Tatopani, April 15

Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Hisila Yami reached Bhotekoshi for bungee jumping yesterday, probably driven by a past hangover. “This really reminded me of the decade-long war,” the minister said, immediately after she took a plunge.

A leader of the ruling Unified CPN-Maoist, Yami, told The Himalayan Times: “Since early age, I was adventurous. That is what helped me take part in the Maoist war.”

Yami, who jumped off many a cliff during the decade long war, did so for a different purpose — to promote tourism in the country. She said she wanted to encourage to promote adventure tourism in Nepal.

Yami said she felt like a swooping bird while falling 160 metres. The tourism minister has already tried her hand at paragliding and hang gliding. She said she would participate in more adventurous sports in the days to come to encourage women. Mountaineers Pujana Acharya, Aasha Singh, Maya Gurung, Dwang Phuti Sherpa, mountain bike rider Nirjala Tamrakar and rafting and kayaking enthusiast Radha Tamang assisted Yami while bungee jumping. They said they were there to show that women too were into adventurous sports.

Bungee jumping enthusiast Bishnu Prasad Neupane said more than 2,000 jumpers visit Bhotekoshi every year, of which 30 per cent are Nepalis, 50 per cent women. More than 17,000 bungee jumpers, including adventure sports enthusiasts from Israel, other European countries, USA and Malaysia, have already taken a plunge in Bhotekoshi since 1998.