Day 5 - Starting the Water Project
When people think of Nepal they think “Mt. Everest” and they think “cold”. What many people don't realize is that Nepal is at the same latitude as Florida, just with much, much bigger mountains. The weather has been great - about 83˚F in the day and 70˚F at night. We expected it to be just a little cooler. Today we had breakfast at the hotel and left for Kabilash at 8AM. Before we left Kathmandu we stopped at a few stores to purchase supplies. We bought some hand tools, rebar, and a plastic bucket. The prices for everything were very reasonable except for the bucket which surprised us at $4.50 (450 Rupees). It cost more than a hammer! We had a nice drive back to Kabilash. After the late night rainstorm, the air was much clearer and we were able to see more mountains. We stopped in the lower village for a bite to eat before heading to the top of the mountain. The driver was able to make it all the way to the school today which was a big relief for our tired legs. After the big ceremony for us yesterday they gave everyone a day off from school, so the village was quiet. A crew of men and a few children met us at the school and we discussed our plans for the day. We first walked to the water destinations where they would like us to route the water pipe. One part of the village has never come close to having water within a reasonable walking distance. This is mostly due to the caste system. The group from this part of the village are of the lowest caste. Today, the caste system has been outlawed and the newer generation expressed embarrassment for the past. Our team walked to the water source, measured the flow, and designed how we will install a cement spring box and then install the water line. The flow is less than we had hoped, but they are at the end of the dry season so what we measured should be the lowest flow of the year. The pipe will be installed by the local crew and they will follow the same route as the older pipe that broke in the earthquake. On our walk back to the village we stopped by the home of a carpenter and negotiated for him to build a wooden form to make the cement spring box. He promised it would be delivered to the water source by 9AM tomorrow. We also spoke with the mayor and explained that a rebar form was needed for placement inside the wooden form. He understood and was agreeable to making sure it would be ready by morning. We spoke with the local crew and they started carrying cement to the water source before we even left the village at the end of the day. After we covered all the issues we could think of, concerning the water system, we left by 5PM to drive back to Kathmandu for the night, arriving at the hotel by 7:45PM. We had just enough time for a hot shower and then headed for the dining room before the kitchen closed. Our legs are starting the ache and climbing the one flight of stairs to our rooms is getting to be a little difficult (although, Cordella feels fine!). We had a nice dinner and now we are getting ready to go to sleep so we can wake extra early and head back to Kabilash by 6AM tomorrow.
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