Nepalgunj was a real respite from India. The streets are wide with no stalls blocking the footpath. We could walk down the markets and no one would hassle us to buy or 'just look, no obligation to buy'. There was a big UN office before actually entering the town. But as a previous Lonely planet wondered "why would you want to visit nepalgunj(henceforward nplgj)?" 9this computer has a dodgy shift key) if it wasn't for finding out about some stuff and our tour guide's recommendation of people to meet we may not have entered nepal here as there are no forts or hand carved marble temples 9phil is relieved) here.
The interesting things about nplgj are: electricity just vanishes quite regularly, very few people speak English and there are things called bundas. you'll hear more about these later.
We visited an orphanage then, on the following day, the school attached to the orphanage. Oh ... it is so different to Living Waters! Classrooms the size of a bedroom, nothing on the walls, just one small blackboard, very few books to read, especially for the younger children, and the teachers teach Indian style - by rote and one teacher for maths (from 5 to 15) one for Social Studies, one for English and one for nepali. But the kids are lovely, the boys are mad about cricket, there is a huge mango tree in the yard with thousands of green mangoes just waiting to ripen and the teachers have big hearts for their kids. Jenny just wanted to jump right in there and tell them how to teach. She did offer some hints but remained diplomatic and left with a head full of thoughts. Watch out Living Waters!
We experienced rain in Nplgj, dust storm first then beautiful soaking rain.
On Saturay morning we decided to find a church as we could not leave Nplgj due to a bunda so began the hunt for a church. none in the Yellow pages. No phone numbers for the people we had visited the previous day and our hotel staff were all hindus. We stepped out in faith and hired a rickshaw to take us to the INF TB hospital in the rain. We arrived there after avoiding any puddles and ducks 9they had all appeared from nowhere)and yes, there was a church nearby, just up the stream ( I mean path) and through the mud to a house where the loungeroom is converted each Sunday and during the week into the church. We walked in to the beginning of the sermon in Nepali but there was a great feeling about the service and the prayer time was wonderful. The women sit on one side, the men on the other all crosslegged on the floor.
After the service we met the pastor and an INF worker from England who were able to interpret for us. We went home to lunch with the English family who introduced us to some other INf families and our tour guide's rocking chair.
So in a way the bunda was a blessing. "What is a bunda?" I hear you ask. It can happen anyday, without warning, and is quite a nuisance for aspiring travellers or truckies. The people decide they have something they need to tell the government and do so by setting up a blockades at strategic points along main roads. Our plans had been to go to Bardia National park but a bunda starting on Friday delayed us till Sunday. This may have worked in our favour for another reason as it meant we had a lift from Nplgj all the way to Bardia by jeep due to some stranded Irish tourists at Bardia who needed to get to Kathmandu to catch their plane back to Ireland on the Monday.
So, on to Bardia National Park...
