It's been one whirlwind visit to this country of majestic environs. But I'm up at 4am dealing with an endless onslaught of mosquitoes, so figured I better use my time to catch up on blogging.
My first 13 days were spent ill with strep throat and all sorts of traveler's ailments. Fortunately, I managed to find my way to a decent clinic that provided an IV for dehydration. After what I've heard and seen of a local hospital (due to researching medical waste management) in this country, treatment there is something I would try to avoid if possible.
Determined not to waste the rest of my trip, as soon as I semi-recovered, I headed out to the boiling hot and rainy Terai (plains in the lowest foothills of the Himalaya). Back in the day, the Terai was completely forested. As its population has grown over the years - especially after the malaria eradication campaign in the Terai in the 1950's - the robust forests have not fared all that well. Despite the success of community forests and some national parks, corruption and illegal removal of the prized sal tree (Shorea robusta) continue to denude the landscape.
Accompanying me on this journey was my incredibly loyal research team: Charlotte, a friend from college who is an English teacher in Kathmandu and Kalpana, her former Nepali student who studied environmental and social science and was raised on a farm in the flatlands of the Terai. We made our way out there on a micro, a van with a couple of rows of seats. It was an incredibly uncomfortable experience due to the stifling heat, bumpy roads, and packed back seat containing an additional two kids and two adults. Exhausted from the heat, I fell asleep despite being jerked in every direction by the vehicle as it traversed the deteriorated roads. Eventually, the woman from Punjab who was smushed next to me with a child on her lap took my head in her hands and placed it on her shoulder so that I could rest without my head bopping around. Even though we could barely communicate, her kind gesture made the last leg of the ride all the more bearable.
Eventually, we arrived in the village of Manigram, near the Indian border, soaked in sweat but glad to have survived the 8-hour journey. Little did any of us know what adventures would arise over the next 11 days. But here are some highlights:
* Visit to the supposed largest tree in Asia which is located in the Nawalparasi district.
* Meeting a forest enforcer who was trained in the military and seeing the bare jail where timber smugglers are held for up to 24 days.
My first 13 days were spent ill with strep throat and all sorts of traveler's ailments. Fortunately, I managed to find my way to a decent clinic that provided an IV for dehydration. After what I've heard and seen of a local hospital (due to researching medical waste management) in this country, treatment there is something I would try to avoid if possible.
Determined not to waste the rest of my trip, as soon as I semi-recovered, I headed out to the boiling hot and rainy Terai (plains in the lowest foothills of the Himalaya). Back in the day, the Terai was completely forested. As its population has grown over the years - especially after the malaria eradication campaign in the Terai in the 1950's - the robust forests have not fared all that well. Despite the success of community forests and some national parks, corruption and illegal removal of the prized sal tree (Shorea robusta) continue to denude the landscape.
Accompanying me on this journey was my incredibly loyal research team: Charlotte, a friend from college who is an English teacher in Kathmandu and Kalpana, her former Nepali student who studied environmental and social science and was raised on a farm in the flatlands of the Terai. We made our way out there on a micro, a van with a couple of rows of seats. It was an incredibly uncomfortable experience due to the stifling heat, bumpy roads, and packed back seat containing an additional two kids and two adults. Exhausted from the heat, I fell asleep despite being jerked in every direction by the vehicle as it traversed the deteriorated roads. Eventually, the woman from Punjab who was smushed next to me with a child on her lap took my head in her hands and placed it on her shoulder so that I could rest without my head bopping around. Even though we could barely communicate, her kind gesture made the last leg of the ride all the more bearable.
Eventually, we arrived in the village of Manigram, near the Indian border, soaked in sweat but glad to have survived the 8-hour journey. Little did any of us know what adventures would arise over the next 11 days. But here are some highlights:
* The ins and outs of cooking and feeding people in a traditional Magar home.
* Trip to Lumbini – Buddha’s birthplace.
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| Crawling through tree where Buddha's mother felt labor pains |
* Visit to the supposed largest tree in Asia which is located in the Nawalparasi district.
* 7 hour trek through the forested hills while fighting through torrential downpours to view illegal deforestation and discovering an illegal settlement on the top of the hill.
* Meeting a forest enforcer who was trained in the military and seeing the bare jail where timber smugglers are held for up to 24 days.
* Visiting community forests and trying to get honest answers from officials and forest users.
* Learning how to plant rice paddies during monsoon season.
* Fashion shoot in traditional Magar clothing.
*Exploring traditional Tharu villages and interviewing villagers about waste management and forest usage in their communities.
*Exploring traditional Tharu villages and interviewing villagers about waste management and forest usage in their communities.
* Consultation with a traditional medicinal healer and visits to medicinal gardens and nurseries.
* Canoeing through a community forest in a rainstorm to reach an elephant breeding center.
* Trekking through the riverine forest in Chitwan National Park and discovering new flora, fauna, and even a tiger print.
* Meeting with the Nepali pioneer of medical waste management and learning about his pilot project in the oldest Nepali hospital and crusade to stop waste pickers from contracting infections while handling the waste.
Today I head to a village in the hills that doesn’t have road access so will have to climb with all my accoutrements for the week. Time to begin using muscles that have lain dormant most of my life.
Disclaimer: The places to which I’ve been traveling have not had internet (and often limited electricity). More photos, details and impressions of my experiences will be provided once I return.
Dear Beckett, May your awesome example inspire countless others to be kinder to the planet we all share. I am honored to know someone like you. Just make sure to take care of yourself so you can take care of others. Best wishes for the success of your mission and your safe return.
ReplyDeleteFondly, Menachem