It’s wonderful to be in Spiti and be able to focus properly on getting the Yak Pack Theatre Project on the road.
We have had a busy few days getting Things Sorted Out.
Top of the list has been finding, meeting, and rehearsing with Kaku, our Spitian actor. He knew we were coming but his phone seemed to be broken and even with half of Kaza looking for him, it wasn’t until Tuesday till we managed to get his address and Ben set off for his house. There aren’t really addresses here as such – ‘the house near the bus stand with some blue on it’ is as good as it gets. Ben arrived just as Kaku was about to give up waiting and go back to Kibber village. Another 5 minutes and he’d have properly vanished! Kaku was introduced to everyone and we had a short rehearsal with him that afternoon.
He’s a soft spoken chap with a nice clear voice, quite young. He’s at university in Chandigagh and is home for the holidays, staying partly at his mums house in Kaza (where Ben eventually found him), and partly up in Kibber village where he spends his time trekking with friends. He used to do lots of performing at school and misses it – this is his perfect holiday job.
Rehearsals have gone well this week. Kaku has risen to the challenge and is fitting in well with the group. It must be quite strange for him!! Our final run through today was a full dress rehearsal for the staff at the Old Monk Hotel who have been peeping round the doors at us all week. They seemed to enjoy the show and Kaku’s translation made all the difference to them.
Next on the list was the bureaucratic challenge of getting Inner Line Permits so that we can travel to the other end of the Spiti Valley this weekend. Spiti borders Tibet, at one point its only 6 miles from the main road, so it’s a politically sensitive area. The permit allows you to travel through the part of the valley where the road is close to the border. The area considered ‘close’ has been increased recently, so we now need a permit to get to Tabo, where we have a school performance on Monday.
Meeting up with all our various contacts here has been an important part of this week.
Rana and Shalu at The Old Monk have been so welcoming, we couldn’t feel more at home. We have been able to rehearse in the dining room, dry our clothes on the roof, and use the hotel kitchen. The local kids play just outside the hotel where there is a wider bit in the road, so in no time Izzy and Fred have made friends with them all and are out there every day playing football, making things out of loom bands, and looking after the local stray dogs.
Rana has been really helpful in establishing contacts with the villages – this had been impossible from the UK as there is no internet connectivity (wifi or otherwise) and no phone reception there. Rana works with all the government schools so he has been finding names and contact details for a teacher in each village school, letting everyone know dates, and checking the contents of the resources packs for the schools. It was Rana’s suggestion that we tour a performance that works in the high villages where people don’t speak English, reaching children in remote schools who never have this kind of experience – this idea has been integral to the concept of the Yak Pack.
It’s lovely to work with Lotey at Spiti Holiday Adventure. He has always felt close to the project as his life experience of going to Delhi to seek his fortune and returning to Spiti has been the story behind the play ‘Jambhala’. He is a force of organisation and we caught up with him as he directed his staff spreading out tents, poles and camping chairs in piles outside his office. Lotey is our logistics man, and we checked everything was ready in terms of homestays, yaks, tour buses and food without too much chilli!
We’ve also popped into the Sol Café run by Spiti Ecosphere, to catch up with Ishita about the performances she is helping to set up, eat their homemade sweets and stroke their dogs. Fred and Izzy will always volunteer to come with me when I need to see Ishita ! We have confirmed details for our visit to the Old Peoples Home, partly funded by Ecosphere, and will meet up again soon to make arrangements for the special needs show.
And finally, getting used to the altitude. Slowly we are adjusting, finding ourselves more able to walk through the breathlessness that comes with the slightest exertion. The altitude affects so many things – between us we’ve had chapped lips, nosebleeds, headaches, dizziness, popping ears, and general fatigue. We have to be very careful to rest after rehearsals, and we’re getting better each day.
It’s been a busy few days but great fun. We have been so warmly welcomed to Spiti and we already feel a part of things here in Kaza.
