Harald Baldr

The Himalayan Favela

HIMALAYA, NEPAL: Right on the border between lower and upper Mustang, in what is known as the dessert of Nepal, sits a remarkable little village. It looks more like a favela than a village or town. Where one house ends and the other begins is impossible to discern. The rooftops and alleyways blend into one another so you never really know when you're walking on someone's rooftop or an actual alley. It's essentially a village with the aesthetics of the favelas of Rio de Janeiro high up in the Himalayas. Naturally this was something I had to investigate.... but how do you get to this Himalayan Favela when all you see is a sign but no path? That was no easy task... especially seeing as I started of (as usual) with a horrible wrong turn which turned out to be a near fatal mistako.....