Today we were up early for our road trip to Barauli Homestay. This will be the first time there for everyone in our group except for us. Thanks to the 9:00am departure we arrived at our destination in mid-afternoon & were able to see a lot more of the final 90 minutes of the trip compared to our last time here when we arrived in the dark.

After leaving Pokhara & spending a couple of hours on the road we stopped for a stretch break at a small spot that had a pedestrian suspension bridge over the river for farmers on the other side to be able to access the highway.

Most of our group took advantage of the opportunity to cross the bridge but the trail to access it was very steep so Catherine & I decided to stay close to the bus.

Right alongside the highway there are a lot of very basic shelters (shacks) made of corrugated tin, wooden planks and wire fencing. They are tacked onto the side of cliffs with bamboo poles.

Inside are clay ovens heated by wood as well as propane burners. One wooden bed in the back with a small hammock for the children. There is usually a small table and plastic chairs and the ubiquitous chicken coop. There may be a small shop out front to sell snacks and tea for the truckers.

As we pass by them we are constantly reminded of how incredibly fortunate we are back home in Canada & how much we take for granted.

I hope that I will be even more appreciative of our good fortune when I return home.

Getting closer to Chitwan National Park the standard of living rises substantially. Homes are much larger & elaborate. I am fascinated by their construction.

The buildings start with a poured concrete floor & foundation with several “towers” of reinforcing rods placed at strategic locations. These are ultimately covered with concrete & form the supporting structures for the brick walls & for the next floor to be built above.

Many buildings are two stories with their water & electricity utilities on the roof. It is also not uncommon for more reinforcing rod towers to be installed on the roof in case another storey is added at some time in the future.

When we arrived at Barauli Homestay we were once again greeted by local ladies dressed in traditional clothing. Each of us was given a garland of flowers & a tika placed on our foreheads.

We took a few minutes to settle in to our cottages & then we went on a short jeep ride to view the sunset by the river. The group was also treated to chai tea & cookies while we were on the riverbank.

After returning to the village we were entertained by a group of local women performing traditional dances (same as the last time we were here). (With special guest appearances 🙀)

Following the performance we had a wonderful dinner in the dining hall & then off to bed.

Tomorrow we will spend another day at this location.

Cheers!