#kushmesara

[bnjmnwood]

Don't trust the goat!

[bnjmnwood]

To Madi, Bumpily

Day 28

Today’s the day we are off for Madi. Madi is where Canada Foundation for Nepal has helped build a Community Child Care Centre (for info, please visit http://4c.cffn.ca), and finally I’ll see it for myself rather than rely on photos and stories. Funny enough, that's how you've been following my Asian trip.

The morning started with an early car ride to the town of Baglung. I’d describe all the wonderful things I would have seen along the way had I not been sleeping. Either way, the exciting part of the trip was the Jeep ride from Baglung to Kusmesara.

Oh, it was exciting!

  The Jeep is “full” when it is carrying 13 people, but I think there were only 8 or 9 people waiting, us included. In order to save time and have more space, we paid for the extra absent bodies. I’m guessing as a result, the Jeep ride was one of relative luxury. But the road, man... I’d describe it as a rollercoaster, but at least rollercoasters are smooth! Though you’re rocking everywhere in every direction, I did manage to snooze on and off throughout the adventure.

One kid in the back didn’t fare to well with the constant bump motion. He got jeep sick. Unfortunately, my backpack was in the back, in front of him. Fortunately, my sleeping bag cover got the brunt of it, and he was given a few bags for the rest for the trip (which were needed – I saw him eating at one of the rest stops).

All the rain the area’s been getting has kept the dirt roads wet, and thus muddy, and with all the big, heavy vehicles that pass by, the roads are very much out of shape. One truck got stuck, so three vehicles (ours included) had to stop until it could be pulled out of the mud.

  That is a puddle in the road...

Funny, everyone is out at the scene, but only a couple of people are actually working at freeing the poor truck. At least it gave me a chance to stretch my legs and snap a few photos!

Once we made it to Kusmesara, we stopped for tea before walking the rest of the way. The small village doesn’t get very many tourists, I imagine. Everyone’s eyes were on me. People would come out and try to look into the restaurant where we stopped. I was an attraction! One brave boy said “Hello” and I think asked where I was from and where I was going. He didn’t notice when I asked, “hajur?”

  The two-hour walk to Madi was amazing! The hills (some over a kilometer high, yet are still “hills”) are covered in rice terraces – which right now people are harvesting. That’s a ton of work to do. I’m thoroughly impressed and humbled by what these countryside farmers do day-in and day-out. Anyway, walking down to near water-level, and crossing back up the other hill... it was quite the workout – for me. The locals just hop along in flipflops like it’s a walk across the street.

Unfortunately, I’m here on the wrongest of days, it’s still cloudy, which makes the area look less than awe inspiring in my photos, but trust me. You should see it in person.