It's an endless story. Each year, during the two
summer months, Indra, the god of rain and thunder, Moving clouds over the Gorkha region, Nepal. The monsoon is a symbol of prosperity and Indra,
the king of the gods, does not do things by halves. Torrential rains hit the country. Far from tourist routes, roads and
the mountain tracks become impassable. Many villages find themselves cut off
of the world for many months. Krishna is perhaps the most
important from this corner of the mountains, He is the only trader for 50 kilometers around. When he does not find goods, these are
all the inhabitants of the region who suffer from it. From now on the roads are
soggy. Driving becomes really difficult. We don't have a gas station here so for all
vehicles, mills or for generators, We are addicted to gas cans. So we go to Gorkha to get gasoline in cans and we distribute it here. Here, here is 1325 euros. Buy four cans
gasoline and five diesel. 2000 liters of fuel which, on the way back
of its driver, will be sold during the day. It must be said that the generators
are running at full speed in Arkhet. Even though the village has electricity, power cuts
are numerous, the 3000 inhabitants of arcet rely on Rama, And him on his luck. The road is going to be hellish. All those who
will borrow it will get stuck. Cars, tractors, buses, I won't be alone. The Arkhet-Gorkha road is just a confetti on the map,
only 40 short kilometers that Rama will have to tear off, By the sweat of his brow. Without ever complaining, the Nepalese advance,
they have another outlook on life. - Come on guys, let's push!
- Push hard! Guided by Buddha, their karma and the
invisible world around them. When evil spirits cross
your body, then you die instantly. Doctors call it a heart attack. On the Nepalese roads, most of the time,
mechanical horses are of no help. Four shoes are better than four tires. But there too, this transport has its disadvantages. As danger approaches, the beast is a bit capricious. The first time they take the
suspension bridge, they were scared to death. The monsoon ravages the country. But it is also a source of life. Without her,
much of Nepal was starving. The rice we plant is not for sale,
it's barely enough to feed the family. I work hard just to survive, not to make money. According to the Nepalese, in this world, nothing matters. Suffering or not, only wisdom counts. Rama, who goes to look for gasoline in Gorkha,
prefer to wait 1 or 2 hours before hitting the road. A few hours can be all
the difference in the monsoon period. This man bears the name of a god, Ganesh, and he is not
not far from being one in the eyes of its passengers. He is one of the few bus drivers in
agree to ride at this time of year. Ganesh my brother, is it the start? And he even makes it a point of honor to respect the schedules. You are ahead, aren't you? Finally those of the departure. Because as to which
time he will arrive, that's another story. It's Hanuman, he protects us. I burn
incense in his honor every morning. We have about forty kilometers to go. In the summer, if we make the trip
in one go, it takes about 4 hours. In monsoon season, I never know
how long the trip will take. But sometimes when we leave in the morning, we
can arrive the same evening. It's possible. But it's also possible never to happen. Track
which leads to Gorka is one of the most poorly maintained in the country. Far from the natural parks that attract
tens of thousands of tourists, This road has long been forgotten by the Nepalese government. It has always been maintained by the inhabitants of the region. But since this year, the state has taken matters into its own hands. This road is improving. It has been in the works for a year.
Before, it was much more dangerous. It is the army that builds the road.
But it is money that comes from China. It remains to be seen when it will be finished. After the first kilometres, the old track resumes its rights. The rain creates ruts. When we roll in it,
it does like that. The rain demolished this road. Beyond the shovels and pickaxes he carries with him, Ganesh lacks an essential element to get out of pitfalls. So when he finds some, goodbye morality. Over there are bags
sand or gravel? How about we steal two bags? On climbs, the bus may slip.
Thanks to the sand, we can get by. Stop talking and hurry up!
I don't want to get caught. A petty larceny that's not very good for their karma. For Buddhists who believe in reincarnation, both good and bad deeds affect their next life. Rama, the driver who fetches petrol from Gorkha,
are a few kilometers behind the bus. And he wants to keep good karma. For this, he transports free travelers who cannot afford a ticket on Ganesh's bus. Good for its karma, but painful for its passengers. It's the first time I've traveled like
that, in the back of a truck, between cans. Even if this road scares us, what should we do?
You have to move well. We have to take this road to go to Kathmandu. The road is really, really rotten.
In the evening, my back is compote. Get a little behind!
Extend your leg! Watch your head! I will stand like this. Turn to the other side.
That way your head won't bump. - You are better now, I think?
- Better ! I almost died. Further up the road, Ganesh's bus plods along. Despite a beautiful sun, the earth struggles to dry. I have been a driver on this road for ten years. Before, I was an assistant for four years, so fourteen years in all. Me, it was a friend who taught me. He let me drive his bus. First for two or three kilometers. That's how I learned. I passed my license and I
got it. A month later, I was behind the wheel. Every time he takes the wheel, Ganesh
repeats a phrase of Buddha in a loop. Wise is he who bears the blows
with patience equal to his strength. And on this track, the word of Buddha takes on its full meaning. The bus is in a rut. He slips
and I can't get out of it. It really shakes a lot.
Fortunately, I hold it well! For their part, Rama and his passengers end up
by catching Ganesh's bus. A little further down, the bus got stuck, other vehicles
are blocked behind, there is no way to pass. This forced stop is not to displease the passengers of the truck. Nor even to Rama for that matter. The man has a design
personal benefit of mutual aid between drivers. Not terrible for his karma. First, I observe the situation. I see he's trying to get out of it. But don't bother going to help him before being
sure he can't do it alone. It's wrong but Ganesh and his assistant still congratulate each other
for stealing those sandbags from the side of the road. But even in Nepal, well ill-gotten, never benefits. It's a burst tire. The tire exploded. The spare wheel will have to be taken down and repaired. Its good ?
Here we go ! I'll park there and we'll fix it. This is our last spare wheel. Can you untie it? There's a ripped piece here.
It's not surprising, given the state of the road. I had to roll over a stone and that's the job. It happens to us often. 1 to 2 times per month. The tires are very worn with new ones,
we wouldn't be in this mess. It's the profession that wants it. The puncture is the delight of this
eatery. All the passengers rush there. - She's not fresh at all!
- There is a power outage. Warm drinks and unique meals find takers. For a few euro cents, Ganesh,
at his assistant, swallows a Dal Bhat, That is to say rice, lentils and some
pieces of chicken drizzled with a very spicy sauce. In Nepal, it is a tradition to eat with
hands. I can't eat with a spoon. It feels good to eat, I was hungry. I'd like to take a little nap afterwards. As a driver, Ganesh earns 600€
per month, Suresh, half. They barely have enough to live on, but according to
them, there is nothing to complain about. I started working when I was a child.
I love my job, I don't want to do anything else. We see the country, we meet people. Wherever we go, we eat well like here. In the evening, we
drinks a good beer, we earn our living, it's perfect. Settle for little. For the Buddhists, it is necessary to know
accept that the bad deeds of a past life, Be paid in the following. Jetty and her mother Shepa grind blocks of stone to stone all day long. A thankless but necessary job. Their pebbles are used to repair the tracks. My mother is very old. She is at least 80 years old. She is deaf and she says to me:
"What's the point of talking if I don't hear the answers?" It's our lives to break stones
and carry them on our backs. I dream of a sweeter life, but where I
am, it is not possible, alas. It cuts my fingers. There are shards jumping out of the eyes. It's very long. We have to gather them in a heap,
wear, break them and reduce them to small pieces. It's hard work, but you can't
not eat if you don't work hard. It took us a month to break
all these stones and we will be paid 60€. A sum that is far from equal to the fatigue of the profession. But she allows Jetty to bring life
her three children and her disabled husband. I like my little cigarette break. Life for Jetty and her family gets complicated
a little more during the two monsoon months. When it rains, I can't work
as much as I would like. The rain is too heavy. It hurts badly. Deep pains here, here,
and again there. And then I have a very bad headache. Sometimes I feel like I'm dead! Showers rarely last long,
but enough to destroy everything. Ganesh's bus is no longer very young but it is still valiant. Unlike that brand new 4x4
immobilized in the middle of the track. The car over there, it has every chance of getting stuck. I stopped here to assess the difficulties. And to know where to go. The driver does not make it,
Ganesh offers to take the wheel. You have to shake the car. Shake it on both sides. Nothing works. The two-ton machine remains
riveted to the track, regardless of the driver. The sun is beating down hard. 40 degrees. 2 hours later, a good idea is hammered home. On average, on this track, no vehicle exceeds 4 km/h. Some even abandon their truck because the tractor
supposed to save them is himself in perdition. After 40 kilometers of effort and 12 hours of fatigue, the bus from
Ganesh enters Gorkha, the city of all symbols. His maharaja unified the different provinces
to give birth to modern Nepal. Finally for Ganesh and his passengers,
modernity is still a chimera. Tomorrow it will be back. We'll take the same road
and the day will be the same as today. A quarter of an hour after the bus, Rama arrives at the gates of the
town. Everyone is happy to have arrived in one piece. Thank you my boy. that you can have
a long life and much happiness. Unlike Ganesh, Rama doesn't really have time to breathe. The village is counting on him to come back quickly,
with enough to power the generators. We finish filling the canisters and return to Arkhet. We have to hurry. The night begins to fall. And I feel like it's going to rain. Rama earns 30€ per trip, sweat wages,
survival wage for 24 hours of driving. Rama arrived at Arkhet the next morning. These passengers also continued their journey. All took the direction of a small village with great power. The festival held there once a year brings
luck and happiness for the rest of the year. Since the earthquake that devastated the country in 2015, The Nepalese would not be missing for anything
world the bracelet ceremony. I put around your wrist this sacred cord,
the one that served to tie the most powerful, And the most generous of Bali kings.
He will always protect you. Today we celebrate the feast of the sacred cord
to receive the protection of the gods. - You don't have a red cord?
- No, there's no more red. According to tradition, the sacred cord protects us. The shamans festival is also very important because it shows us their sacred dances only once a year, And it is today. Together with the bracelet, the tilak
is affixed in the middle of the forehead. It represents the third eye of the goddess
Shiva and symbolizes the rising sun. To the dye, the priest added some
grains of rice in order to nourish the spirit. Another very useful protection because according to the shamans, Since the earthquake that killed 8,000 people, They have to deal with an upsurge
attacks of evil spirits. The hut of the shaman **** is always full. There are ghosts, they can jinx us
and doctors can't do anything but shamans can. When evil spirits cross
your body, then you die instantly. Doctors call it a heart attack. But if the evil spirits are content
to touch you, you are only paralyzed. In the case of serious illnesses such as cancer,
I can do nothing. You have to go see a doctor. The villagers pay the shaman according to their means. She has a fever, she coughs,
maybe it's the flu. If it's an illness caused by village spirits, it might get worse if I take him straight to the doctor. You should always do one or two ceremonies with the shaman first. People only see rice on the ground. For me, in
as a shaman, this rice serves to nourish the spirits. It's as if I put them directly in the mouth. Sated, the evil spirits took flight. The monsoon is getting stronger day by day. In a short time it will have reached its full power. That is more than 300 liters of water per square meter in one month. A tidal wave from the sky. The high mountain villages will soon be inaccessible. A race against the rain begins to supply them. Boss, order. - Where did this come from ?
- From the grocer in Mangbo. Oil.
Oil. Gas. Corrugated iron, noodles, rice. Eggs, soap and cement. You're going to load it all. Sheet metal plates for the roofs and walls of
houses that would not withstand strong winds. Sheet metal plates give me a headache, That's why I wear a helmet. And above all, something to enhance your daily life
during these long months cut off from the world. Go slowly ! If it breaks it will be up to us to pay for it. At 18, Maïla is the youngest driver in the region. Pass the green cards first. In my job, you have to be strong but
you also have to use your head, be smart. Strength alone is not enough. In the
difficulties, you have to know how to gamble. Sometimes I get frustrated that I can't do anything else. I'm tired, I'm bored but hey, you have to work hard! Only five trucks are available
to go to Mangbo, 20 kilometers higher. A derisory distance which nevertheless has
already destroyed quite a few trucks. So the villagers called for another means of transportation. Who himself ignores mechanical failures. Every day, several caravans of mules, like those of
Suky, gather to storm the mountain. Tonight it will rain. I have to hurry to transport the goods, otherwise they will get wet. Once the track is wet, it is
very slippery. The load may be damaged. In this bag are bars of soap for washing clothes. There, these are cookies and I'm going to carry it all up. My mules carry 30 kilos on each side. It is sugar for drinking tea. 600 kilos of equipment and food to
wear for 8 hours on steep trails. Among the mules the complaints are
numerous, such as desertions. For a few rupees, this young man
will lead back to the right path. Sister in law !
How are you ? - Why run at your age?
- That's life ! Namaste my brother. - I'm in a bit of a hurry, we'll talk later.
- Where are you going ? On top ! A race begins between the animals and the trucks. The route taken by the young driver
seems more suitable for mules. Maïla does not exceed 15 km/h. It's a track that I take often and every
time, I wonder what will happen to us. From experience, I am very attentive to my truck, almost listening to it, how it behaves, what noise it makes, Does it sound different than usual?
I always drive with my truck in mind. What I fear the most is the rain. I'm afraid of a landslide or
to stay completely bogged down. There are also falling rocks
which can damage the truck. Maïla is traveling with Shuba, her 14-year-old assistant. He teaches him the trade, but the boy has
interest in putting heart into the work. There is no place to pull them to the side. Put stones.
This road is rotten. Who told you to remove that stone? What difference if I leave her? If you remove it, the truck risks
to roll down the slope. Don't stop, add more. Put it everywhere!
You need to be more vigilant. Look at this work! It sucks! Come on hurry up. I am happy to work with Maïla. We
We are from the same village and he knows me well. He doesn't make me work too much. He doesn't hit me. Shuba stayed at home all day doing nothing. I offered him to come to work
with me like that he learns a trade. In the truck, the first time, I was worried. I wondered why it was shaking so much. Now I got used to it and I like it. At the entrance to a village, two truck drivers
await Maila as the messiah. When there is a serious problem, the drivers
trust only his talent to solve it. I'm waiting for Maïla to come and tow me because
that my truck is in the middle of the road. The road is so bad that
I broke the axle of my truck. While Maïla leaves to save her friend, At the same time, on another side of the mountain, Suky and his mules advance slowly but surely. It's not Suky who gives the rhythm to
his animals, it is they who impose it. The endurance of the Muleteer is equaled only by the reputation
men of this region, the Gurkhas. Men without fear and hard to evil. Moreover, since the middle of the 19th century, the army
Britain recognizes the value of these mountaineers. She created an elite corps made up of only Gurkhas. Even today, his commandos are
sent on the most delicate missions. Suky is not a soldier, but in the end,
he too struggles every day. It's a tough job but I have no choice. I have three daughters. You have to raise them
educate them, buy pencils, paper. Eat in the morning and in the evening. The land of my village
is poor. I can't grow much. So with the money I earn I feed
my family and raising my children. On each trip, Suky prays to the gods that a
of his mules does not have a bad fall. Crossing the suspension bridge is always a source of anxiety. The first time they take
the suspension bridge, they are scared to death. But after two or three round trips, they get used to it. They must fear for their lives, that's normal. Since the earthquake, the mountain has swarmed with porters. Penniless villagers who cannot
pay for transport by truck or mule. Their back supports the load
will rebuild their lives. The wardrobe is too bulky to transport it on the back of a mule. My house was destroyed in the earthquake. I ran out of my house, And the portal crushed me to the ground.
I was injured in the back and in the head. I stayed 45 days in the hospital for multiple fractures.
And now I find it difficult to carry heavy things. On the trucking side, Maïla has still not
not reach his friend's broken down truck. It's been 5 hours that he's been driving painfully on this
track gullied by the rains. The wheel dances and slides in the red earth. Get out more sand. The broken down truck is just after this hill. This lady seems to enjoy all the fuss.
And for her, the show is far from over. Between drivers we help each other, it's normal. Tomorrow, I can find myself in his situation. We help each other between drivers and
we don't ask our bosses. The cable broke. I came back down
and I'm stuck again. Maïla is forced to abandon her friend. He must
deliver his goods before nightfall. He will come back for it later if he
even does not get stuck on the track. It is still ten kilometers from the village of Mangbo. As for Suki and her tireless caravan of mules, they
just reached the grocery store. After 5 hours of walking. I work everyday. I only give myself 3 to 4 days off in the month. The villages must be well supplied. Today, I won 31€. Unlike the villagers, the only misfortune that can
to arrive one day in Suky, it is that the track is tarred. Maïla arrives well after the muleteer. The village now has enough to hold on
during much of the monsoon. Amir, the merchant of colors holds the unique
store on this side of the mountain. So there are shoes and sandals. There I have fancy clothes. There, everything stationery for students. Noodles, sodas, cookies,
cigarettes, beer and chewing gum. - But is there everything in your shop?
- Yes, sir, I have everything. I have to get most of the products from Arkhet. In the Village, we only produce corn and wheat.
We have no land to grow rice. Without truck deliveries, I would have to go to
Arket. And to go to Arkhet, I need two days, One for the outward journey and the second for the return. Maila kept her word. He went back to find his friend Ashok
but this time with a rope to tow it. Faced with this new failure, men have only one solution, Remove the stones one after the other
to make the track as smooth as possible. They will take the whole night to bring the truck back to the village. Maïla hasn't really had time to rest. The arrival of the monsoon sounds the return to the fields, Or rather to the rice field. The young driver swapped the steering wheel of
his truck for the arms of a plough. It is much more tiring to plow than to drive a truck. It is more difficult to handle the
plow than turning the steering wheel. The rice we plant is not for sale.
It's barely enough to feed the family. I work hard just to survive, not to make money. Uncles, aunts, brothers, cousins, No one escapes the family drudgery. There I uproot the rice plants. Then I would give them to my mother
and to my sister who will transplant them. - You don't want to go planting?
- No, I do not feel like it. Why ? I don't want to, that's all! Maïla's mother had other dreams for her son. But when he turned sixteen, she had to put him to work. I wish he had a good job. Driver, it's hard. Even though I didn't go to school,
I tried to educate my children. But working the land, how to pay for his studies. I too would like to study to have a
other work. Teacher would be good. Yes, she could leave here. To each his own karma. Raise your karma to get a life
better in their next reincarnation. This is the dream of Maïla and her family.
