Yesterday we spent a full day travelling to the western part
of Nepal with a team of Nepali doctors, pharmacists, dentists and optometrists
ready for a 2 week long health camp.
What a day! We had a chartered bus for the team – jam packed full of
gear and people – that in typical Nepali style had absolutely no leg room.
Quite simply neither of us could fit in the seat – except at an angle. The trip
of around 300 km took 15 or so hours, departing at 8am from Banepa it was 11pm
before we got to Tansen. Perhaps a 3
hour trip were we back in NZ…
Along the way we passed lots of queues for petrol – there have
been a lot of shortages lately and it is not uncommon to see 20+ vehicles
parked beside the petrol station waiting for it to start distributing again.
Somehow everyone knows where to wait, and where not to as some petrol stations
have simply shut up indefinitely as business is too difficult with the
irregular supply. In Tansen the petrol
station (consisting of 30 odd drums) received a delivery as we arrived, and
this morning there were 100+ motorbikes stretching around the corner and out of
sight waiting to be filled up.
Fortunately, we managed to fill up without too much delay.
We broke down once, fortunately before it got dark, and
outside a small town. A mechanic was summoned from down the road, and while we patiently
looked on he fixed the bus.
So while we progressed slowly we stopped occasionally to
pick up supplies, and for food and toilet stops. In the sticky 30 degree heat we stopped for a
lunch of Dal bhat (all you can eat rice and lentils), and arriving in Tansen
late at night we were once again given dal bhat. Really all we felt like at
that stage was cold beer!
All in a days travel in Nepal … 
Hope your back OK with 15hrs sitting at an angle! From Fern.
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