Iris and I had to make an emergency trip to Kathmandu on Wednesday. Iris has caught a bacterial infection and her attempts to treat it through an oral prescription were not working. She has has to spend the first three nights here in the city at the clinic receiving stronger anti biotic intravenous interventions. For the next week will have to return to the clinic twice a day for IV infusions.
There is a garbage strike here at this time. Garbage has been piling up on the streets for the past seven days. Nepal is at its hottest and wettest time of the year. I have talked before about pollution here. Kathmandu is one of the most polluted cities in the world. The traffic smog and carbon monoxide are difficult. The Bagmatti River that runs through the city and the valley is intensely troubled. It is uncomfortable having to walk over or drive near to it the stench being so strong.
Dengue fever, diarrhea, Japaneese Encephalitis and a super bug infection have been identified to be on the increase. In some parts of Nepal cholera is being identified. In Kathmandu many people are being treated for various unidentified illness and infections. Tropical illnesses are always a risk here. Malaria has been nearly eradicated but leprosy and TB can still be a problem here. Fungus’s and parasites are other common problems that one needs to be aware of and that we have had to deal with here..
I am well right now but I have as well experienced various health and physical complications over the past few months. We have a month to go before we will begin our trip to other parts of Asia so it seems we will still be exposed to tropical conditions for a few more months or so before we arrive in New Zealand in November.
The political situation is till unsettled here as well. There has been five rounds of attempts to elect a new prime minister without any luck. The parties and politicians here can just not get along and come to agreement on anything it seems for the sake of the country. The Maoists are still calling for a peoples revolt and they seem to be doing what they can to move the country in that direction.
