After visiting India and living in Nepal for sometime few things surprise me. I have really become used to seeing human feces on the sidewalk or someone throw up out of a bus. However, there is one thing that I see on a daily basis that still shocks me. The Bagmati River is by far the grossest part of Kathmandu. To see the sludge, grime and garbage is extraordinary to say the least.
A slaughter house on the side of the river.
I think they should just allow the Bulls to roam in the water, they would surely be dead in no time.
We make the drive over the Bagmati everyday and we have to plug our noses every time. I wish I could send you a cybersmell just so you could get the real effect. During the summer it is especially fragrant.
People actually live here. Just down the river there is a whole Bagmati village.
Bringing water to do what? I can only imagine.
A little girl washing herself in the river.
It is very common to see children bathing in this water. If I could only have their immune system. After bathing with the pigs for several years, I wonder if they are even human anymore. I am sure they develop superpowers.
When Brad was here he took a sample and this is what he found:
Well, a quick update on the Bagmati river water. So far, the media I have used for isolation shows possible traces for Salmonella, Fecal Coliforms (most likely for E. Coli), and Shigella. Usually the media will grow an array of different Micro Organisms and based on their fermentation, will yield different colors. Let's just say some of the isolation plates are quite colorful. That water is chock full of.....basically death that is not limited to the three mentioned above.
I'll keep you updated as more stuff comes out.
After reviewing this post, I realized the pictures just don't give it justice. It is something you would have to see to believe. If you come, I promise to give you a nice tour of the glorious waterfront we have in Kathmandu. After all, it is one of our main attractions.
6 comments:
I actually really wanna visit.....what kinda costs would this be somewhere above $2,000 probably? haha
Si eu vreau sa vin sa te vizitez chiar daca unele locuri sunt parfumate. Nu-mi vine sa cred ce multe feluri de bacterii exista in riul ala.
Oh my holy heck. Everytime I read your posts about the hygene there I barf a little in my mouth!
I am maybe a little bit rethinking asking if I could come visit you guys.
Man, they must surely have some intense immune systems. Then there's my sister who doesn't let her baby plan on the carpet because of potential germs (makes her stay on a clean blanket). Bless her heart (o:
I don't know you guys, just what I've read on your blog. I have to say though, Axel, you married one tough chick.
I've been awaiting Brad's report. Disgusting, but not surprising. Yuck.
We've seriously looked at flights to Nepal to visit you guys. Ka-ching. You keep posting stuff like this and bungee jumping . . . well, let us know when you move to, say, Florence, Italy. Or Lisbon.
(Jimmy, is that you?)
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