After reaching Rukum on impossible roads, meeting with the Local Development Officer, visiting the Salle Bajjar/Musikot District Hospital where we experienced the harsh reality for the patients of Rukum, buying medication and receiving donations at the Chitwan Medical College Teaching Hospital we were finally ready to start are trek towards Sisne. On our trip this far we had seen amazing sceneries, however the best was still to come, as you can see in the gallery below.
One of our initial goals with AHCN was to reach an area that was as rural as possible, where we would document the health care situation. Rukum is not a frequently visited are by tourists and in effect it was virtually impossible to find out how long it would take to reach a given village prior to our departure. Due to a limited budget we only had one day to walk and we wanted to reach all the way to Sisne. While we did not manage to reach Sisne village it self (at the foot of Sisne peak), we did reach the village of Bhattechaur, which is located in the Sisne Village Development Committee region.
We suspected on the way, that we would have a long walk ahead of us. The locals had told that Bhattechaur took a full day to reach. We quickly found out however, that a distance which would take a local a day too reach may very well take two days for a city folks. Finally we ended up walking 14 hours to reach our goal before we, with soar feet and aching legs, reached Bhattechaur and had the best portion of traditional Nepali food in our lives.
Map of Rukum Nepal where we were trekking for 14 hours
Climbing down to Bheri River, dangerous, steep roads
Bridge crossing Bheri river in the beginning of our journey
Meeting woman with eye-sight issues, We told her about the health camp, for which she would show up later.
At the Foot of Bheri River
Woman with eye issues who would show up for a health check up two days later
Bheri River, Nepal
High risk of Rock-slide area
Rukum Donkeys
Tea stop
First patient #1
Local girl drinking tea
First patiens #2
Dr. Saujan and Dr. Justin
Mr. Chandra Malla
Bheri river
Dr Saujan and Dr. Justin at Treck
Bheri River Waterfalls
Bheri River Waterfalls #2
Justin on the way to Bhattechaur
Bheri River Waterfalls #1
Bheri River Waterfalls #4
The Himalayan chickens are huge. Really. Huge!
Me, Chandra MAlla, Saujan and Justin trekking.
Me, Justin, Saujan, Mr. Chandra Malla Trekking on the Dangerous roads of Rukum
Sherri river waterfalls
Crossing Bheri River
Himilayas and blue skies, Rukum Nepal
Goatskin Village of Rukum
Rukum Village
Walking through Rukum villages
Rukum villages #1
Rukum villages #2
Kids of Rukum playing games
Swing in the mountain sides
Trekking to Bhattechaur
The beautiful people of Rukum, Nepal #1
Himalayan agriculture #1
Himalayan agriculture #2
Himalayan agriculture #3
Girl with her chicken on the way to Bhattechaur
Rukum Mountain man #1
Saujan as mountain man #2
Trekking on dangerous roads
These tracks were pretty dangerous to walk on — not to say very.
Himalayan Goats
Himalayan rice and mustard terraces
Beautiful rice terraces#1
Beautiful rice terraces#2
Beautiful rice terraces #3
Himalayan goat
Rukum villages
Rukum waterfalls
Rukum goats #2
Local porter/farmer
Rukum goats #3
Beautiful village
Rukum villages #3
Rukum villages #4
Rukum villages #5
Rukum villages #6
Rukum villages #7
