The Narayani River Ferry, Nepal 1982

An excerpt from my book - One Foot in Front of the Other - Full Stride

As we were leaving Nepal we had to cross the Narayani River on the Terai, an area of reasonably flat grasslands bordering India. The main road to Bhairahawa, shortly to be renamed Siddharthanagar after the Buddha (Siddhartha Gaitama) who was born in nearby Lumbini, had been realigned and a new bridge was being constructed over the river at Narayanghat near Bharatpur. This road would be a considerable improvement to the original route which had, in the past, been susceptible to rock falls, especially during the heavy monsoon rains. As a temporary measure we would have to take PBA, our Ford coach, by ferry over the river.  This ferry consisted of a couple of open riverboats lashed together with a platform of thick wooden planks placed across the hulls. The propulsion was man-power. The whole operation looked very precarious, but in this part of the world you had to place your trust in the locals – and in luck!

The author (crouching) directing Mr Syd onto the Narayani River ferry

Only one vehicle at a time could be transported. A local bus and a truck went ahead of us. Then it was our turn. Syd, being a skilled driver, placed PBA, perfectly balanced, on the centre of the platform. As the Ford was larger and longer than the local vehicles there was an overhang over each gunwale and it was crucial that both the front and back wheels were placed with precision over each of the boats. We could see Syd, trying to look relaxed, sitting with the paddlers as they propelled PBA into the river.

The coach loaded onto the Narayani River ferry at Narayanghat

 The oarsmen had to make allowance for the river currents and we were half expecting to see PBA perform an automotive version of the Titanic by dipping beneath the murky waters of the Narayani River. The ferry seemed to be going in a completely different direction as the counter-current took hold - after all the other landing was almost directly opposite us, and the ferry was heading away upstream. We could see the oarsmen working hard and the steersman struggling with the large steering oar. 

The coach drifting off in the counter-current on the Narayani River

Then slowly the ferry moved out of the counter-current, into the main stream and with skilful handling by the crew, arrived safely at the landing directly opposite. I, along with the passengers, travelled across the river on the special passenger ferry – also man-powered. Greatly relieved, we were soon on our way to our overnight stop at Bhairahawa. 

© Neil Rawlins  text & photography

Excerpt from my book  One Foot in Front of the Other - Full Stride   available now at Amazon