Hmm, where to start?
I'll give you a condensed version of some of the events that have taken place over the past week or so. Some details I do have to leave out, but perhaps I'll be able to write about them in the future. For now, though, with the search for Aubrey Sacco still underway, I have to be careful what I write.
So, the man from the United Nations, who had been in contact with Ingo prior to this case, got involved with the search for Aubrey. This man was assisting by pulling resources together from within Nepal and around the globe, mobilizing international SAR experts before he even got here. He was on his way. But then a family tragedy occurred, which suddenly and understandably changed his plans, and he's out of the picture. At least, for now and probably for a long time to come.
Then there was the international SAR coordinator from the Red Cross, contacted by the man from the U.N., who was on her way here to oversee this mission. But then she was delayed en route to Nepal. When she did finally get here, she then left the country within 24 hours. That was primarily because of the Air India crash, which required her presence. So she too is out of the picture.
A number of international SAR volunteers also came to Nepal on their own dimes, but they have left, too. I never was able to meet or speak to any of them while they were here because I was not aware of their presence until they'd already gone.
And the Himalaya Rescue Dog Squad Nepal—the team I came here to meet and get to know so I could write about them—they've all now returned to their base in Shyauli Bazaar, along with the dogs. They'd used up all funds sent by sponsors from abroad to travel to and stay in Kathmandu, waiting to be mobilized for the Aubrey Sacco search. So they've now returned to the place in the jungle where they live and train, where they can be with their families, the other squad members, and the rest of the dogs, and have enough to eat from what's grown locally rather than rely on donations to survive in a city.
So, now it's me and Ingo left here in Kathmandu along with a young man from Manchester, England,who's been associated with HRDSN for about 10 years. He flew in from London a few days ago.
I hate to say something like, "Oh, you'll have to read the book" to find out more about Nik, but... well, I'm sure he'll be in the story, along with a number of other key characters in the history, present, and future of the squad and other things that will come of Ingo Schnabel's dream, which he put into action more than 20 years ago here in a very, shall we say, challenging country.
Ingo has met with Aubrey's father, brother, and their Nepali-American guide twice in Kathmandu and then went on two helicopter flights with them. During the second flight yesterday, they landed and spoke to locals in the Langtang area of the Himalaya. Having been here for two decades and on many searches in Langtang National Park, Ingo knows many of the local villagers, speaks their language (not straight Nepali), and knows their culture well enough to connect with them.
[Note: There used to be a video I could share with you that Ingo filmed during the second helicopter flight, but it's no longer available on YouTube or elsewhere that I've found.]
Sherpas from a local trekking company are also involved in this search, as are members of the Nepali army, at least to some degree. But what exactly the army's role is, I don't know. Apparently, they're not very communicative, so I've heard.
I need to make something clear: Nepal is a country where skilled search and rescue work cannot be done by locals without being paid up front. SAR is not funded by taxes, grants, or other government money like in the US and other much more affluent countries, where volunteer SAR professionals are able to spend their own money to participate and where bills associated with rescue—if there are any at all—can be sent out after the fact.
To the contrary, in Nepal, SAR work must be funded by the family and friends of the missing person and perhaps fundraising efforts on their part. The Nepalese have NO money to do this as a voluntary effort, and the conditions under which they usually work—in the highest peaks and jungles in the world—are extreme and inherently dangerous. These local people, both Nepali and long-time foreign transplants like Ingo, know the area, are familiar with the terrain, the flaura and fauna and other hazards, and the people, and they really are vital to a mission like this.
On a related note...
Today, I accompanied Ingo, Karna and Nik to see Chokyi Nima Rinpoche (I've also seen it spelled with an "m"—Rimpoche—and with a double "h"). Huh? you say. Well, a rinpoche is a lama (like the Dalai Lama is a lama) who's said to be clairvoyant. A psychic, if you will. I'm told they've been through the "cycle of life" and have chosen to return to help people. In addition to traditional search and rescue methods, it's common practice for Ingo and others to consult with these lamas when searches become particularly difficult, prolonged, and confusing. I'm told the level of accuracy is extremely high, but I have no personal knowledge of these things.
I've honestly never witnessed anything like what I did today. First, we met with a monk who led us to the rinpoche at Swoyambhu, a large monastery in the middle of Kathmandu, high on a hill. We had to walk to the left of many things on the way (good karma, apparently). We then removed our shoes and entered a small waiting room, where we showed Aubrey Sacco's photo to the monk and provided him with some basic information. He said the rinpoche would need just her name and birth year.
Soon, we were led into another tiny room, and there was the rinpoche, an old man dressed like any other monk. (Ingo later asked me if I noticed his unique ears—ears that only rinpoche have, he said—but I'd been too focused on his face.) In turn, we each crouched down so he could place a red ribbon around our necks, then took a seat on a pad on the floor.
Ingo asked each question in English, which Karna translated in Nepali to the monk. (Ingo speaks Nepali, but nowhere near as well as Karna.) The monk then translated to the rinpoche, who speaks a Tibetan language. The monk would remove three dice from a small container, shake them in his hand, sometimes blow on them, sometimes touch the hand with the dice, eyes closed, to his forehead. He would drop the dice back into the little dish and study them for a long moment and sometimes repeat the process before speaking. He would talk to the monk, and the translations would work in reverse. Sometimes, Karna didn't fully translate back into English because Ingo had understood the monk's Nepali words.
A rinpoche doesn't always speak in a very direct way, so I understand. For example, if someone is no longer alive, he may say something like, "He cannot see" or "I cannot see her," as if her spirit has left. (That was not said today.) Sometimes, a rinpoche may open his eyes and point and say "east" or "west" perhaps.
It'll be very interesting to see how this plays out and then to then compare reality to what the rinpoche said.
I wasn't able to photograph the rinpoche (I didn't even ask, but it would clearly have been inappropriate), but I did take a number of photos today at Swoyambhu and others at back in Kathmandu. Here are just a handful of many... most of which are of people:
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FYI: I just found out that The TODAY Show on NBC will be airing an interview with Connie Sacco about Aubrey tomorrow morning. I believe that means Thursday morning in the US, since it's already Thursday morning here in Nepal. It will air between 7 and 9 am
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