Mark Ismendia, a young Spaniard, was on his way to Argemt Annapurna Base Camp (ABC).
He came to Nepal to forget about his fiancée, but the streams, waterfalls, forests, and ups and downs of the pathway did not entice him. He came with a friend and was saddened by his girlfriend’s remembrance.
The nineteenth of September, 2014. Mark and his friends reached a height of 2,920 meters above sea level on their journey to Annapurna base camp. They met another hiking group from Spain there. They introduced themselves. Let’s have tea together.
But Mark remained silent, unwilling to talk frankly to everyone.
Miriam Rosas Umbert was on the opposing team. He was plagued with rage. The medication was ineffective. Miriam was the one who called Mark. He gave me the medicine he had on hand.
‘I was sick with a cold. ‘The medicine brought by my buddy, who was in charge of carrying the first aid box on the walk, did not work,’ Miriam explained over WhatsApp to Setopati. ‘She gave me some medicine. Mark appeared to be a really kind person.
‘To be honest, I wasn’t particularly excited about marriage,’ she admitted. If it was going to be done, I wanted it to be in Nepal, near where the two persons originally met.’
She talked to Mark. Both sides’ families agreed as well.
The marriage would take place in Nepal, according to Nepali tradition, near the Annapurna base camp.
When Mark arrived in 2014, Pokhara’s Ethical Trekking Company led the trek. The company also took responsibility for organizing Mark and Miriam’s wedding at the base camp. The owner, Krishna Acharya, introduced them to Nepali traditions and rituals.
The wedding ceremony followed traditional Nepali customs. On April 21, 2019, the couple chartered two helicopters to fly the groom, bride, and guests from Spain to the base camp.
However, adverse weather conditions disrupted the plan. The helicopters took off but could not return, and the weather failed to improve. Since the wedding was scheduled for the same day as the engagement, the organizers decided to relocate the venue.
The team set up a mandap on the roadside in Shivai village, just below Ghandruk.
“All the preparations were completed at Annapurna Base Camp, but because of bad weather, we had to choose another location,” said Krishna Acharya, owner of Ethical Trekking. “We completed all the rituals and married Mark and Miriam according to Nepali tradition.”
Relatives of Mark and Miriam traveled from Spain to attend the wedding. Pandit Ganesh Pokharel from Salyan village officiated the ceremony. Dressed in traditional Nepali attire, Mark placed vermilion on Miriam’s forehead. Local villagers and Mark’s Nepali friends also joined the celebration, and the hosts organized a traditional Nepali village feast.
“A priest helped us perform the wedding according to Nepali tradition,” Miriam said. “The ceremony was very special. We ended our trek in a small village, where the local residents also joined us.”’
Mark and Miriam have moved to Denmark. Miriam works as a researcher for a company. Some of his articles have appeared in medical journals. Mark holds a master’s degree in psychology and works as a psychologist.
Mark and Miriam have moved to Denmark. Miriam works as a researcher for a company. Some of his articles have appeared in medical journals. Mark has a master’s degree in psychology and works for a non-profit organization.
Miriam has not returned to Nepal since her marriage. Mark traveled for a month in Nepal with his father Jordi last October.
Mark and his father spent 22 days trekking to Everest Base Camp (EBC). In Pokhara, I was exhausted. He traveled to his hometown of Salyan to meet with the wedding pandit. Miriam had planned to visit Nepal as well, but she was denied leave.
When my father and I visited Nepal, we missed Miriam terribly. ‘Let’s plan a trip and come back next time,’ Mark suggested in the discussion with Setopati. ‘We’ve visited numerous countries around the world. But we haven’t discovered someplace as good as Nepal or Nepalese. Nepal has captured our hearts.’
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