Hello, Jiri, we missed you.

The US-based research team arrived in Jiri safe and sound, and in good time (a drive that was less than 8 hours). It has been about 7 months since we were here last. It is always good to come back and to meet up with our good friends and collaborators from the Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology.

Today marks the first of 12 days of sampling and data collection with a day off in between to recharge the batteries, catch up on paper/administrative work etc. Our recruitment goal on this trip is another 250 individuals. But for now, looking forward to enroll our first volunteer for today, our 1,294th volunteer overall.

Looking forward to keeping you up-to-date on our progress and all things Jiri over the course of the next couple of weeks but in the meantime, here are some images from our trip from Kathmandu to Jiri yesterday...

A local stall in Dhulikhel, east of Kathmandu.

Segments of the trip can be dusty and stuck behind traffic.

Managed to capture our vehicle in the mirror while getting a shot of the Himalayas.

There is still a lot of construction, re-building in Nepal following the earthquakes back in 2015.

Back down in a valley before making the next climb.

Stopped for lunch.