It took us three days just to get to Lapa!

I started getting a little worried about this trip when I heard about the new route, the landslides along the way, the damaged trails, the long and difficult walk in the rain, and the monster leeches. As it turned out, it wasn’t an easy trip to the village, but it wasn’t impossible. My team got lost in the middle of a huge forest, but we were rescued by an old local man who later accused us of leading him the wrong way! We walked for many hours that day before we found a place that could offer us food. Leeches fell from the trees!
 
The young local girl who accompanied us enjoyed telling us all about the beautiful mountains to the east. Most of the people we met had very little, but offered us the best food and shelter they could. UMN has become very dear among the villagers, and they showed us the blankets, utensils and buckets they had received from UMN as part of their emergency relief packages.

Field visits are usually something I look forward to. Though it was difficult, and I was uncertain at the start, I enjoyed this one even more than usual.
 
– Pratiksha Khanal Rawlings