Ironies

This country is full of ironies. Some dark and depressing, some comical. I constantly find myself chuckling at tiny things that no local would notice but I think are teriffically funny or interesting. Here are a few observations.


SACRED COWS EAT GARBAGE: Cows roam the streets everywhere you go. They seem to not be bothered by the hustle and bustle of the crazy streets and are content to go about their business of lazing about. The cows are sacred in Nepal and you will rarely if ever find somewhere that sells hamburgers. The cows are looked upon as gods. What is strange is that the sacred, god embodying, cows eat garbage! They can always be found at one of the monstrous garbage heaps on every street eating rotting food, garbage bags, and old discarded shoes. Quite strange.

SACRED RIVER = LANDFILL: Another oddity. I walked to the Bagmati river in Kathmandu the other day and was horrified at how dirty it is! The water is a mixture of sewage, black sludge run off from the brick and carpet factories, and masses and masses of garbage. I can't even describe how much garbage is in the river. Take however much you are imagining and multiply in by 100. It is quite strange also because people make pilgrimages to the Bagmati river from all over India and Nepal because it is "purifying." People take ritual dips and baths in the Bagmati to wash away their sins. So these people are a few sins less and a few parasites and diseases more. How ironic!