Welcome back to Fridays with Jim Korkis! Jim, the dean of Disney historians and author of Jim’s Gems in The easy Guide, writes about Walt Disney World history every Friday on yourfirstvisit.net.
THE ANANDAPUR REPORTER
By Jim Korkis
The queue for the attraction Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is set in the remote village of Serka Zong, in the Kingdom of Anandapur in the foothills of the Himalayas.
Guests move through the Himalayan Escapes Tours and Expeditions Booking Office to “obtain permits.”
The Himalayan Escapes Tours and Expeditions company organizes a number of different tours and expeditions with “Expedition Everest” being the name of just one of their specific tours.
Himalayan Escapes is operated by a native Anandapuri, Norbu, and his business partner, a British entrepreneur named Bob.
They operate out of a building that had previously been used as the headquarters of the Royal Anandapur Tea Company. They have refurbished a steam train that had been used by the tea company to bring harvested tea leaves down the mountains.
This train now takes customers to the base camp using a shortcut through the Forbidden Mountain that is supposedly the location of a mysterious environmental guardian referred to as the Yeti…
Norbu and Bob’s office is filled with dozens of small details, from a map of the Himalayas to a tour board depicting the status of the various expeditions.
In fact, there are so many details in the various buildings leading to the attraction vehicles that guests are unable to see all of them—they may miss a yellowed newspaper clipping from The Anandapur Reporter “Serving the Nation for 100 Years.”
While some headlines like “Trekkers Feared Lost” and “Herders Report Missing Yak” are missing their full stories, the lead feature story is complete:
“Forbidden Mountain Railway Re-opens
Locals Fear Wrath of Yeti
“SERKA ZONG—Despite dire warning from irate local residents, the old Anandapur Rail Services route through Forbidden Mountain was reopened today. Closed since 1934 under mysterious circumstances, the railroad, formerly operated by the Royal Anandapur Tea Co. was refurbished by Himalayan Escapes Tours and Expeditions.
“The intent, say the operators, is to provide safe, efficient transport to base camp at Mount Everest and environs. Hundreds of western trekkers and climbers are expected to make the journey to Serka Zong to book passage on the new service.
“In the heyday of the great tea plantations that flourished in the region, private rail lines were established to carry produce to distant markets. The Royal Anandapur Tea Company used the Forbidden Mountain route extensively in the 1920s and early 1930s. However, beginning in 1933, the railroad was plagued with accidents. Some drew a connection between the mishaps and increasing British expeditionary attempts to reach the summit of Mount Everest, invoking the spirit of the guardian of the sacred mountain.
“By 1934, continual equipment breakdowns and track breakages caused the tea company to shutter its facilities and pull up stakes. The legend of a sacred beast continued to loom large among locals, coming to a head in 1982 with the tragic disappearance of the Forbidden Mountain Expedition.
“However, warnings and naysayers aside, the daring entrepreneurs behind Himalayan Escapes were determined to put on a loud, colorful show to celebrate their achievement. Local government officials in attendance trumpeted the event as a landmark enterprise, marking a new era of prosperity and opportunity for Serka Zong. It is indeed our hope that this is the case.”
Near the end of the Yeti Museum, before guests board the train, two notices hang on the wall. One is written by the museum’s curator Professor Pumba Dorjay warning against the railroad expedition and another by Norbu and Bob stating that the curator’s notice “does not represent the opinions or views” of the company.
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