Nepal - Road to Sirkot

A great part of the trip was a two-day camping trip to Sirkot. The road to Sirkot involved several hours on the highway and then another hour or so on the roughest of dirt roads. We ditched the van in favor of jeeps for this section of the trip.

Heading up the highway.


We stopped in the town of Waling to switch vehicles. It was nice to get a break from the road. We stopped into a tea shop for some Nepali tea--a comforting mixture of black tea and milk. Chris and I particularly liked a variety called Masala tea--basically Nepali tea with a mix of spices added (cloves, cardamon, etc.--like mild, unsweetened Chai tea).


I snapped this thinking, "Oh, there's a nice still life."


My favorite shops to look at were the fabric stores and tailors. Beautiful fabric. This one had some smiling faces, too. When I asked if I could take a photo, the man said something that looked like, "Of course!" and waved his arm in a welcoming gesture.


I turned around and ran into Chris. He mentioned that he'd seen me taking a picture of the chickens. I said, "Chickens? What chickens?" We retraced our steps so he could show me. There were 4-5 chicks and a hen under that still life basket! Later on the trip, I saw a baby goat under a basket.


After leaving Waling, we left the main highway, crossed a wide river bed and headed up the hill.


A view from the back seat of the jeep, with Doc and Maggie up front. All vehicles I road in--jeeps, buses, taxis--had decorations inside. Usually a Hindu Ganesha (like the one here) or a spinning solar-powered Buddhist prayer wheel or a Buddha would be on the dash in the taxi. This jeep had flowers and bells as well.