Some firsts -- also a part of life.

1. On the way to the Pakistani Border last weekend we saw an accident between a man on a bicycle and a motorcycle. The man was unconscious and bleeding profusely from a head injury. Two other men were trying to help him up and out of the 'highway'.
2. Yesterday on the way from home as we were to cross a bridge over one of the rivers from the mountains, I looked over near where garbage is often burned. There is a small pavillion lower toward the river. There was a fire there. Ashuni said that they were burning a body. I asked if the ashes would be put into the river there and he said no, they would be taken to the Ganges and given to the river there.
3. I visited the local hospital today because I have caught a cough as have many others, from traveling, different climate, smoke in the air... The hospital is of cement and has cement benches along the wall along the hall for patients who are waiting. Families usually come with someone when they are going to see the Dr. -- very supportive. The Dr. is a lovely woman who may see as many as 250 patients a day. She is very skilled and prescribed cough medicine, pain reliever for my back, and decongestant. Goldy drove Anjul and I there and back. On the way back we stopped at a small open fronted medical store with an incredible array of different medications spilling from a gazillion compartments. The service was imediate -- quite unlike Walgreens. Total cost, about 6 dollars....
4. Rakesh made the equivalent of fry bread to go with lunch. He made a special one for me which I enjoyed tremendously after pouring honey on it.