The Road Worker

Everyone works so hard here and the women who are often illiterate seem to get all the toughest jobs. This woman had just lifted a huge paving slab hewn from granite which was part of a load which had been dumped by a tractor and tip trailer. The slabs are being laid on a concrete base along the muddy sides of the lake which years ago were rice paddies. About half a mile strip by 10' is complete with perhaps 2 miles to go.

On my morning walk I watched a butcher with the remains of a goat at his feet - he was chopping up a variety of bits, weighing them on scales, putting in double plastic bags and receiving and giving change with the same bloodied hands. I shall be a bit more circumspect how I deal with paper money in future.

Along the lakeside women were washing their hair, themselves through their clothes and lots of laundry. We eat fish from the lake...

I've moved from my friend's hotel and am now living with my family - this evening Gita (who was delivered into my hands on the mud and dung floor of the kitchen 19 years ago) spent an hour talking about the election and her hopes for the future after the defeat of the Maoists. She's off to join her older brother at uni next month. It is so good to be with them all and living so simply although their new house has tiled floors and indoor plumbing!

the butcher and others are here