I took the cable car to the top of Chandragiri yesterday. Note the grey air.
I had hoped for a brilliant range of snow-covered peaks, but the background was mostly black stones.
But the air to the south of the mountain was so much cleaner!
And the sky was so blue! The air was sweeter. Instead of enjoying the sun and the air and the cool wind, I felt envy.
An ambulance came to the gates of the Cable Car company, where the resort is, and asked to be let through. That would make sense only if people are using the cable car as a short-cut during the day to get to the hospital. But is there another ambulance waiting for them at the base station?
A rope-way lift, still hanging in the sky. From here on, the photos are from my very basic phone. It would be good if someone carried out a test of the infrastructure that remains in place, check if it can be refurbished to carry goods from Hetauda. Imagine if goods could come to Kathmandu in an hour or so all the way from Hetauda, instead of being hauled in trucks.
In Chakhel, the locals must be tired of fielding questions by passersby.
I got stuck twice on the road, waiting for the excavator to stop digging so I could pass. This guy took a good 15 minutes of my time. When he stopped to let people walk past, he reported to his supervisor that he was convinced that they were employing the wrong tool here. He said the single-bit breaker that jabs at a cliff followed by a large bucket to push rubble out would have been better. It was 1:45 pm in the afternoon. He must have been working since 8 or so in the morning, no?
I made it to Phakhel when I saw that the soles of my shoes were giving out. I bought this pair in Tibet, realized later that I didn't need it at all, but was required to have snow-proof sturdy shoes to climb up to Drolma La on the Kailash. After this, I decided to catch the next jeep to Kathmandu.
A few minutes after getting into a jeep at 3 pm, I saw that Balkhu was still 25 kilometers away!
Sundari Devi Khaja Ghar in Chakhel. Best on-the-road snack I've had so far in the villages. Sel roti was crisp and steaming hot. Egg, chana, aalu.
