Tuesday, March 22, 2011

On the Road to Gulmi

Butwal

Cucumber Girl

View from the bus

Another view from the bus
Kathmandu street on the start



Our bus at a lunch stop


Butwal Street
It is disconcerting to wake up in total darkness in a city and switch on the lights and have nothing happen.  The power gets turned off part of the day and most of the night and some hotels and homes have inverters or batteries that give you small amounts of power to operate the lights. The city of Butwal awoke in darkness and people were walking to work with flashlights. The horns of trucks and cars sounded the alarm that morning had come and you had better watch out.  The car or truck horn is used all the time to let other vehicles, people, rickshaws, and bicycles know you are there.  There seems to be no laws other than which side of the street you mainly drive on, (the opposite to us) and that rule is often broken.  Motorcycles are often cutting in front of everyone and it is a wonder there are not more accidents.  I would hate to have to drive here; it is not for the faint of heart, or even a New Yorker.
As I reflect on how I got to Butwal it was a long bus ride from Kathmandu with my good friend Hem Pun.  We discussed his role in the fighting that happened here between the Maoist fighters and the Nepal Army.  At one point he showed me where his column of vehicles was ambushed.  He still limps from the wound to his leg and his stomach is not the same from the operation there to remove a bullet.  Yet he is determined to believe that peaceful resolution between the previous enemies is possible and he searches for a wounded Maoist soldier to work to end the hatred and bickering for power.  The Center for Peace in Norway made a documentary about him called “Silencing the Guns” that was shown at a Norwegian film festival this year and he was flown there to attend and participate in panel discussions.  It is an honor to be working with him to help his beloved Bharse. 
The scenery on this ride varies from small wayside villages, and breathtaking views.  Travel is slow with a constant passing of slower vehicles on winding roads sometimes with long drops to the valley below.  One very interesting moment came when a young girl boarded the bus.  She was selling cucumbers and she and her brother walked the length of the bus hawking their wares.  They had to wait till the bus navigated to the bottom of the hill several miles before they got off.  I asked her if she was in school and she said sometimes in 9th grade.  Her brother was in 6th grade and they spent all day riding buses up and down the hill selling cucumbers or other treats for the passengers.  At the end of the day she probably makes $5 and that is quite welcome to the family.  You can see how easily the lure of making money is a challenge to children being able to attend school.  I am looking forward to our next stop the Bharse Valley, where the air will be cleaner without the pollution of smog that seems to hang in the air and especially bad in the cities.  Till then, Rob

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