Kushinagar to Bodhgaya

death stupa, Kushinagar

After 9 hours in a car, 4 wrecks and 10 broke down vehicles blocking the road, I arrived at Root Institute in Bodhgaya. I have been to India before, so I’m aware of how they do things here. But it still amazes me how “anything goes” while on the road. We were on a four lane road (yes there are a few) when we came upon what looked like a very long line of trucks stopped. My driver stopped a vehicle going the other way to ask what was going on. There was a truck scale or stop or something ahead. So we turned around on our side of the road and headed back the way we came going the wrong way. We finally found a place to cross the median, crossed over and proceeded to drive the wrong way for maybe 5 miles! Everybody does this. Trucks, motorcycles, cars, elephants, everyone! And if it’s foggy….you just slow down…a little. Oh, and even if there isn’t a problem on the road and you feel like driving the wrong way, it’s okay. Just flash your lights to let people know you are coming. I saw 2 very bad accidents that still hadn’t been removed from the road and they looked like they had been there for a few days.

And if you break down. Just put a few rocks behind your vehicle and if you can find some twigs, stick them in the side of your truck.

Road work. You can save a ton of money by not using signs, cones or flaggers. I never saw any of these things. And the large bridge we crossed near Patan. One side was closed for most of the way do to a partial collapse. No warning it was closed. Just a couple of 50 gallon drums blocking the road.