A safe return to Kathmandu; n = 1,801!

The research team is now back safe and resting up in Kathmandu after yet another successful field trip. We again exceeded our goal of 250 individuals with 254 individuals recruited to the project. This now brings the total recruitment to 1,801 individuals who have completed all elements of the comprehensive eye exam and other aspects of data collection. We have a few more official duties at the Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology today before we start to prepare for our journey home tomorrow. In the meantime, here's a brief report on our journey from Jiri to Kathmandu...

We left Jiri a bit before 08:00 h, one of our earliest and successful departures to date.

Sunrise, the morning of our departure from Jiri.

But it wasn't long before we made one of several stops along the way...

#1: Toilet break for Dr. Suman-ji's pet dog.

This first stop did allow us to capture a picture of Chhettrappa (right of picture), though, the village where most of the Jirels recruited on this trip reside.

#2: We stop to find a truck, stopped along a temporary one lane section of the road, being loaded with rocks. Fortunately, we didn't have to wait too long as the truck was near fully loaded.

#3: Through Rammechap, the road was blocked in both directions as a backhoe loader was lifting what appeared to be a large, heavy printing press.

Not long after this third stop, as we negotiated the traffic backlog...

#4: ...we come to a fourth stop. Another truck was being loaded with dirt and this time it was the backhoe loader that was obstructing our path.

#5: Once we had some open road we had to slow down for things like...steamrollers and tractors pulling trailers!

#6: Until we came to another complete stop to allow police officers to direct the flow of traffic along a temporary one lane section.

And all of this was before lunch!! After which, we enjoyed a good run home.

Only to hit the customary traffic congestion in Kathmandu.