Crosstown Traffic

I think that one of the most shocking aspects of Nepal was the traffic. Triston picked us up at the airport when we first arrived. As soon as we left the parking lot, we were confronted with the crazy driving conditions.

There is an endless cacophony of horn-blowing. And because horns serve such a vital function, there seems to be an unwritten contest over who can procure the loudest horn. It's almost as if the buses could move some of the small cycles merely using the sound waves generated from their horns.

In addition to the noise, cars and buses constantly cross the seemingly non-existent center line. It's like a mass of drunken teenager drivers playing chicken with each other. Then there's the pedestrians. I guess there is really no safe way to get across the street through this insane traffic, so most people just stroll across at their whim without looking and without (it seems) any regard for their lives. If this wasn't enough, you have animals to deal with as well. Stray dogs often chase after you. Duck and chickens waddle through all the traffic, while cows and buffalo stand defiantly still in the middle of the road.

And when I say "road", please don't envision what you have come to consider a road in the US. Many of the roads in Nepal are not even asphalt, but merely dirt. They are full of potholes, puddles, rocks, ruts along the side and countless other obstacles. Oh yeah, traffic flow and steering wheels are on the opposite side from what an American expects. With a constant cascade of close calls, your reflexes often want to kick in and send you in the "wrong" direction. Because Kathmandu is a valley, the auto pollution is quite bad. We found ourselves nauseous from the fumes and the vigorous riding, so we ended up buying some breathing masks to help.

Put all of this together and it is an overwhelming experience to a foreign visitor. Here is a short clip that I took while riding in the car:

This clip is fairly benign for several reasons:

• it is a main, paved road,
• we were in a car (bikes are much crazier),
• traffic was light at the time I recorded it,
  
• and there were not many animals in the road.

We spent very little time in the car though. Along with the majority of Nepalis, we traveled almost exclusively on motorcycles. It is infinitely easier to navigate through all of the potholes, pedestrians, animals and other vehicles on a bike. On average, we probably drove the bikes about three hours a day.

Despite all of this, I found the driving to be quite fun. It was like an adrenaline-filled video game trying to navigate the bike through all of this. It was taxing though and we couldn't keep it up for too long. After a while, we would need to stop, catch our breathe and rest.

In many ways, I see the Nepali traffic as a metaphor of my life in the US. Having been back for little over a week, I already find myself caught up in all that my life demands. There are numerous obstacles to navigate. Despite my best efforts to traverse through the day, things often seem to fly at me from out of nowhere, requiring immediate attention. But all of this "action" also makes my life enjoyable and exciting.

Don't get me wrong, I know that I am truly blessed and wouldn't change anything about my life. I think the challenge (and the lesson I hope to learn from this analogy) is knowing when to stop and take a break. Just like the Nepali traffic, it is fun and exciting but too much can drain you. It is so easy to get so caught up in all that needs doing, that we forget to take breaks. This in turn depletes the enjoyment we get from it and makes us more susceptible to the dangers involved.

I spent one day at a hotel in Nepal, just chilling out with my sons and my friend. There was no agenda. We just hung out, played badminton and cards, gazed at the Himalayas, laughed and had a good time. Of course the surroundings helped; but this was such a special time for me. It was so peaceful to just hang out with my boys without obligations breathing down my neck. I want that more. I want to learn to take those breaks from all the hustle and bustle. It's hard to do at times but they are so beneficial.