by Vic

Created on: April 21, 2008   Last Updated: November 24, 2008

Two stray dogs sniff around my feet, their hairat least what remains of itin matted clumps. I can't bring myself to kick them away as the locals do, but merely lifting my foot gets the point across, they are so used to being hit they slink away. The old woman, her large belly hanging out of her bright red sari, squats in the way only the Asians can, and washes her dishesand then herselfat the community water tap. Finally, the blue and white bus makes its approach down the dirt road making its presence known with what has to be one of the most irritating car horn evera specialty it seems of the subcontinent. I stick my hand out and the bus slows. Reaching for the metal pole I jump upthe bus still moving. Making my way to a window seat I settle in for what will be a hour and a half journey to the center of town, despite the fact that it is only a few miles away.

Everywhere I look there is trash. Piles and piles, in varying levels of decay, faded fabric, orange peels and plastic bags line the road in ever deepening layers. We turn onto a bridge and pass one of the most disturbing sights of my life. The shape and depth indicate that once, a river flowed here, but now it is filled with a more or less solidified 'river' of trash. Further, down the road, there is a man shoveling said layers of trash into a small pickup truckthus far, the only indication of a trash service I've seen. Atop the pickup truck's load of stinking slimy mess stands a woman. Her faded sari has seen better days and her long black hair, beginning to gray is pulled into a messy, knotted braid. Her sandals sink into the slop as she slowly takes a drag of her cigarette and purveys her "kingdom."

As we pass the entrance to the airport the bus slows to pick up more passengers. Everyone is watching the two policemen, scratching their heads staring at a corpse lying 6 ft away under the treeclearly a casualty of the night. As we approach the city center, dust and exhaust mixes in a lethal combination. Buses, mopeds, three wheeled tuk-tuks, children, oxen, water buffalo, bikes, cars and pedestrians clog the streets. Fruit venders compete in a contest to see who has the loudest voice, and beggars, often missing various limbs rock back and forth along the road.

Coils of barbed wire and soldiers in their blue camouflage indicate another checkpoint. Luckily, in the city, they are all relaxed right now and buses need not stop. The soldiers rarely smile, and if you come early in the morning you can see them

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>