Oct. 24 - Asphault

The nearby complexes pool their resources to pave the low areas in the roads...it was so fascinating to see the work done, all by hand, by the light of torch fires made from burning tires saturated with kerosene.




Bike wallahs arrived first with flat bed trailers of supplies: pick axes, shovels, wire, kerosene, a few old cement bags, jute string, & most intriguing, a stack of flat bicycle tires.







It didn't take long to find out what the cement bags & jute were for. This man wrapped both legs for extra protection against the hot asphalt, which arrived just as dusk began to show on the horizon.





By the time they were ready to work on the portion of the road directly beneath my flat it was very dark. The tires were twisted to form figure eight "bricks" of rubber, & soaked in kerosene. The resulting fire burned about 30 minutes, provided light to work by & also heated the shovels/pick axes so the asphalt didn't stick to them as easily.



It was getting quite late - near 9 pm - by the time the asphalt was shoveled off the flat bed truck & spread with rakes into a narrow band.


A diesel steam roller arrived magically, almost silently...I didn't see it at first, rolling down the rutted roads towards the cooling tar. Men worked dangerously close to the roller, shoving asphalt back under the pressure, forming a tight fit between the complex exits & newly formed road.