Surkhet and Nepalgunj

As we launch down the mountain, praying to make it alive, our driver pulls down an even less developed road. Eventually the cars (which in mind, have passed up and down insane terrain) cannot go any further and we get out and start on foot.

A corn maze, or as they say in South Africa, mielie maze surrounded us. Then boom! Mountains! And some rice fields... so we crossed our fingers we wouldn't be getting JE (what cool kids call Japanese Encephalitis)

We arrived, covered in sweat, to a sub-health post. Julia and Jenny talked to a flock of female community health volunteers while Barrett and Jan wooed an ANM.

Our team at the sub-health post

We hiked back up the mountain (might have taken a detour and had to turn around.... couldn't say) and collapsed in our beloved cars. We rocked our way down to Surkhet and tried to order the most American things on the menu. Some of them were rejected (no, no burgers, so sorry) and some of them were attempted.... with mixed results

Cheese sandwich. Where to start?

The next morning we went to the mid-western regional hospital and met with a slew of wonderful clinicians. We came back to the hotel for lunch, where Julia got to learn the art of sucking a refreshing cardamom pod. Jenny and Julia ate chicken and the boys were very jealous and regretted their lentil soup, since we cannot eat chicken in Kathmandu due to the avian flu. No big deal or anything.

From Surkhet we drove to Nepalgunj. Everyone filmed how scary the driving was, just in case they were documenting their last moments on this earth.

We left the hotel in the morning, piling into a truck, and headed to the airport.

I LOVE THE WIND IN MY HAIR!!!

Loving the bed of the truck

We made it through security and onto the plane to Kathmandu, creeping on the other Americans on the flight the entire time..... "So your name is Dan right? Saw you on the register. Did you know our visa numbers are like super similar?"