HIV Clinic in Banepa

This was a most interesting week in Bhaktapur....
On Monday, it took us 4.5 hours, two taxis, one bus, some hiking and plenty of patience to travel a mere 15 kilometers from Kathmandu to Bhaktapur.  There were riots, a fuel shortage, and much of the route was "banda" or closed.  When we finally arrived at the hospital we settled in to start the work week there.  

On Tuesday, we traveled out of the valley to Banepa to this HIV Clinic.  They do great work to teach in the community about safe drug injection, safe sex, and in this particular case, the photo shows me with the trainees for the peer education team.   All who had been in the high risk community themselves, now they are trained on how to reach out to those at risk youth.  They became my "brothers from other mothers" for the day!

On Wednesday, I was trapped in Bhaktapur due to more riots, and eventually managed to get to Kathmandu by evening.  The other volunteer, Ronnie, stayed the week, and also became stuck there due to more riots and enforced curfews.  Apparently on Thursday, a kid murdered another, and when the police didn't do anything, the city exploded.  Tear gas, bullets, bricks, burning of buildings....everything became quite tense.  It has since calmed down, somehow, despite the fuel shortage, Ronnie managed to catch a bus back to Kathmandu for the weekend. It feels like a country that is just hovering on the edge here,  if it is political, environmental, or even just perceived unfair treatment, anything can set off a riot or demonstration.