only two weeks later! Those distinctive markings made me sure it was our friend whom we named Kukur (means dog in Nepali).
Kukur by Saachin, 12"x12" synthetic enamel on metal, 2007, available
We later immortalized our friend Kukur as part of my fair trade art project Nepal Art Dogs.
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This hand-painted art form is fast disappearing in Kathmandu, as it already has in most parts of the world. I pay fair trade wages, the artists get to paint again, pet lovers get a choice of three paintings for each commission, and I get to help Nepali artists make a living. Everybody is happy. Rescue dogs from America get to rescue artists from Nepal!
Now is the time to order: Be ahead of the Pack! Orders now being accepted for the Spring 2012 trip.
Please send me a photo of your pet. I will give it to three different artists, giving you a choice of 3 paintings and three people will get work. Each painting is about one square foot and is on metal with synthetic enamel paint. These can be hung indoors or out.
Let me know what you would like it to say.
Let me know what style of portrait you would prefer: naive, realistic, colorful, etc.
That's it ! Click here for pricing.
Satisfaction is guaranteed as I accept no money up front. If you do not like one of the three, you pay nothing, and the 3 artists are paid in full in any case. Let me know what you want it to say and that's it!
Send your photo to ampage1@gmail.com
Go to www.NepalDog.com for more information and current pricing.
Let's keep these artists painting.
nice post. Beautiful place is this. A person who has a taste of visiting traditional areas can surely visit this and i have made plan to visit this in next holidays.Thanks for sharing
Posted by: Airbrush | April 14, 2012 at 12:58 PM