Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Monsoon


It’s been awhile. I suppose sometimes the more mundane things in life overshadow the “blog-worthy” stories, and so here we are in the middle of July already! Amazing how time flies.

It’s monsoon season right now, which means that everything is wet and everything (including our clothes and towels) stinks like dampness and mould. Our feet are often wet and muddy from walking outside. You can't leave home without your umbrella, as it could start raining at any time. Fortunately the sun does come out now and then, so we do get a bit of a respite at times. This is the only time of the year that our water storage tanks are overflowing. They sit dry for much of the year, which leaves us with a water shortage a lot of the time. But right now the tanks are bursting at the seams, and for now we enjoy abundant water. As you drive along the road, all the rice fields are flooded...perfect conditions for growing this Nepali staple.

The sun does come out occasionally. Last week it brought this rainbow with it.
In the hospital, monsoon brings a bit of a slow-down of patients, as travel is a bit of an issue (more on that in a minute). However, it also increases the number of admissions for things like meningitis, snakebites, typhoid, and other GI illnesses that all seem to come at this time of year. This doesn’t tend to affect the surgical side of things too much, though we do remain quite busy in surgery, as well.

Travel is always an adventure during monsoon. Flights are unpredictable, as the weather often causes delays or cancellations, sometimes at the last minute. Recently, someone we know was almost in Bhairahawa (the airport near Tansen) before the plane turned around and went back to Kathmandu because of poor landing conditions! Fortunately, the 2 visitors we have had during monsoon made it here with no problems.

Then there are the roads. The rain often makes them very muddy, makes potholes worse, and the roads can be very slippery. Add to that the risk of a landslide, and road travel also provides no guarantee you’ll be able to get where you want to go. Landslides happen more frequently as monsoon progresses. You just hope you aren’t directly under them when they do happen! And if one happens, the traffic can’t get through, resulting in more delays. We came across this landslide the other day while out for a walk. 



We are thankful to have the opportunity to take a break from monsoon, as we are on our way home for a couple weeks for a family wedding. We made it out of Tansen without any problems, either on the road to the airport, or on the flight itself, and we are enjoying a day of rest in Kathmandu before heading on the long journey home tomorrow. We are ready for a change of scenery. As much as we love Tansen and know that it's where we're to be right now, we are tired, and looking forward to being home where (barring unforeseen disasters), you have consistent electricity and an ample supply of water, you can drink the tap water and eat what you like without worrying about getting sick, speak English, drive a car, go out for coffee, see friends and family, etc. The time will go quickly, but we are thankful for it. Please be praying for our safety, as we have a lot of travelling to do in the next few weeks. We will be back in Tansen in early August.

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