On the evening of the 3rd, Hao Liang was still in the cargo area of Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, helping to count the first batch of Chinese non-governmental love aid materials that had just arrived in Nepal. By the time the last batch of materials was checked, it was already the early morning of the 4th.
A few hours later, at dawn, he was on the road again.
This time, Hao Liang, an overseas Chinese who has lived in Nepal for more than ten years, was entrusted by the Chinese Embassy in Nepal to drive to Bidel Town, Nuwakot County, to pick up Zhang Ning (pseudonym), a Chinese tourist who had just escaped from the Langtang Mountains, back to Kathmandu. Hao Liang prepared peach cakes, moon cakes and other Chinese snacks in advance.
Zhang Ning, who had been trapped in the mountainous area for many days, jumped up with excitement when he saw these familiar pastries.
A few days ago, she didn't know when she would be able to get out of that valley.
Zhang Ning has been living in Nepal for several months. In late August, she and her Nepalese friends entered Langtang National Park for hiking and rock climbing. On the morning of the 26th, she saw the flood news. It was the rainy season in Nepal, and she initially thought it was just an ordinary flash flood. That afternoon, the cell phone signal was cut off.
It was not until the afternoon of the 27th that the signal was restored. As soon as I connected to the Internet, messages from family and friends popped up on the screen one after another. After reading the news, she realized that not far to the north of the Langtang Valley where she was, an ice and rock avalanche occurred on the northern slope of Langtangliang Peak, which further triggered a serious mudslide disaster. Many villagers also learned at this time that their relatives had lost contact, and the local festival that was scheduled to be held was cancelled.
After the mudslide, the road entering the Langtang Valley from the west was destroyed, making it impossible to return to the original route. In the next few days, Zhang Ning stayed in a village in the Langtang Valley with a Nepalese friend. The weather continued to be bad, and the two men's physical and mental states gradually deteriorated.
On September 1, they decided to leave anyway.
The path out of the mountain winds like a sheep intestine between the mountain walls. Some sections of the road are close to rapids and steep walls, and there are landslides and rockfalls along the way. When she encountered a dead end, her Nepali friends walked ahead to explore the path, pushing aside branches and urging her to pass through the dangerous area quickly.
"I didn't think about anything except following him, I just believed him completely," Zhang Ning said.
Later, she lost strength, and her friend simply carried her backpack on her body. On September 3, the two finally arrived in Donche. It is also one of the main bases where the Nepalese military currently conducts search and rescue operations.
Zhang Ning initially did not want to trouble the Chinese Embassy in Nepal. She feels that her health is still good, and there are more people in the disaster area who are in urgent need of rescue. "I can handle it myself, so I don't want to take up rescue resources."
However, the road leading to the outside world in Dunchiet is rugged, coupled with continuous rain and muddy roads. The two waited for several hours but could not find a vehicle to leave. In desperation, Zhang Ning called the embassy's helpline. Embassy staff quickly confirmed her location and physical condition and said they would coordinate with the Nepalese military to arrange transfer.
After learning that Zhang Ning was expected to leave by helicopter, the Nepali friend who accompanied her all the way out of the valley was a little uneasy: "Don't leave me here alone."
"I won't abandon you." Zhang Ning replied.
In the early morning of the 4th, under the coordination of the embassy, the two boarded a Nepalese military helicopter together. Viewed from the air, the dilapidated villages, large tracts of sand and ruins appeared before Zhang Ning's eyes for the first time.
"Seeing it on the news and actually seeing it from above are completely different," she said.
The helicopter arrived at Biddle. When he saw Hao Liang arriving after a long journey, Zhang Ning's heart was finally relieved. She originally thought it would take five or six hours to return to Kathmandu, and she was even prepared to continue changing trains.
"It takes more than two hours to get there." Hao Liang said.
Upon hearing the news, Zhang Ning suddenly became happy. In the past week, roads, vehicles, and helicopters have been full of uncertainty. Until this moment, returning to "Add" finally became a matter of calculating the time.
Hao Liang helped Zhang Ning put her luggage into the car, and then used Nepali to greet her Nepali friends who had been traveling with her over the mountains to get into the car.
Two hours later, they arrived at "plus".
That night, Hao Liang took his wife and daughter to treat Zhang Ning to a meal. It was the first time Zhang Ning had Chinese food in two or three weeks. The dishes on the table came one after another, and her chopsticks almost never stopped.
After dinner, Zhang Ning went to bed early. That night, she slept deeply.
(Pseudonyms are used in this article to respect the wishes of the parties involved)
