We landed in Kathmandu a week before Pesach, en route to Manang, a two-and-a-half day journey away. Our mission was to service the Jewish hikers on the Annapurna Mountains, and give them the opportunity to celebrate Passover and receive some much needed nourishment for the body and soul.
On Wednesday afternoon, we loaded our jeep with matzah, wine, a Torah, and other Passover goods, and began our trip, planning to be in Manang in time for Shabbat. The trip was uneventful until we reached Chame, a small village on the mountains where the road ended and the only way to travel was via trails. We exchanged our jeep for motorbikes and arranged for our provisions to be transported Nepal-style, by a herd of donkeys!
Friday at noon, we reached Manang. We did some investigating and learned that there were forty Israelis in town for Shabbat. But there was a slight problem - the donkeys were nowhere in sight, and we had no way of contacting anyone to find out when they would arrive. So we opted for plan B, to buy some food and pots and start cooking, which was easier said than done. Our search for a shop that carried pots proved futile. On to plan C. We borrowed some pots from the hotel, koshered them, and began preparing Shabbat dinner for forty. We still didn’t have wine, our Torah, or any of our Passover supplies, and snow was falling and swiftly covering the mountaintop.
Ten minutes before Shabbat, there was a commotion outside the hotel. The donkeys had arrived! The look of delight on the faces of our guests was priceless. Everybody helped unload our precious cargo, and then it was time to light the candles and welcome the Shabbat. And what a euphoric Shabbat it was! Lots of singing, meaningful discussion, delicious kosher food, and the highlight - the first Torah reading in the heart of the Himalayas.
