From Pokhara to Chittwan
This morning we have to leave very early, because on the way to Chittwan National Park there is a pass road, which is closed from 10 am to 4 pm because of construction work. If we don’t reach it in time, we will have to spend a whole day on the slope and that’s not on the travel list. At 6:30 o’clock we are picked up by our usual driver and board our vehicle, which seems even safer to me after yesterday’s vehicle escapades. Even the seat belts in the back seat increase my well-being by at least 100%.
When we reach the pass road after about two hours it becomes clear to me why it has to be renovated. The condition is desolate to say the least and actually one cannot speak of road at all. Dust desert would be more appropriate, because due to the lack of asphalt and the heavy traffic, you can no longer see your hand in front of your eyes. Who opens the window here also only rudimentarily, can place himself also directly without respiratory protection mask beside a grinding machine. An immediate death due to lack of breathing air is definitely pre-programmed.
Since the situation is so disastrous, even the Nepalese Government has probably noticed that something has to be done here. And if they recognize that, then the tree really burns!
10 minutes later we reach a single-lane bridge, which looks little to not at all trustworthy and a traffic jam of about 100 kilometres forms, since a bus and a truck are wedged together on the opposite side. This is because the fully loaded coach probably tried to overtake the truck about one meter before the – I repeat again – single-lane bridge. It also makes sense to cause a traffic chaos rather than waiting two minutes to overtake.
The truck, which almost hangs down the slope with a tire, now has to drive backwards up the scree to make room somehow. Even though the chaos is already complete for European eyes, it does not seem so bad for Nepalis. Because we are still overtaken by about 30 mopeds and motorcycles. Where would we be if there was no room for a moped just before the steep embankment!
Now that 40 mopeds are blocking the road, the traffic doesn’t flow at all. The Nepali has also realised in the meantime that we will not be able to leave here for the next 12 weeks without expert help. That one waits voluntarily until another has passed the bridge will probably not happen even if Buddha personally plays the traffic policeman. Therefore, harder guns are brought out. In fact, whether you believe it or not, in Nepal the military must first move up to resolve a traffic chaos. About 5 armed soldiers now take command of the bridge and block it from one side. Three minutes later there is enough space for the first cars to drive on and another three minutes later the truck can finally free itself from the slope. It can be that simple sometimes.
Fortunately, the next highlight is not long in coming, because we are approached by a huge bus which, even mathematically, can never pass the bridge and which has loaded a poor living goat decoratively on the bus roof, which is only fastened to the roof railing with a thin rope. Where else would be a safe place to transport a goat? If it actually reaches its destination alive with all this dust, then it borders on at least a 7th wonder of the world. Probably there was just no more space in the passenger compartment, because on closer inspection it also swells at the seams. How the inmates survive the journey without air conditioning won’t open up to me either.
But Nepal wouldn’t be Nepal if there wasn’t something even more curious waiting for us at least behind the next bend. Because of the overloading of the passenger compartment, a passenger must sit on the half-opened passenger door and hold onto the roof rack. On the other hand, however, it is also probable that the windscreen simply jumped into thousands of parts due to the poor road conditions and the passenger on the door now takes on the vital task of announcing the route. We don’t know for sure. The inventiveness in road traffic simply does not stop.
After 5 long hours we finally reach our destination, our lodge in Chittwan National Park, which really makes a great impression. I am curious to see what adventures await us here.
Continue: Canoeing on the Buddhi Rapiti River