Sheer Memorial and a giant Shiva

On Friday, Shannon took us out to Sheer Memorial Medical Center. We took the local bus, that was an adventure. I think tourists don't normally take those buses. It was fun to see the countryside on the drive out. There were lots of fields and rice paddies. Always terraced and very pretty. Part way out we drove by the hill where they are building on what is Nepal's largest statue of Shiva. It was far enough away I don't know exactly how tall. But to work on it there were 18 levels of scaffolding surrounding it! It was funny to see marijuana plants growing randomly along the road. It just grows wild here... there's not tons around, but here and there randomly.

Out at the hospital we met with the president of the hospital as well as a Nepali administrator and two western doctors. One from Minnesota and one from Puerto Rico. Jon got interviews with each to possibly use in the documentary. We ate lunch at the hospital and headed back.

Found a pair of down pants to purchase this afternoon, got a few other little things and then we all met up for dinner. We went to a really nice little Indian place. I spent a fortune on that meal! I think it was almost $12 us! Considering lunch was about $0.75! The food was great though, and lots. The average for a meal and drink here is about $3 or so.

Well tomorrow Marschelle heads home, and Jagat is taking Jon, Les and I out to his home village in the Kumari region, where the hospital is going to be built. I'm stoked to see the rural village, as that is the true Nepal. Jagat has also arranged for us to meet some of the Shaman and to see a ceremony by them. We'll get to meet Jagat's mother too. She's 82 yrs old! Pretty amazing when the country's life expectancy is 59! Anyway, it should be quite an experience, the trip out is about half a day in a four-wheel drive rig as they just put in a dust road... it used to be only on foot!

Later!