Across the Border

It’s just a line on a map, but change was quickly apparent as we crossed into Nepal. Nepal feels less formal than India.  It was not a problem that we did not have passport photos for our Nepal visa application and the hotels wave us in without the lengthy document production routine we found in India.  The border magically reduced temperatures—we’re cold, especially the guy in the backseat where the wind swirls.

Road conditions (on the National Highway anyway) are better and there is little traffic, which is another way of saying slow economic development. Gas stations are scarce and our drive yesterday was entirely rural. The well-equipped soldiers of the large military presence wave at us as they wait for the Maoists.  Nepal is a case of large military expenditures contributing to the cycle of poverty.   Our first night in Nepal we stayed in Damak, where Mercy Corps plans to work with People Living with HIV/AIDS.  Poor and depressing, it’s no wonder a majority of the PLHA are former injecting drug users.  Kathmandu is just around the corner.