Lots of people have been visiting the VDC at present as well. Their motive, however, is not to spend holidays there. Most of them are there to get updates of the present situation of Barpak, also the epicenter of the catastrophic quake.Barpak used to be one of the model villages for homestay tourism in Nepal. These houses used for homestay tourism have turned into rubble in the earthquake. Currently, there are no houses providing homestay service for visitors. Locals who would greet visitors have become earthquake victims and are living in tents and makeshift shelters.
Although Barpak is located just 18 miles from the district headquarters of Gorkha, the village was connected by road only recently.
When the capital was facing severe load-shedding hours, the model hydro-power project in Barpak had managed to illuminate 1,400 households. But now the village is under the shroud of darkness following the earthquake. Water sources have also dried up.
The elderly people of Barpak now worry about how to restore the lost charm of Barpak and who would support the locals in the reconstruction process.
The elderly people now rue the fact that they will have to build shelter for themselves at such a late age. "It's very difficult for us to build homes, especially at this age," said Kaji Gale, 82, of Barpak-4. "Now, I neither have the energy for rebuilding the house nor any money," said another elderly, Mangal Bahadur Gale, 88, of Barpak-9.
With much effort, the elderly people have managed to set up tarpaulins for shelter. Their troubles are, however, far from over. Insects and mosquitoes hardly give them peace and good sleep.
Except while having lunch and dinner, those elderly people are seen gathering at a place and exchanging worries on how to rebuild old Barpak. Sundar Ghale, 79, said, "We cannot do much by ourselves. If someone offers us help in rebuilding process, they will be like God to us."
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